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Have you been to JCSM, lately?  There are new updates every week, so make sure to surf our way!

JCSM has just been incorporated!  This was an answer to prayer and a long time coming.  Now, we are applying for tax-exempt status, so we will be a non-profit corporation.  This will have many benefits and one of them will be tax deductions on all donations.  Please pray that we receive the tax-exempt status, soon.

We need a P.O. Box for JCSM, so we can receive ministry mail.  Could you pray about giving support for this special need?  In order to maintain a P.O. Box, it costs $40 for 6 months and $78 for one year.  Please email us if God lays this on your heart and you want to further our ministry.

Do you need a web site or do you know someone who does?  I've decided to offer my services to people who need web sites.  My prices are very affordable and you can learn all about my services here: http://nkjv.org.  You could have an excellent web page, with your own .com, .net or .org (plus several options and perks) for only $100-$200!

My debate with Dan Barker is on MP3.com.  I'm happy that they have approved the file and put it on their server.  Now, you can freely stream it with either a dial-up or broadband connection.  I hope you're encouraged by this debate and you can hear it by clicking on the link at this site: http://barker1.jcsm.org.

Did you now that we have an archive of thousands of wise quotes?  I've compiled all the quotes from our devotional messages and uploaded them to the web.  If you want to grow in wisdom and read some interesting quotations, please go here: http://quotes.jcsm.org.

Gospel Alert: Please pray for our vision to reach millions of people with the gospel.  This week, we will be evangelizing a very large amount of people.  I'll give you the results in next week's devotions.

We have started using a different email server, so we have a new return address on our emails.  Don't worry because everything else has remained the same.  In order to contact JCSM, you may either click reply or email us at the address below.  Both will work and we are always happy to hear from you.

My friend's cousin is in a coma.  Please pray for him and their family.  We hope that God is glorified in this situation by reviving the boy and having everyone turn to Him.

We pray that everyone who reads this message is encouraged and blessed.  Speak the name of Jesus and embrace His plan for you.  Remember, godliness with contentment is great gain!

Please welcome our new brother from Cameroon!  He is representing the 101st country that JCSM knowingly reaches.  We are very thankful and humbled that we can go into all the world and give people the Word 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 88,000 visits!

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: "The Sovereign Election of Grace"

Genesis 12:1-3  "Now the LORD had said to Abram: Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Mark 1:17 "Then Jesus said to them, Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men."

Acts 9:3-6 "As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? Then the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads. So he, trembling and astonished, said, Lord, what do You want me to do? Then the Lord said to him, Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."

Romans 11:5, 6  "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then it is no longer of works; otherwise grace is no longer grace. But if it is of works, it is no longer grace; otherwise work is no longer work."

Ephesians 1:4b "He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world."

Insight: God has called us to Him.  Before we were born, He loved us and died for us.  Praise the God of Heaven and Earth for loving you and considering you before you considered Him.

Prayer: "Thank you for loving us, Lord.  Thank you for seeking us, even before we seek You.  Help us to understand the depth of your love.  You are an awesome God.  Forgive us for being prideful or assuming that we did everything to find You and You did nothing.  Thank you for revealing yourself to everyone through your Word.  Praise You for giving us such an awesome source of truth.  Help us to study the Bible and memorize it.  Thank you that it is the best selling book ever.  Thank you that it is phenomenally unique!  Give us more understanding, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "Peter's Gradual Fall"

Mark 14:29-31  "Peter said to Him, Even if all are made to stumble, yet I will not be. Jesus said to him, Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times. But he spoke more vehemently, If I have to die with You, I will not deny You! And they all said likewise."

Mark 14:37  "Then He came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, Simon, are you sleeping? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Matthew 26:58  "But Peter followed Him at a distance to the high priest’s courtyard. And he went in and sat with the servants to see the end."

Matthew 26:74, 75  "Then he began to curse and swear, saying, I do not know the Man! Immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. So he went out and wept bitterly."

Insight: Nobody is above temptation and falling into sin.  Staying at a distance from Jesus is a good way to fall.  Don't deny Him.  Right now, pray that you will love God deeply and never deny Him.  Be committed to stay by His side and possess a humble faith in Him.

Prayer: "Thank you for the examples of people who loved You, but still sinned.  Thank you that the Bible is such a candid and honest book!  Encourage our faith by the way the Bible is true and doesn't simply talk of great faith and conquests, but admits the failures of nearly every major person mentioned.  Thank you that Jesus Christ was without fault!  Thank you for giving us a perfect and holy example, so we can pattern our lives after the God of love.  You are our God and we need You, Lord.  Touch us and never let us be the same.  You are the God of Heaven and Earth and we need You more than ever.  We look to You for all things, God.  Praise You.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Pray For the Sick"

James 5:14, 15  "Is anyone among you sick?  Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.  And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven."

