Hello!

I pray you're having a great day, today.

Please pray for Ira.  He is a new brother in Christ who read JCSM's gospel message on the web, then trusted, believed and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior!  Congratulations, Ira!

JCSM has just passed two milestones!  First, our main web site has went over 100,000 visits!  If this wasn't phenomenal enough, our debates and sermons at SermonAudio.com have went over the 1,000 listens (downloads and streams) mark!  Please pray that JCSM continues to reach people, in even greater numbers, all over the world.  Praise the Lord for the way that we are reaching people.  All glory goes to God!

Are you interested in streaming some free videos on creation?  Miles McPhearson has completed his eight part series on creation and they are all ready to be viewed.  You can find these links and many others, right here: http://mustsee.jcsm.org.

In the past week, I've received offers from several people to debate and discuss some important issues.  Atheist and author Doug Krueger and I will be discussing the existence of God and biogenesis.  An "ex-Christian" student from the JCSM Forum will be debating some issues with me at UCSD (the University of California in San Diego).  Pastor and author Tom Brown will be discussing the Word Faith movement (he is an adherent and proponent).  James Randi and I will be discussing a variety of issues, including his debunking of some false teachers and his lack of belief in God. 

In addition to those engagements, I'll also be encouraging a large group from Campus Crusade for Christ.  All of these things are scheduled for February!  Please pray that they go very well.  I will try and record them all and keep you updated on everything.

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained Update - Last week, I spent 9 hours correcting and explaining the comments on the book of Luke.  I've completed 44 books of the Bible, now.  The expected release date for this project is February 1, 2003.  I hope you are as excited as I am.  Please pray for the seekers who will find these sites.  I will keep you posted on my progress!

As I did some research, I found a great site that has numerous, Messianic prophecies and how they were fulfilled in Jesus Christ.  If you'd like to see them, please go here: http://www.messiahrevealed.org.

Did you know that there seems to be a discrepancy between two of the gospel accounts regarding the rooster that crowed after Peter's denial?  The way these passages harmonize is quite interesting.  If you'd like to see a site that explains this very nicely, simply surf here: http://www.apologeticspress.org/abdiscr/abdiscr52.html.

If you read or watch the news, you've probably heard about the ancient tablet that was found recently in Israel.  This tablet has been unearthed and it is an exceptional find because it gives historical proof of Solomon's temple.  Whether this changes or accelerates anything regarding Jerusalem, the temple mount or the rebuilding of the next temple remains to be seen.  At any rate, you can read about this discovery, here: http://msnbc.com/news/858803.asp?cp1=1.

Please pray that JCSM receives non-profit incorporation, soon.  We applied nearly three months ago, so we should be notified, soon.  When we receive this blessing, JCSM will be able to receive tax-deductible donations and we'll also be able to apply for numerous grants that are only given to religious, non-profit corporations.

Monday is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Whether you have the day off or have to work, I pray you have a great day.  When you have a minute, in honor of Mr. King, please visit our Anti-Racism site: http://www.jcsm.org/biblelessons/Anti-Racism.htm.

Recently, I've been posting some messages on a mail list called "II Errancy".  I've met numerous atheists, skeptics and a couple of theists that are interested in posting messages about biblical issues.  Please pray that they would see the light of God and trust Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  If you'd like to learn more or even join this mail list, please visit the JCSM Forum for more information.  The link is below.

The Mormons returned, again!  This is the third week in a row.  Please pray for them.  They are very interested in talking to me and converting me.  However, I know enough about Mormonism to realize it doesn't jive with the Bible.  I hope they can discover what I've found and embrace the Jesus Christ of the Bible instead of the Jesus who becomes less than Christ when they've subtracted from His deity and added numerous, unbiblical doctrines.

Are you interested in mentoring a younger, Christian guy?  I just had someone email me seeking a mentor.  If you have a little extra time and want to use it to invest in a younger, Christian guy who wants to grow spiritually, please email me and tell me a little about yourself.

I hope and pray that you are blessed this week and glorify our Father in Heaven.  Remember, all good and perfect things come from above!  God is good, all the time.  All the time, God is good.

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 100,000 visits!

JCSM has encouraging sermons and debates online that you can freely stream and download!  Come and hear them on SermonAudio.com!  Here is our site: http://www.sermonaudio.com/jcsm.

