Hello!

Whether you're into creation/evolution, church, wisdom, music or Jesus, this message is for you!

We've had our first conversion to Christianity on the JCSM Forum!  An atheist we call Catman has accepted Christ!  He's still a little rough around the edges, but he has reminded me that we all are and we all surely were when we accepted Christ.  Please pray that he grows in faith and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior.

Have you heard a band called Rock N Roll Worship Circus?  They played at the Worship Xcellence 2002 Conference and they are incredible.  Their new album is being released on August 20th.  If you can't wait, they have some MP3's on their web site and you can download them: http://www.worshipcircus.com and http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/116/worship_circus.html.

The weekly devotions now have a convenient navigation bar at the top of each message!  Just click one of the bookmarks and you will be taken to that part of the message.  This is simply one way we're trying to make reading and navigating the devotions easier for you!

Did you know that the theory of creation offers far better and more scientific answers to the questions of our origins than the theory of evolution?  If you'd like to see more on this, you won't want to miss the next site.  I've compiled ten, very compelling reasons to illustrate this point.  Link: http://www.jcsm.org/Contents/CreationModel.htm.

If the Earth is only about 6,000 years old, how can we see light from stars that are millions of light years away?  Many scientists have proposed the theory that speed of light is slowing.  I've researched this quite a bit (you can visit our forum for debate on this issue) and you can visit the following site for an interview between Chuck Missler and Australian scientist Barry Setterfield.  Link: http://216.10.100.20/ramgen/dolphin/barry.rm.

Several pastors in India have approached me and asked if I could send them money or Telugu Bibles.  Please pray that they get what they need.  At this time, I can't help them very much.  I'm sure God will meet their needs, though. 

Next week is my 28^th birthday!  I'm thankful for the awesome things I've been able to see and do in my first 28 years.  Please pray that we all enjoy God's blessings, together.

I pray that God blesses you and helps you grow spiritually.  Trust Him with all your heart and you will see Him.

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 79,000 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 Hebrew 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

Day 1: "Bold and Courageous Saints"

Psalm 138:3   “In the day when I cried out, You answered me, and made me bold with strength in my soul.”

Proverbs 28:1   “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”

Exodus 14:8   “And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel; and the children of Israel went out with boldness.”

Acts 4:13   “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.”

2 Corinthians 3:12   “Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech.”

1 John 4:17   “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world.”

Insight: Boldness and courage come from God.  If God is for us, who can be against us?  Look up and be strong because God is in you and all around you.

Prayer: "Praise You for giving us boldness and courage, Lord.  Increase these qualities in us.  Thank you for making us unafraid.  Help us to see things like You do.  Forgive us for worrying or looking at our circumstances and feeling overwhelmed.  Help us to trust You more.  Thank you for loving us and having our best interests in mind.  Increase our faith.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "The Law of Entropy in Scripture"

Psalm 102:25, 26 "Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed."

Isaiah 51:6 "Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished."

Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

Insight: The Earth and all things were created with an end in the sight of God.  All things He made have had a purpose, too.  Before scientists recognized this law, God had created it and inspired the Bible writers to reveal it.

Prayer: "Thank you for teaching us such great and awesome things in your Word.  Help us to understand what You are telling us in the Bible.  Thank you for inspiring over 40 unique writers to pen the Bible from 3 different continents over thousands of years!  Thank you for making this book correlate and give an awesome message of redemption and salvation!  Thank you for wanting to redeem us, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "We Must Practice and Hone Our Talents"

Insight: God has given everyone gifts and talents.  It is up to us to use them for His glory.  When we get to Heaven, He'll want to know what we did with our talents.  Let's make some great memories for eternity; not feelings of regret and remorse.

Prayer: "Thank you for giving your people such a diversity of gifts.  Help us to hone them and use them for your glory!  Praise You for being such an interesting God.  Let us discover our talents and refuse to waste them.  Thank you for investing in us so much, Lord.  Thank you for giving us great and mighty things.  Let us understand what we have.  Thank you for having patience with us as we discover what we have and how we should use it for your kingdom.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "The Universe is Expanding"

Job 9:8a "He alone spreads out the heavens."

Psalm 104:2 "Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment, Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain."

Isaiah 40:22 "It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, And its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, And spreads them out like a tent to dwell in."

Jeremiah 10:12 "He has made the earth by His power, He has established the world by His wisdom, And has stretched out the heavens at His discretion."

2 Samuel 22:10 "He bowed the heavens also, and came down With darkness under His feet."

Insight: God has designed the universe in a way that it is expanding. Before science documented this, the Bible did. The Bible is not only morally and historically accurate, it is also scientifically accurate!

Prayer: "Thank you for being the God of the universe!  Let us see the things that You have made in the sky and marvel at You.  Praise You for making things that impress the entire world.  Thank you for doing things in the sky that puzzle the people of the Earth.  Let us be people of God that know You and understand your ways.  Let us not trust in the wisdom of men to tell us the answers to the universe.  Thank you for giving us much better answers than anyone else could ever give us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "God Rules the Kingdoms of the Earth"

Job 12:23   "He makes nations great, and destroys them; He enlarges nations, and guides them."

