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Are you ready for this week’s dose of encouragement, cutting-edge technology, Bible research and more?

We’ve added a site search engine at JCSM! Have you tried to find something on one of thousands of pages? Well, now it will be much easier! Here is the link to our new, site search engine: http://search.jcsm.org. 

We’ve created three, new sites! Get ready to do some surfing because you won’t want to miss these.

2. Did you know that 26 trees of the Bible are encoded into the first part of Genesis? You can see how this code is revealed in "The Tree Codes". Link: http://www.jcsm.org/biblelessons/TreeCodes.htm

3. Many things in the Bible are time specific. Jesus was crucified on Passover. The decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple was given in the month of Nisan. In relation to our months, do you know when these months were? If you’d like to see a simple chart on the Jewish calendar (and how it was changed), please surf here: http://www.jcsm.org/biblelessons/JewishCalendars.htm.

Have you ever been to Jesus.com? If you have, then you’ll know that the owner of that site needs some serious prayer and help. I’ve offered him money for the domain name "Jesus.com", but he hasn’t responded to me. He’s using the site to teach anti-biblical messages and propagate women! Please pray for this man and feel free to visit his site and email him.

Have you ever heard of IOSAT Potassium Iodide pills? In case you are in a nuclear attack, you’ll need something like this to protect you from thyroid cancer. They are cheap and safe. You can learn more about them and order them from anbex.com.

I’ve had some people email me about fasting. Please pray for them and their fasting because they want to do extended fasting. I’m sure they’d appreciate your prayers.

I pray that God blesses your spiritual growth and increases your faith! Don’t underestimate the power of God.

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 5000 links (pictures, forums, midis, Bible lessons, humor, proverbial stories, links, devotions, poetry, prayer journals and much more!) and it has registered over 78,000 visits!

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,

Day 1: "The Fallen Angels’ Fate"

Isaiah 14:12-14 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How you are cut down to the ground, You who weakened the nations! For you have said in your heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will also sit on the mount of the congregation On the farthest sides of the north; I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, I will be like the Most High."

Revelation 12:3, 4, 9 "And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her Child as soon as it was born. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him."

Matthew 25:41 "Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels."

2 Peter 2:4 "For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;"

Jude 1:6 "And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;"

Insight: Long ago, angels fell from Heaven. They reside on the Earth, now, and fight heavenly battles with God’s angels. They are real and they’ll be judged and sent to Hell one day.

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us insight into the spiritual realm around us. Thank you for keeping it from our eyes, but not our spirit. Praise You for being the Lord of everything. Help us understand that You are in control and You are already victorious. Bless us and strengthen us. Let us be strong examples of You, Lord. Remind us of the incredible power of prayer. Thank you for moving things and doing miracles when we pray to You. Increase our prayer time and our faithfulness to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Day 2: "Israel - The Byword"

1 Kings 9:7 "I will cut off Israel from the land which I have given them; and this house which I have consecrated for My name I will cast out of My sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all peoples."

Psalm 122:6, 7 "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, Prosperity within your palaces."

Insight: God’s covenant with Israel was based on their faithfulness to Him. Since they did not stay by His side, He has made them a byword or a "slur" or "joke" among all peoples. They’ve wandered around the entire world and faced more persecution, hate and suffering than any other race.

Prayer: "Bless Israel and the Jews, Lord. Help them to reach out to Jesus Christ and embrace His salvation. Thank you for giving us awesome things when we obey You. Help the Jews to remember your conditional covenant with them. Let them and all other people repent and run toward You. Thank you for never giving up on us. Give the Jews peace, Lord. Remove the deaths and terrorism in their land. Help them to regain the land that they had under King David. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Day 3: "His Wisdom vs. Human Wisdom"

Isaiah 55:9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts."

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!" Mark 6:2 "And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands!" 1 Corinthians 1:20-31 "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21For since, in the wisdom of God, the world through wisdom did not know God, it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. 22For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; 23but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, 24but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26For you see your calling, brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called. 27But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; 28and the base things of the world and the things which are despised God has chosen, and the things which are not, to bring to nothing the things that are, 29that no flesh should glory in His presence. 30But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God - and righteousness and sanctification and redemption - 31that, as it is written, ""He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."" 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 "Let no one deceive himself. If anyone among you seems to be wise in this age, let him become a fool that he may become wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He catches the wise in their own craftiness; and again, The Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, that they are futile." James 1:5 "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him." James 3:13-15 "Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. 16For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."

Insight: God sees the entire picture. Therefore, He is more wise than we are. He even created wisdom and all of the knowledge that we seek!

Prayer: "Praise You for having the knowledge we need, Lord. Give us more wisdom. Thank you for not despising the ones that need more wisdom. Thank you for wanting to give us more of You. Forgive us for our sins, Lord. Wash us clean and make us white as snow. Thank you for being such a great God. Let us know your thoughts and your mind. Help us to see things like You do. Help us to pray to You and ask for your advice without charging into situations where we don’t know what to do. Thank you for speaking to us and leading us. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Day 4: "The Tree Planted By the Water"

Psalm 1:1_3 "Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper."

Jeremiah 17:7, 8 "Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, And whose hope is the LORD. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit."

Insight: Like a tree’s roots need earthly water, we need spiritual water. We’ll grow where we are planted. Let’s make sure we are planted in the good soil of Christ Jesus. Our roots need His living water.