Luke 7:7b  "Say the word, and my servant will be healed."  (This was spoken to Jesus)

John 14:12-14 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father. And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it."

Insight: Have you ever prayed for sick people?  God has the power to heal the sick.  Don't be afraid to pray for people who are sick because God can use your prayer to help them get well!

Prayer: "Heal the sick, Lord.  Touch them and remove their ailments.  Thank you for being glorified in our weaknesses.  Help sick people to understand that they need You.  Thank you for the temporal bodies we have that will be replaced with new, spiritual bodies when we die and go to Heaven!  Remind us that sickness, disease and death are only temporary conditions that will soon be gone, forever.  Thank you for giving us a right perspective by showing us things in light of eternity.  Forgive us for being short-sighted.  You are the one we need and the only God for us.  Heal our sicknesses, Lord.  Give people courage to pray over the sick and do mighty miracles in Jesus' name.  In His name, Amen."

Day 4: "Our Sabbath"

Colossians 3:16  "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

Romans 14:4, 5  "Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand. One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind."

Matthew 12:1-14  "At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. And His disciples were hungry, and began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. And when the Pharisees saw it, they said to Him, Look, Your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath! But He said to them, Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the showbread which was not lawful for him to eat, nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests?  Or have you not read in the law that on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  Yet I say to you that in this place there is One greater than the temple.  But if you had known what this means, I desire mercy and not sacrifice, you would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of Man is Lord even of the Sabbath.  Now when He had departed from there, He went into their synagogue. And behold, there was a man who had a withered hand. And they asked Him, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?—that they might accuse Him.  Then He said to them, What man is there among you who has one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not lay hold of it and lift it out?  Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep? Therefore it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.  Then He said to the man, Stretch out your hand.  And he stretched it out, and it was restored as whole as the other.  Then the Pharisees went out and plotted against Him, how they might destroy Him."

Insight: Have you ever held a legalistic viewpoint without realizing God's true intent?  Try and have love for God and others.  This will help you understand the scriptures and what God wants for you.

Prayer: "Thank you for being the God of the Sabbath.  Bless all of the people who take a day and dedicate it to You.  Bless people even more when they dedicate every day to You!  Thank you for being a covenant God.  Thank you for having Jesus Christ come to Earth and show us how to interpret the Bible correctly.  Convict us with your Holy Spirit and bring us to godliness.  Help us to analyze our ways and make sure they conform to scripture.  Praise You for knowing what is best and being so full of grace and mercy!  Help us to obey You and know that your ways are best.  Forgive us for inserting our worldly thinking and fleshly desires into your perfect plan.  Sanctify and purify us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Joy With Patience"

Colossians 2:10, 11 "Walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, for all patience and longsuffering with joy;"

James 1:2-4 "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing."

John 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

Insight: Each time I pray for patience, I also pray for joy.  What is patience without joy?  I think it would be waiting angrily and not patience at all.  Next time you have to wait, pray for joy and enjoy yourself.  The Devil is in the business of trying to steal the brief moments because he knows he has lost the big battle.

Prayer: "Give us joy and patience, Lord.  Thank you for the times that we need to wait.  Help us to enjoy that time.  Thank you for teaching us great things when we can't get what we want when we want it.  Praise You for having perfect timing!  Praise You for not being in a hurry.  Let us understand You and your ways better.  Give us more faith and trust in You.  Thank you for developing our character.  Remove our worries and fears.  Remove our selfishness.  Help us to enjoy the moments where we are waiting, even when we don't plan to wait.  Let us be ready for unexpected trials.  Thank you for being faithful to us!  Let us use all of our time wisely and not let the Devil steal any of it.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "We Need You"

John 3:30  "He must increase, but I must decrease."

1 Timothy 4:7, 8  "But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come."

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.”

Matthew 11:12  "And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force."

Insight: I need God more than anything else.  More than I need food or water, I need Him.  Admit your need and come to God with it, then He will satisfy you.

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us entrance into your kingdom, Lord!  Thank you for satisfying us like nobody else can.  We need You, Lord.  Bless us, increase our ministry, lay your hand on us and keep us from evil.  Help us to realize and admit our desperate need for You!  We don't need part of You.  We don't need You part of the time.  We need all of You all the time!  Forgive us for our apathy or our nominal faith in You.  Light a fire within us and help us to run toward You, daily.  You are our God and the Lord of our salvation.  Draw close to us!  We will draw close to You.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Got Freedom?"

