Hello!

I pray that you had a great weekend!

Have you ever studied the creation account in Genesis?  I've written a paper on it and it discusses how the author of Genesis must have meant to express the creation days were literal days.  This paper also illustrates how the "billions of years" theories are in conflict with God's plan of redemption.  If you'd like to see this 5 page paper that I wrote for graduate school, please go here: http://www.jcsm.org/Creation/CreationAccount.htm.

As believers in Christ, we should be sharing our faith with unbelievers.  Amen?  I've addressed many of the questions that atheists and skeptics ask me about God and the Bible.  I've even recorded them on MP3 and uploaded them to the internet.  If you'd like to hear this 18 minute lesson on witnessing, please go to http://sa.jcsm.org and click "Witnessing 101".

My wife and I are excited about the upcoming "Steeling the Mind Conference".  On February 22, we will be attending this Bible conference in Costa Mesa, California.  The Compass Organization is bringing Frank Peretti, Kent Hovind, John Morris, Mike Gendron, Kirk Cameron and several other, well known ministers to speak to us!  If you'd like to learn more, please go here: http://compass.org/conferences/default.html.

I've completed two more commentaries on "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained".  After finishing Joel and Zechariah, I've completed 47 books of the Bible.  Please keep praying for this project!  I have numerous distractions and responsibilities, but I'm determined to do this job with all of my heart and finish it.  I will be putting it on CD-ROM and publishing it!  I'll keep you posted on it's progress.

I pray that God blesses you richly this week!  If you love God and have trusted, believed and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, then you're on the road to Heaven!  And there's no better place than the road that leads to Heaven!

An interesting JCSM link: Our Must See Creation Sites! - http://mustsee.jcsm.org.

Kirk Cameron has teamed up with Ray Comfort and produces some audio and video tapes and a book on evangelism and the end times!  If you'd like to learn more about their ministry, please go here: http://www.livingwaters.com.

Did you know that JCSM has a list of over 100 of God's names?  The people in God's Word used a wide variety of names to describe Him.  When you have a minute, you can find them here: http://www.jcsm.org/biblelessons/godsnames.htm.

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 102,000 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://sa.jcsm.org.

Welcome to the new readers of this message! Here are the devotions, a moment of introspection, the challenge, the 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: "The 7-11 Prayer"

Psalm 143:7-11  "Answer me speedily, O LORD; My spirit fails!  Do not hide Your face from me, Lest I be like those who go down into the pit.  Cause me to hear Your lovingkindness in the morning, For in You do I trust; Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, For I lift up my soul to You.  Deliver me, O LORD, from my enemies; In You I take shelter.  Teach me to do Your will, For You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.  Revive me, O LORD, for Your name’s sake!  For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble."

Insight: This prayer has 7 main requests.  Try praying it and seeing what God does!

Prayer: "Thank you for loving us, Lord.  Please answer our prayers.  We need You.  Help us to see You and praise your name.  Cause us to know and walk in your ways, Lord.  We need your righteousness.  Deliver us from our enemies and protect us.  You are our refuge.  Teach us your will and help us to obey You.  Forgive us for our sins, too.  Lead me into truth and to righteous people.  Help me to have godly friends and counselors.  Revive me, Lord!  Lift me up and encourage me.  I need your strength.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "More Knowledge, More Trust"

2 Peter 3:18  "Grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
 To Him be the glory both now and forever.  Amen."

1 Timothy 4:7b  "Exercise yourself toward godliness."

Romans 10:17  "So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

Proverbs 3:5, 6  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."

2 Timothy 2:15, 16  "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness."

Psalm 1:1-3  "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.  He shall be like a tree Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper."

Insight: We can only trust God as much as we know Him.  When we we know a lot about God's awesome character, then we can trust Him more. 