Prayer: "Thank you for teaching us about the strong tree that receives your nourishment. Fill us up and give us what we need to grow and succeed. Thank you for giving us the very best things that we need! Thank you for doing miracles in our midst. Help us to see the awesome things You do and even record them, so we don’t forget. Remind us how fulfilling You are and how draining worldly things are. Praise You! In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Day 5: "The Fellowship of Sufferers"

Romans 8:35 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" 2 Timothy 3:12 "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution." Matthew 5:10-12 "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." Matthew 5:44,45 "But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." 1 Corinthians 12:26 "And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it."

Insight: Suffering is something that believers will have to endure on Earth. Differentiate between suffering for the cause of Christ and simply suffering for other reasons like foolishness. God will comfort You until You meet Him and there is no more suffering.

Prayer: "Thank you for your love and grace, Lord. Show us how we could be suffering much more than we are. Thank you for being our almighty God. Thank you for teaching us things through our sufferings. Make us holy and pure, Lord. Thank you for showing us your power in our weakness. Thank you for giving us your awesome Holy Spirit that comforts us, teaches us and helps us. Show us your truth, Lord. Help us to refrain from being foolish, so we don’t have to suffer for it. Remind everyone who suffers for the cause of Christ that we will be rewarded in Heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Day 6: "The Conservation of Matter and Energy"

Genesis 2:2, 3 "And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made."

Hebrews 4:3, 4 "For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: So I swore in My wrath, They shall not enter My rest, although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: And God rested on the seventh day from all His works;"

Nehemiah 9:6 "You alone are the LORD; You have made heaven, The heaven of heavens, with all their host, The earth and everything on it, The seas and all that is in them, And You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You."

Insight: The 1st Law of Thermodynamics states that matter can't be created or destroyed. Did you know that this was a biblical principle? After God created everything, His work was done and no new matter or energy has been created.

Prayer: "Thank you for having deep, scientific things in the Bible! Help us to understand the Bible writers and how they wrote. Thank you for the Greek and Hebrew texts that are available to so many of us, now. Teach us more, Lord. Let us look to your Word for awesome truth. Thank you for the wise people that have known things before scientists because they have looked in the Bible. Thank you for telling us prophetic things, too. Remind us that there is no other book like the Bible and there never will be! Give us courage to open it, read it and apply it to our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Day 7: "Why Were You Called?"

1 Peter 4:11 "If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen."

1 Peter 5:5-7 "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

Galatians 5:13-15 "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. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, beware lest you be consumed by one another!"

Hebrews 3:1_3 "Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to Him who appointed Him, as Moses also was faithful in all His house. For this One has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house."

Ephesians 4:1_3 "I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace."

Insight: We have been called for many reasons. Read God’s Word to find His revealed will for you. Pray and seek God to discover His individual will for you. Be thankful for your calling. God is sovereign and loving.

Prayer: "Thank you for calling me, Lord! Thank you for wanting me on your team. Praise You for calling me into ministry. Help me to always minister with all of my heart. You are my awesome God and friend. Thank you for loving me and giving me so much. Let me walk worthy of your calling. Thank you for sending Jesus Christ to Earth. Help me to walk like He did. Praise You for being such a loving and powerful God. Give me more of your attributes. Thank you for creating all things and revealing your glory to all who seek You. Remind us that we should be careful about using our liberties, so we don’t let anyone else stumble. Give us wisdom, grace and self-control. In Jesus’ name, Amen."

Use the new, JCSM Site Search Engine! Bookmark it and search our site when you need to research a biblical subject or when you just want to have fun learning about God and His Word!

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

Are your roots reaching for God’s streams?

We are all rooted in something. Our roots are reaching for nourishment. Only God’s living water can truly satisfy us. Make sure you’re rooted in the Rock of Christ Jesus.

tuphlus: blind (opaque, smoky, literally physically or mentally blind)

You’re either in a storm, out of a storm or about to enter a storm.

All humans face trials that are chaotic.

A moron is someone who does nothing with what they learn.

Don’t leave the truth on the church pew. Take it home with you.

The wise person believes they should use what they learn.

The wise person changes after being convicted by God’s Spirit.

The wise person builds on an eternal foundation and the fool builds on a temporary one.

Where you want to be should effect what you’re doing right now.

Don’t let anyone take away your dreams; especially the dreams God gives you.

When you don’t have the right foundation, you lean and are in danger of toppling.

When all is well, fools and the wise may look similar.

Trials reveal the type of foundation your life is on.

During trials, you discover who or what you’re trusting.

Make sure God is your foundation before the hurricanes hit.

When Jesus appears to be asleep, He wants to know if you’ll trust Him.

When Jesus tells you that He’s taking you to the other side, don’t worry about the storms that arise on the way.

God allows storms to see if you remembered the sermon and will choose to apply it.

This salvation was built on the biggest storm imaginable in mind.

Tell me which biblical truth you’ve applied to your life lately.

I can’t tell you that there will be no problems or troubles in life, but I can tell you that you’ll succeed if God is your foundation.

If your choices, past and circumstances have knocked you down, remember God is telling you to get up because He loves you.

Hating the wrong things can hurt you.

Unforgiveness usually effects the person who is holding the grudge more than anybody else.

These quotes came from God, me and Tony Evans.

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!

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John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should have everlasting life."