Hello!

I pray you're having a great week.

JCSM is getting a facelift!  Over the next few weeks, you'll see some new colors and graphics on our web sites.  Our sites will become better looking and easier to navigate, so make sure to come and visit us!

Do you need a Christian, male mentor?  Recently, I had a man contact me because he wants to mentor a boy who wants to grow in Christ.  If you are that boy, please email me!  I can connect you two in minutes via the internet.

I've scheduled another debate!  This time, I'll be discussing some issues with Doug Krueger.  Doug is the author of one of the best-selling atheism books on the market, "What is Atheism? A Short Introduction".  Doug has spoken at atheist conferences and his articles have appeared on the Secular Web and in American Atheist magazine.  Please pray for this debate.  We will conduct it either in the first week of December or early January!

Since I finished "The Exposition of Genesis" course, I have uploaded my research papers to the internet.  I wrote 10 papers for this class and they are all between one and two pages.  The subjects include: "Jesus Christ and Melchizedek, Nimrod: A Type of Anti-Christ, Noah: A Type of Christ" and many more topics!  You can read them here: http://www.jcsm.org/LBTS/Genesis/EOG.htm.

Do you know the differences between the Christian denominations?  If you'd like to learn about them and numerous other subjects, you'll want to visit the following site.  The "BELIEVE" resource has assisted my research for several years.  All of the information is free and you can even download it in one file.  Here is their site: http://mb-soft.com/believe/.

Our best wishes go to the man who represents JCSM's newest country!  Uganda is the 102nd country reached by our devotions.  Thanks for subscribing and God bless you.

Pastor Greg Laurie has his dynamic, audio sermons on the internet.  I've been listening to them and they're great.  He does a daily recording, so we can have some "fresh bread"!  You can freely stream them from here: http://anb.jcsm.org.

Thanks for your prayers and encouragement regarding my latest project.  I've completed correcting and explaining 17 of the Skeptic's Annotated Bible's commentaries (on 17 different books of the Bible).  I've been working hard on this, so please pray that my work goes well and I finish soon.  I only have 49 books to go!

Please pray that my friend gets a job.  He has been looking, but hasn't found the perfect one, yet.

I pray that You are encouraged and edified.  God has the highest hopes for you.  Love Him and you will receive His blessings.

On November 30th, Delirious is releasing a two disc, worship, compilation album!  If you like their worship style, you won't want to miss this.

Have you heard our audio, MP3 welcome?  It is only a couple of minutes long and you can click here to hear me welcome you to JCSM!  Link: http://www.jcsm.org/Welcome.mp3

JCSM received a record number of hits, today!  Over 300 visits were logged on our main page.  Praise the Lord for this growth.  Please pray that JCSM keeps reaching people with the good news.

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 92,000 visits!

If you need to email me, please see the email address below. Hitting "reply" to this message isn't the best way to email 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

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1: "The Son of David"

Isaiah 9:7 "Of the increase of His government and peace There will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, To order it and establish it with judgment and justice From that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this."

Matthew 1:1 "The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:"

Matthew 22:41, 42 "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, 'What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?' They said to Him, 'The Son of David.'"

Matthew 9:27 "When Jesus departed from there, two blind men followed Him, crying out and saying, 'Son of David, have mercy on us!'"

Matthew 21:9 "Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: 'Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD! Hosanna in the highest!'"

Insight: Jesus was the prophesied, Son of David.  He fulfilled many other Messianic prophecies, too.  After 70 A.D., the Jews were scattered and it became impossible to prove their lineage.  How could anyone prove the lineage of a present-day Messiah?  This is partially why some will be deceived when the Anti-Christ comes.

Prayer: "Thank you for sending the Son of David to set us free!  Thank you for telling us about this Redeemer from the time when the first sin occurred.  Praise You for having a plan.  Let us trust, believe and accept You and your perfect plan, Lord.  Praise You for being higher than us and having deeper thoughts.  Let us understand what You have in store for us and the future of this place.  Thank you for giving us your Word!  There is no other source of truth like it.  Let us be diligent students of the Bible - looking in the original Hebrew and Greek texts.  Thank you for revealing great, hidden things to those who seek You diligently!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "The Undercover, Godless Ones"

Matthew 7:15-20  "“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Matthew 13:37-43 "He answered and said to them: He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!"