John 8:36  "Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed."

Psalm 146:7b  "The LORD gives freedom to the prisoners."

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."

Romans 6:22  "But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life."

Insight: Do you want to be free?  Knowing and trusting Jesus Christ makes you truly free.  How much more free could be?  Having faith and a promise from God that you will live in Heaven for eternity is freedom.  Plus, being set free from the chains of sin is more liberating than anything!

Prayer: "Thank you for the freedom that You give!  Thank you that nobody could ever take away the freedom that You give.  Help us to understand that your kingdom and your promises transcend governments and humans.  You are the God of all creation and nobody could ever thwart your plans.  Let us trust in You, fully.  Thank you for being all-powerful.  Let us rest in You.  Praise You for setting us free from the sins that used to snare us and torment us.  Let us give you praise and thanks for the things You have done!  Remind us of the incredible peace of mind that You have given by changing our old minds and renewing them.  You are an awesome God!  You have taken us a long way and You promise to finish the work that you've began in us.  Thank You, Lord!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Make a web page and put it on the web!

Make sure to include your faith in Jesus Christ and how a person can be saved.  Feel free to use any of the resource on JCSM's web sites.  If you need help making this page, please let me know.  I have many tips and ideas at http://nkjv.org. 

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

In Daniel 10, we see that an angel was inhibited on his way to Daniel.  Evil powers delayed him.  This shows there are spiritual factors that try and keep us from the people we need.

Have you ever faced a situation where you needed someone (for whatever reason), but it was always difficult to reach them?  There are surely people that we need in our lives that the Devil tries to keep from us.  When you face a situation like this, be sure to pray about it.  Be determined to do God's will and persevere.  For those that have, we know that there are huge blessings.  Remember that God is greater than any powers that try and get in His way.

justified: tsaw dak - to be made right, cleansed, to turn to righteousness

All sicknesses aren’t a direct result of the sick person’s sin, but sin should be considered when sicknesses occur.

Love is so central to the Bible that if you’re not practicing love, you’re not a practicing Christian.

If love isn’t behind your motives, then how good can they be?

Love is a good benchmark of Christian maturity.

When you treat other believers without love, the world is justified by thinking you don’t know or love God.

Jesus didn’t break God’s commandment to keep the Sabbath holy, but He interpreted it correctly.

Even the closest ties of human affection cannot unite souls which are sundered by opposite motives, the one possessing treasure in heaven and the other having nothing but that which moth and rust doth corrupt and which thieves may steal.

The Lord’s commands are rarely accompanied with reasons, but they are always accompanied with promises; either expressed or understood.

It is not until there is real separation from the world that fellowship with God is possible.

Walking by sight is the cause of most of our failures and sorrows.

Even God’s providential dealings are insufficient to move his heart.

The "secret of the Lord" is only with them that "fear Him."

How are you stinking up your part of this world?

Man has already been tested under the most favorable conditions and was found wanting.

The trouble with man is not external, but internal.

Having been created by God he owes a debt to his Creator.

Why is it that sin is universal, that there is no empire, no nation, no family free from this awful disease?

Innocence is ignorance of evil.

Conscience is the still small voice of God within the soul, testifying to the fact that man is not his own master, but responsible to a moral law which either approves or disapproves.

Church-going, religious exercises, attention to ordinances, philanthropy and altruism are the fig leaves which many today are weaving into aprons to cover their spiritual shame. However, like those which our first parents sewed together, they will not endure the test of eternity.

The fig tree was the only thing which our Lord cursed while He was here upon earth.

The Bible brings man nearer to God than any other book, and men are uneasy in the presence of God, so they hide from Him.

These quotes came from God, me and Arthur Pink.

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!

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 Wednesdays.  The gospel message and JCSM's newsletter are sent monthly. These are the only messages we send, however, please email me us you wish to be removed from this list.

Do you need to find a solid, Christian church?  I've attended numerous Calvary Chapel churches and I've been very blessed by their Bible-based sermons, inspiring worship and kind members.  If you don't have a home church or need to find a new one, I recommend visiting the following site and locating a Calvary Chapel near you: http://www.calvarychapel.org.

OCCM (Online Christ-Centered Ministries) has certified JCSM as a ministry that preaches the true, biblical gospel of Jesus Christ.  OCCM is a professional membership association for Christian ministries and people that reside on and off the internet.  Are you OCCM certified?  For more information, go here: http://www.occm.org.

JCSM has it's own, site search engine!  If you'd like to search over 1000 web sites, please go here: http://search.jcsm.org.

Over 5000 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."