Welcome to the new readers of this message! Here are the devotions, a moment of introspection, the challenge, our Greek 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: "Old and New Testament, Messianic, Resurrection Prophecies"

Hosea 6:2  "After two days He will revive us; On the third day He will raise us up, That we may live in His sight."

Psalm 30:3  "O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit."

Psalm 16:10  "For You will not permit my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption."

Matthew 12:40  "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth."

Mark 9:31  "For He taught His disciples and said to them, 'The Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him.  And after He is killed, He will rise the third day.'"

Insight: Not only did David and Hosea predict Christ's death and resurrection, He did, too.  Trust God and believe because He fulfilled the resurrection prophecies that no other could fulfill.

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us your Word, Lord.  Thank you for giving us such an awesome message that transcends time and space.  Bless us and let us know You more.  Thank you for giving David and Hosea prophecies about your death and resurrection.  Thank you for telling us that these things would happen, too.  Help us to understand how fulfilled prophecies are an indicator that You were who You said You were.  Increase our faith and knowledge.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "Are You Christ's Disciple?"

Matthew 28:19, 20  "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.  Amen."

Luke 14:26, 27  "If anyone comes to Me and does not hate (love less) his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple."

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

John 14:15  "If you love Me, keep My commandments."

Matthew 22:37-40  "Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'”

Insight: Christ wasn't just interested in making friends, gaining admirers or acquiring contacts.  He was and still is seeking disciples that will devote their lives to Him.  Make a commitment to be Christ's disciple and not just an admirer.

Prayer: "Thank you for accepting us how we are, but loving us so much that You won't leave us this way.  Change us and make us like You.  Help us to see and understand your worthiness.  Increase our devotion to You.  You are worthy of all of our praise!  Hallelujah!  Give us great joy and love, Lord.  Remove our worries and fears.  Sanctify us.  Thank you for your Holy Spirit and how it works within us.  You are our mighty God!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Alone With God"

Exodus 24:15, 16  "Then Moses went up into the mountain, and a cloud covered the mountain.  Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days.  And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud."

1 Samuel 3:9-11 "Therefore Eli said to Samuel, 'Go, lie down; and it shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, Speak, LORD, for Your servant hears.  So Samuel went and lay down in his place.  Now the LORD came and stood and called as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!'  And Samuel answered, 'Speak, for Your servant hears.'  Then the LORD said to Samuel: 'Behold, I will do something in Israel at which both ears of everyone who hears it will tingle.'"

Jeremiah 33:1-3  "Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still shut up in the court of the prison, saying, 'Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name): ‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’"

Matthew 6:5, 6  "And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites.  For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men.  Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.  But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly."

Matthew 4:1a  "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness . . ."

Luke 6:12, 13  "Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.  And when it was day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He also named apostles."

Insight: When we spend time alone with God, He communicates very important things to us.  Have you spent some time alone with Him, lately?  Those who have spent some significant time alone with God know how awesome it is and strive to continue having this wonderful fellowship with our Maker.

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting to speak to us, Lord.  Thank you for wanting to reveal great and awesome things to us!  Thank you for satisfying us like no other can.  Remind us how awesome it is to spend time alone with you!  Convict people who have never had this to try it.  Give us self-control, so we can devote ample time to seeking You in the quiet of aloneness.  Thank you for being beyond our comprehension.  Thank you for sharing great mysteries with us, though.  Open our eyes and let us see You.  We want to know You better.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "The Coming Judgment"

Ecclesiastes 12:14  "For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil."

Matthew 16:27  "For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works."

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

Revelation 20:11-15  "Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away.  And there was found no place for them.  And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened.  And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.  The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them.  And they were judged, each one according to his works.  Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire.  This is the second death.  And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire."

Insight: We will be held responsible for what we do on Earth.  God has given everyone an awesome resource called time.  Are you using this precious resource in a way that glorifies God and earns you heavenly rewards?

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us about the coming judgment.  Bless us and help us to repent.  Thank you for giving us the gospel message.  Help us to carry it to people in all of the areas of the Earth.  Thank you for being a perfect and righteous judge, Lord.  Let us put our full faith and trust in You.  Thank you for loving us more than we can imagine.  Thank you for giving us a free will to either trust You or reject You.  Help people understand what they are doing when they reject You.  Let people know and understand your words about the coming judgment.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "How Sweet Is God's Word?"