1 John 4:1-3 "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."

John 13:35  "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Insight: There will be people that come and pretend like they are righteous.  Without trusting Jesus Christ, their work is in vain.  Don't be fooled by people who pretend to be good.  Ask questions and dig deeper.

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us about people that don't really love You.  Thank you for making love the ultimate litmus test.  Increase our discernment.  Let us see things like You do.  Thank you for rewarding people that are persistent.  Help us to pursue You and not settle for second best.  Open our eyes to see You and the things that are true.  Let us know which things are evil, too.  Help us to be very sensitive to your Holy Spirit.  Break down the walls that we have built.  Show us our sins and help us to repent.  We crave your godliness because only You can quench our thirst.  In Jesus' name, Amen." 

Day 3: "A Pure Heart"

Psalm 24:4,5   "He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully.  He shall receive blessing from the Lord, and righteousness from the God of his salvation."

Matthew 5:8   "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

1 Timothy 1:5-7   "Now the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good conscience, and from sincere faith, from which some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things which they affirm.

2 Timothy 2:22   "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

1 Peter 1:22,23   "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever."

Insight: A pure God requires our purity.  How can we see God if we are not pure?  As we purify ourselves, God comes into focus.  Don't be afraid to let go of the things that defile you.  Taste and see that the Lord is good.

Prayer: "Thank you for being our model of purity.  Purify our hearts and let us see You, Lord.  Remove our ungodliness.  Remove the things that are bringing us down.  Give us wisdom and discernment, so we can see these things and call them what You call them.  Praise You for having patience and mercy on us.  Thank you for telling us which things are pure and which things are not.  Let us fill up on the pure things!  Help us to read your Word often.  Give us self-control and discipline.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "Imitate Christ"

1 Corinthians 11:1   "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ."

Hebrews 6:11, 12   "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

3 John 1:11   "Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good.  He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God."

Insight: This word "imitator" means "follower".  Be a follower of Christ and do what He would do.  In order to do this, you'll have to know Him.  Are you getting to know Him?  If so, how are you planning to know Him?

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to be just like You.  Let us have more of You and less of us.  Thank you for being such a good God.  Thank you for being so worthy of our time and devotion.  You are awesome.  Bless us, increase our ministry, lay your hand on us and keep us from evil.  Remove our foolishness and let us discover You.  Help us to learn about You in your Word and become more like You by submitting to your will.  Thank you for your Holy Spirit that convicts and guides us.  Thank you for the mystery of the trinity.  Lift us up, Lord, and make us whole.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "The Second Death"

Hebrews 9:27  "And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment."

Revelation 2:11  "He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death."

Revelation 20:6  "Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.  Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years."

Revelation 20:14  "Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death."

Revelation 21:8  "But the cowardly unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Insight: 100 out of every 100 people die.  However, not everyone will die twice.  Trust, believe and accept Jesus Christ and you will live eternally.  Pray for the ones that are heading toward the second death.

Prayer: "Thank you for telling us about awesome, spiritual things in your Word.  Thank you for giving us information about the afterlife.  Forgive our sins, Lord.  Wash us clean.  Thank you for saving us through Jesus Christ.  Help more people to trust, believe and accept Him for their salvation.  Thank you for making only one way to Heaven.  Thank you for being One God that loves us.  Help us to remember that You are both a God of love and a God of judgment and wrath.  Motivate us to share the gospel with people because unbelievers will experience the second death without You.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Abide In Him"

John 8:31   "Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.  And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'"

John 15:4-10   "Abide in Me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.  'I am the vine, you are the branches.  He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.  As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love.  If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.'"

1 John 2:24   "Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.  And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."

1 John 4:15,16   "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.  And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.  God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him."

2 John 1:9   "Whoever transgresses and does not abide in the doctrine of Christ does not have God.  He who abides in the doctrine of Christ has both the Father and the Son."

Insight: Are you abiding in Christ?  Abiding in Him means obeying Him, loving Him and trusting Him with your life issues.  Ask God to help you do this.  The more you abide in Him the better your life will be.

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to abide in You.  Thank you for giving us a better life with You than we had without You.  Thank you for making your laws and commands clear.  Thank you for the victorious life that can be led by spirit-filled believers.  Praise You for wanting us to have abundant life!  Remind us that You don't have a mundane existence planned for us - not here and not in Heaven, either.  Let us see your way, Lord.  Help us to do what is right and forsake our sinful desires.  Thank you for never giving up on us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Proverbial Abominations"

Proverbs 3:32   "For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord, but His secret counsel is with the upright."

