Hello!

All three of us pray you're having a great week.

No, the above wasn't referring to the trinity.  My wife had our first child!  Jordan Faith Gastrich was born on September 14th, at 7:47am.  She is in perfect health and 6 pounds, 10 ounces and 19 inches long.

Please pray that she continues to grow and be healthy.  We are doing our best to make the adjustment of having this new life entrusted to us and living in our home.  Here is a cute picture of her: http://www.jcsm.org/Jordan/Jordan.jpg.  A photo album will be forthcoming!

As I surfed the web last week, I found an interest site on Creation and Evolution.  When you have a minute, check it out: http://www.evolutionfairytale.com/bibleevidences/medical.htm.

Currently, I'm reading Dr. John Morris' classic commentary "The Genesis Record".  I highly recommend this book.  It's a narrative commentary on the entire book of Genesis.  Dr. Morris uses his extensive knowledge of creation and the Bible to explain the foundational events in the Christian faith.

I'm also reading an awesome book called "Astronomy and the Bible" by Donald DeYoung.  In the 2nd addition of this book, there are 110 important questions about astronomy.  Mr. DeYoung answers them from a Christian scientist's prospective and provides great insight into the universe around us.  You can find both of these books at http://www.half.com.

The first Rock/Calvary Baptist Bible study was awesome.  We had about 300 people come and worship the Lord!  Mostly college age people attended.  They are working on getting a web site, so I'll post it when it's up.  Email me if you'd like details about this Bible study (it's Thursday nights at 8pm in San Diego).

Do you know what your name means?  Would you like to see what other names mean?  The following link is a great site for discovering the meanings of current and ancient (even biblical) names!  Link: http://www.behindthename.com/.

If you need an inexpensive company to transfer and register your domain name, you'll want to visit GoDaddy.com.  They are offering a special deal of $7.75 for domain transfers, plus they extend your lease on the name for an extra year!  This offer is for a limited time, only.

Do you need a great chiropractor?  I'm currently seeing the best and least expensive chiropractor in San Diego.  I recommend seeing him, even if you live 50 miles away.  He charges $45 a month, not a visit, and this price is for your whole family!  He uses the Gonstead technique, he's very personable and his name is Dr. Ken Gilden in Clairemont.  Email me or look him up for more information.

Please pray for my friend Jayakumar.  He lives in India and he's having a lot of trouble with the PayPal donation I sent him.  He can't understand how to accept it or use their system.  This has been frustrating him for a couple of weeks, so he could use your prayers.

I pray that God is blessing you, richly.  Run toward God and flee from evil.  He will be there for you.

This Friday, I'm seeing Skillet perform at Magic Mountain in Los Angeles!  If you're nearby, come and see them.  They always have awesome shows.

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 81,000 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,

Jason J. Gastrich

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1: "Know His Power"

Philippians 3:10, 11   "That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead."

Acts 1:8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek."

Insight: Do you know the power of God?  God wants to work through you and all you have to do is be a willing vessel.  Let go and let God!

Prayer: "Thank you for your awesome power, Lord.  There is no God like You.  Thank you for the saving power of the gospel.  Thank you that it can give a person eternal life!  Help us to understand this power and accept it.  Thank you for the awesome power of your Holy Spirit.  Let us be sensitive to the Spirit that You put within us.  Praise you for prophesying about the Spirit you were going to give us, then fulfilling this prophecy in Acts and all throughout post-Christ history.  You are a mighty God and we love You.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "Forget Your Forgiven Failures"

Psalm 103:12 "As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us."

Isaiah 1:18 "Come now, and let us reason together, Says the LORD, Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool."

Hebrews 10:17  "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."

Insight: If God forgives you, shouldn't you forgive yourself?  If God forgets your forgiven failures, you should, too.  The Devil tries to make us feel guilty after we've been forgiven.  Don't believe him!  You are white as snow to God.

Prayer: "Thank you for forgiving our failures, Lord.  Thank you for washing us clean and seeing us as forgiven, redeemed people!  Help us to do the same.  Remove our worries and fears.  Help us not to dwell on the mistakes and sins of the past.  Cleanse our hearts and minds, Lord.  Praise You for being a good God and wanting us to live with a clean conscience.  Let us forgive others, too.  Help us to see people as You do and not hold grudges.  Remind us that You are a God of continual love and forgiveness.  Help us to be like You.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Be A Part of the Revolution"

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Ephesians 4:22-24 "Put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness."

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."

Insight: Someone has said that you're either part of the problem or the solution.  This world needs people who are radical for Jesus Christ.  Be a part of the revolution!

Prayer: "Thank you for making Christianity more than simply turning over a new leaf.  Thank you for making it an entire revolution in our lives and in the lives of others.  Bless us, increase our ministry, lay your hand on us and keep us from evil.  Thank you for the revolution You have caused in the lives of many.  Let us see You in this world and be thankful for your presence.  Thank you for dispelling the darkness!  Thank you for shining so brightly in a world without light.  Remind us that we need a revolution.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "Which Well Do You Want?"