Psalm 119:50, 103-105  "This is my comfort in my affliction, For Your word has given me life.  How sweet are Your words to my taste, Sweeter than honey to my mouth!  Through Your precepts I get understanding; Therefore I hate every false way.  Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path."

Psalm 34:8  "Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!"

Proverbs 30:5, 6  "Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.  Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar."

Matthew 4:4  "But He answered and said, 'It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'"

Hebrews 4:12  "For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart."

Insight: Do you hunger and thirst for God's Word?  If you have tasted it and know how great it is, I'm sure you do.  Don't wait until you're completely empty before you fill up on God's Word.  Consume it and let it overflow into the lives of others!

Prayer: "Thank you for your awesome Word, Lord!  Thank you for blessing us with it.  Thank you that it is the most popular book in the entire world.  Help people to read it and not just keep it on their shelves.  Thank you for letting it be legal to read the Word, in public, in this country.  Help other countries to get the same freedom.  Thank you for giving us such an awesome source of power and truth.  Help us to understand the Bible.  Teach us through the Hebrew and Greek texts.  Let people value your words and everything you have said to us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Honor and Respect Others"

John 13:34  "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another."

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."

Ephesians 4:32  "And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you."

Hebrews 10:24, 25  "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."

1 Peter 5:5b  ". . . be submissive to one another . . ."

Insight: If God's love is in you, then you should be loving, honoring and respecting others.  Let God's love manifest itself in you and be revealed by your love for others.  After all, they will know that we are His disciples by our love.  It has been said that the only Jesus they'll ever see is the one inside you and me.

Prayer: "Thank you for changing us, Lord.  Thank you that I can look at my life and admit that it has changed for the better since I've given You control.  Let others have this same testimony and recall it for their benefit and the benefit of others.  Thank you for being all about changing repentant people and redeeming them.  Praise You for being such a great God with such high hopes and great plans for us.  Reveal your specific will to us, Lord.  Thank you for your will that is revealed in the Bible.  Let us study and learn your commands, so we can do what You say and trust You more.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Earthly Titles and Status Don't Impress Him"

Matthew 8:20  "And Jesus said to him, 'Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.'"

Acts 10:34, 35  "Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality.  But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.'"

Romans 1:20-23  "For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things."

Matthew 19:30  "Many who are first will be last, and the last first."

Insight: Righteousness impresses God.  Repentance pleases God.  Love and forgiveness are part of His very character.  Whether you have "Dr." in front of your name or whether you own a boat isn't as important.  Remember what God values and become godly, righteous and successful in His eyes.

Prayer: "Thank you for being a God for all people - great and small.  Help us to see others like You do.  Forgive us for judging by appearances or putting too much emphasis on worldly titles and status.  Thank you for being righteous and telling us how to walk in your ways.  Thank you for the wonderful friends I have that are not powerful in the world's eyes, but are rich in yours.  Remind us that your priorities are very different than this world's.  Help us to continually check our actions and thoughts.  We want to know You and love You more, Lord!  To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

The Devil and his demons won't tempt me with a professional football career.  They won't tempt me in many areas because they know that they won't get to me.  However, he will tempt me in other ways.  In fact, I've noticed a pattern in the ways he tempts me.

Could you list the areas where the Devil and his demons tempt you?  If not, then you might be falling into the same sins, over and over.

Make a list of the ways that you've seen temptation in your life.  Pray against these things and be determined to stand strong and remain pure.

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

hamartia: sin (offense or sin)

If you think you are a leader and nobody is following, then you're just taking a walk.

How you're living indicates what is going on in your heart.

Everybody needs to be involved in evangelism.

Come to church and be ready for God to change your life.

Pray for God to do something you can't do.

God wants to wrestle your pride away from you.

If you don't read the Bible and know what God says, then you'll probably rely on what others say - and they may be incorrect.

God wants to be alone with you every day.

There is no decision you should make without God's input.

Talking to God is important, but listening to Him is essential.

Pray big, wrestle and don't let go.

Your sin will spoil your life.

How does God refer to you in Heaven?

Come to God to get what He has for you.

A sound plan helps to relieve stress.

Practicing difficult things helps you to improve, so don't worry if you're not great at something the first couple of times you do them.

These quotes came from God, me, John Hilton 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 written religiously, the web pages stay on the www and the readers 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, Christian ministries 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!

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.

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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."