Proverbs 11:20   "Those who are of a perverse heart are an abomination to the Lord, but the blameless in their ways are His delight."

Proverbs 12:22   "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who deal truthfully are His delight."

Proverbs 15:9   "The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who follows righteousness."

Proverbs 15:26   "The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant."

Proverbs 16:5   "Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord, though they join forces, none will go unpunished."

Proverbs 17:15   "He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord."

Insight: God doesn't pull any punches.  He doesn't leave it up to us to decide what is right or not.  He even gives us His Holy Spirit to live inside of us and convict us of sin.  If you don't think that our holiness is a high priority to God, then you haven't studied His Word very much.

Prayer: "Thank you for telling us the truth about sin and holiness.  Thank you for showing us the results of each, too.  Help us to be pure and righteous.  Forgive all of our sins.  Show us where we need to make changes and take steps of faith.  Increase our faith in You.  Increase our love for You and for others!  Thank you for giving us joy and peace.  Remove our worries and fears, Lord.  Help us to enjoy our lives by being obedient to You and living a life of godliness.  Forgive and convict those that commit abominations.  Help them to understand that they are hurting others and offending You.  Thank you for meeting people where they are and taking them where You want them to be.  To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Give thanks to God!  Just take a few minutes and thank God for all He has done for you.  Thank Him for giving you life, freedom in Christ, purity and all of the other things You can recall.  God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!

*  Deuteronomy 4:40 refers to (and is better translated) the "land which the Lord your God is giving you for all time".  This is the promised land that Israel received from God.  This passage is clearly about God's promise and not about the future of the entire Earth in general.

* In Psalm 78:69, this Hebrew word "forever" is better translated "concealed the vanishing point".

* In Psalm 104:5, the Psalmist is praising God.  He is giving credit to God for laying the foundation of the Earth.  The same Hebrew word "forever" is used here and is better translated "concealed the vanishing point" of the Earth.

* Once again, this Hebrew word for "forever" is better translated "concealed the vanishing point".  Therefore, Ecclesiastes 1:4 reads, "One generation passes away and another generation comes, but the Earth stands and it's vanishing point is concealed."

* This verse correlates with other passages of scripture.  See Revelation 21:1.
 

defile: tawmay - to be foul, contaminated, utterly unclean, polluted

Samson was the only judge that the Bible clearly says God blessed.

If you start playing around in enemy territory, you’re going to get into trouble.

"I" and "me" are the main worries of the world.

Can you point to the times when God has moved powerfully in your life?

Don’t be blessed by God and neglect to honor Him.

There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Have you used any of them to thank God?

Do you have the joy of knowing that God is using you?

Can you see the results of the demonic influences in your city?

Don’t listen to the Devil’s threats.

The only judge that God clearly blessed, according to the Bible, accomplished nothing.

If the Israelites would have obeyed God, there would be no Middle East situation, today.

God’s smiles are the best support under man’s frowns; if we walk in the light of His countenance we need not fear what man can do unto us.

We come before God not as the God of our forefathers, but as the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore our God and Father.

If you noticed someone who doesn't seem happy, pray for them. Perhaps nobody has prayed for them, today.

Scriptures contain many promises given to believers in general, and it is our individual privilege to plead them before God.

Now it is natural, and by no means wrong, for us to be deeply concerned over the salvation of our loved ones; but our chief concern must center itself not in the well-being of those who are united to us by the ties of blood or intimate friendship, but for the glory of God.

That which hinders us in our growth in grace is not so much our spiritual weakness as it is confidence in our natural strength!

God will receive no offering from His sinful creatures until they are reconciled to Him by faith in the atonement of His Son.

The things of Satan must not be employed in the service of God.

With a few exceptions, creation science is more or less like evolutionary science. However, creation science does not accept the theory of the evolution of species or the dates that assume the universe has evolved over billions of years. CS also does not accept their interpretation of fossil data. With these things aside, the differences between these two fields are negligible.

These quotes came from God, me and Mike Macintosh.

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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If you wish to contact us in the mail or send support, please make checks payable to Jesus Christ Saves Ministries.  Here is our mailing address:

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

3219 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. #212

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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!

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.

Yahwehnet.com is an excellent, Christian search engine!  If you're tired of getting flooded with junk sites when you do your internet look-ups, try Yahwehnet.com!

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."