John 4:13, 14 "Jesus answered and said to her, Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life."

John 6:35 "And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst."

Revelation 21:6 "And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts."

Insight: Jesus' well never runs dry.  All earthly wells do.  If you have any of the life experiences listed in the book of Ecclesiastes, then you know what I mean.  The best testimony, in my opinion, is no testimony (no story about wandering away from God's well and eventually returning).  Stick close to Jesus because only His well is eternal endless!

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us an awesome well to drink, Lord!  Thank you for being deeper than any other source.  Help us to understand how You nourish us the best.  Forgive us for seeking solace and satisfaction from other wells.  Thank you for being patient with us and even though You know that You have the best water, You don't force it on us.  Give us wisdom and knowledge, Lord.  Help us to see things like You do.  Thank you for touching us with your mercy and grace.  Remind us how You satisfy like no other.  Reveal the counterfeits and help people from falling into their traps.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Righteous Anger"

Psalm 97:10 "You who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked."

Proverb 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate."

Psalm 4:4 "Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah"

Matthew 21:12, 13 "Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves. And He said to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of thieves."

Insight: Everyone gets angry from time to time.  God knew this would happen.  However, we should effectively channel our anger and hate evil.  Know what to hate and what not to hate.

Prayer: "Thank you for teaching us about hate, Lord.  Help us to hate evil.  Reveal to us what is good and what is evil.  Give us spiritual discernment.  Thank you for giving us Jesus' example of anger under control.  Give us more self-control and help us to be meek.  Thank you for being good to us and giving us good things.  Forgive us for being angry at the wrong things.  Reveal to us hidden sins and mistakes of our past, so we can grow and learn from them.  Thank you for taking the time to teach and love us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: " (Some of) Jesus' Awesome Miracles"

Mark 8:1-10   "In those days, the multitude being very great and having nothing to eat, Jesus called His disciples to Him and said to them, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat.  And if I send them away hungry to their own houses, they will faint on the way; for some of them have come from afar.”  Then His disciples answered Him, “How can one satisfy these people with bread here in the wilderness?”  He asked them, “How many loaves do you have?”  And they said, “Seven.”  So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  And He took the seven loaves and gave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and they set them before the multitude.  They also had a few small fish; and having blessed them, He said to set them also before them.  So they ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets of leftover fragments.  Now those who had eaten were about four thousand. And He sent them away, immediately got into the boat with His disciples, and came to the region of Dalmanutha."

Matthew 8:1   "When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.  And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.”  Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.”  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed."

Matthew 8:5-10, 13   "Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”  And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”  The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof.  But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed.  For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me.  And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”  When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!  Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.”  And his servant was healed that same hour."

Mark 1:32-34   "At evening, when the sun had set, they brought to Him all who were sick and those who were demon-possessed.  And the whole city was gathered together at the door.  Then He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons; and He did not allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him."

Insight: One of the reasons why Jesus is still remembered after 2000 years of history is because of the awesome miracles He did.  These miracles glorified God and broke the assumed laws of natures.  Praise the Lord!

Prayer: "Thank you for your miracles, Lord.  Thank you for healing and helping people with your awesome power!  Thank you for using your power for good and not for evil.  Help us to do the same with the power we have.  Thank you for showing that You were the Son of God by raising Lazarus from the dead, casting out demons, healing lepers and doing more, awesome things.  Let us see You how You really are.  Let the world understand that You weren't simply a good teacher or good person, but You are the living, Son of God and the only way to Heaven.  In Jesus' name, Amen." 

Day 7: "Meditate On Him"

Joshua 1:8   "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.  For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success."

Psalm 1:1,2   "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."

Psalm 19:14   "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer."

Psalm 4:4   "Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still."

1 Timothy 4:12-16   "Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you."

Phillippians 4:8   "Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy - meditate on these things."

Insight: In our fast-paced world, it can be easy to neglect meditating on God and His Word.  However, this invaluable discipline was recognized as the Bible writers and it's something we surely shouldn't neglect.  Some of God's greatest blessings and revelations are given to us while we are thinking about Him and opening our hearts to Him.

Prayer: "Thank you for the wonderful times of meditation that we have with You, Lord.  Thank you for the times where You speak to us so loudly and powerfully.  Help us to continue devoting time to You.  Help us to stop what we are doing, listen to You and talk to You.  Praise You for never being silent and always trying to direct us into truth and life with your Holy Spirit.  Thank you for being so worthy of our time, thoughts and devotion!  Thank you for being beyond our imagination and thoughts.  Let us try and find You as best as we can.  Show yourself to us, Lord.  Meet us where we seek You.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Visit Fishes and Loaves (FALO)!  This is an awesome ministry that is planning on training and sending missionaries to Turkey and all over the world.  Their site is http://www.gofalo.net.

I've partnered with the founder - Howard Everett - and I am his Director of Missions.  Please pray for FALO and give this ministry your support.

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

Which well are you seeking to quench your thirst?

day: yom - from sunrise to sunset, one day

These quotes came from God, me and Pastor Justin.

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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