1 Chronicles 29:10-12   "Therefore David blessed the LORD before all the assembly; and David said: Blessed are You, LORD God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all. Both riches and honor come from You, And You reign over all. In Your hand is power and might; In Your hand it is to make great And to give strength to all. "

Daniel 2:20-21   "Daniel answered and said: Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, For wisdom and might are His. And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise And knowledge to those who have understanding."

Daniel 4:17, 34, 35   "This decision is by the decree of the watchers, And the sentence by the word of the holy ones, In order that the living may know That the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, Gives it to whomever He will, And sets over it the lowest of men. And at the end of the time I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted my eyes to heaven, and my understanding returned to me; and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever: For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom is from generation to generation. All the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; He does according to His will in the army of heaven And among the inhabitants of the earth. No one can restrain His hand Or say to Him, What have You done?"

Acts 17:24-26   "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings."

Insight: There will always be earthly kings and queens.  However, God is over all of them.  He exalts leaders and raises them up and He also brings them down and removes them.  Trust in the Lord and humble yourself before Him and He will lift you up.

Prayer: "Thank you for being in control and on the throne, Lord.  Help us to understand that no matter how chaotic things look, You are still on the throne.  We love You, Lord.  Bless us and make us like You.  Thank you for being righteous and judging the nations.  Let the righteous leaders reign and the evil ones fall from power.  Thank you for avenging us, so we don't have to take revenge into our own hands.  Let us have understand and insight into the world's problems.  Thank you for being faithful to us and helping us get through this life.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Inspect Your Life"

Psalm 119:9  "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word."

Psalm 139:23,24   “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Jeremiah 17:10   “I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, even to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his doings.”

James 4:8   “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Insight: Be introspective.  Analyze your life, your heart and your behaviors.  Bring yourself under God's submission and He will bless you.  Don't procrastinate and neglect to inspect your life.

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us the Bible to use as a litmus test.  Help us to analyze our lives and see if we're living up to your awesome standard.  Convict us with your Holy Spirit, Lord.  Give us courage to face the facts and repent.  Thank you for molding and shaping us when we let You be the potter.  We are your clay, Lord.  Thank you for giving us the ability to look within.  Let us see things like You do.  Thank you for loving us, even though we are all works in progress.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Avoid Apparent Evil"

1 Thessalonians 5:22   "Abstain from every form of evil."

Philippians 2:3, 4   "Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others."

1 Corinthians 8:9, 10 "But beware lest somehow this liberty of yours become a stumbling block to those who are weak. Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

Insight: Have you ever made another Christian stumble by your actions?  If you have, you know how important it is to "walk the talk".  Don't let your freedoms cause another person to stumble.

Prayer: "Thank you for showing us what is evil and what is good.  Help us to avoid evil and cling to You.  Thank you for actually being the way, the truth and the life.  Help us to understand your awesome character.  Let us be genuine believers and not actors.  Help us to run toward You and not look back.  Let us be cognitive of our actions, so we don't sin and so we don't drag others into sin.  Forgive us for being foolish or haphazard.  Remind us that You are always watching us.  Thank you for being a gracious and merciful God.  To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Are you thinking of others when you're doing things in public?  Are you considering that you may be making someone else stumble?

I stopped drinking alcohol many years ago.  However, before I quit completely, I made a rule where I wouldn't drink in public.  This was my rationale: if someone saw me drinking, they wouldn't know if I had drank one beer or twelve beers.  They could see me drinking, think it's ok to get drunk and they could get into a car accident.

I've heard it called a "higher law of love" to think about other people's thought life (this would mean dressing appropriate) and spiritual life.  However, this is the kind of lifestyle God has called us to have.  I pray that we can be pure and thoughtful.

exousia: liberty - freedom, privilege, right, influence

Most people look for someone they can walk on.

By maintaining right priorities in life, you can withstand the fiery trials and temptations.

Throw away the list of reasons you have for keeping grudges.

Establish a basis for honoring others.

Look at your own faults before someone else’s.

Look at your own mistakes more harshly than others’ mistakes.

Avoid coming near to dishonoring someone.

Our job as Christians is to help others see God.

God will allow conflict to happen in order to refine you and show Christ to others through you.

Increase your scope of honor.

How far are you willing to go to honor someone?

How far are you will to go to avoid the appearance of dishonoring someone?

How much are you willing to give to help someone?

Strengthen your foundation of honor.

Think of ways you can love your enemies.

Confront people in love and let God take care of them.

Honoring others is a binding commitment.

Honor has long lasting benefits.

Promotion comes from God.

Future blessings can be directly related to your present humility and righteousness.

Focus on God; not the size of the enemy.

Even if a battle you are facing is bigger than you can handle, it’s not bigger than what God can handle.

There are not spiritual gifts of church attendance.

You’ll think about different things when you pray and meditate in different places.

What kind of wisdom are you seeking?

Don’t give someone the wrong reason they should do something right.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado) and Miles McPhearson.

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!

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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!

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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."