Prayer: "Thanks for loving us and revealing yourself to us, Lord.  Thank you for helping us and changing us.  Let us know more about You.  Thank you for giving us your Word.  Thank you for the ways that You teach us!  You are an awesome God.  Fill us with more of You.  Increase our knowledge and wisdom.  Help us to meditate on You, Lord.  Give us more faith in You, too.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Repent As Soon As Possible"

Matthew 3:2  "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand!"

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."

Isaiah 59:2  "But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear."

John 5:24  "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."

Acts 3:19-21  "Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began."

2 Corinthians 5:10  "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad."

Matthew 5:48  "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

1 Thessalonians 4:3a  "For this is the will of God, your sanctification."

Insight: God's will is that we do not sin any more.  If you think it's not time to give up a bad habit, remember that God's will is your sanctification and perfection.  It has been said that the time between your sin and your repentance reveals your maturity.

Prayer: "Forgive us for our sins, Lord.  Reveal to us any hidden sins that we may have.  Help us to see things like You do.  Thank you for giving us a chance to repent.  Remind us to praise You for your faithfulness and patience.  Thank you for promising to complete the work that You began in us!  Help us to repent from our sins without delay.  Let us become mature believers in Christ.  Remind us about the problems of unconfessed sin.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "Wield the Sword"

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."

Ephesians 6:17  "And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."

Insight: God's Word is like a sword.  It is powerful and mighty.  Know it and use it in your spiritual battles.

Prayer: "Thank you for blessing us with your Word, Lord.  Thank you for giving us a weapon for our spiritual battles.  Thank you for wanting us to be successful and victorious!  You are our awesome God.  Let us know your Word and hide it in our hearts.  Thank you for making the Bible readily available to millions of people.  Thank you for revealing your will for humankind.  Let use use our sword to judge ourselves and judge truth.  Thank you for the way your sword cuts both ways.  Remind us to apply it to ourselves, first.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Expect God"

Psalm 37:4  "Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart."

Psalm 85:8  "I will hear what God the LORD will speak, For He will speak peace To His people and to His saints; But let them not turn back to folly."

Micah 7:7  "Therefore I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; My God will hear me."

Psalm 119:18  "Open my eyes, that I may see Wondrous things from Your law."

Jeremiah 29:13  "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

Hebrews 12:1, 2  "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

James 1:5-8  "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.  For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways."

Insight: God is faithful and He wants to help us.  He promises to answer His obedient followers and reveal Himself to those who wholeheartedly seek Him.  Expect God.

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting to show yourself to us, Lord.  Thank you for promising to give us great things.  Thank you for loving us more than we even love ourselves!  Help us to see You.  Help us to understand your ways, Lord.  Thank you for giving us your presence and your Holy Spirit.  Let us be sensitive to your voice and your will.  Forgive us for demanding our own way and missing the great things that You have for us.  Give us more of You and less of us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "The Promises of Persecution and Blessings"

Matthew 5:10-12  "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

Matthew 10:28  "And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  But rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell."

Romans 5:3,4  "And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

Romans 12:14  "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse."

2 Timothy 3:12  "Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution."

Revelation 2:10  "Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days.  Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life."

James 1:2-4, 12  "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.  Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him."

Insight: God never promised us a life without problems or persecutions.  It has been said that we cannot control our circumstances, but we can control how we react to them.  Despite persecutions, live a victorious life.

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us about the persecutions that we will face.  Help us to see them for what they truly are.  Help us to understand whether we are truly being persecuted for our faith in You or our foolishness.  Bless us and comfort us.  Let us do your will and be blessed.  Thank you for the people who persecute us.  Help us to rise above it and not worry about it.  Give us thick skin and resilience.  Remind us of our purpose and help us to follow You despite any persecutions or problems.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Pray In Jesus' Name (According To His Will)"

John 14:13, 14  "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."

John 15:16b  "Whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you."

John 16:24  "Until now you have asked nothing in My name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

Revelation 2:13b  "Hold fast to My name."

Insight: Do you pray in Jesus' name?  Are you aligning your will with His?  Read God's Word and seek His will, so you can pray in Jesus' name.  He will answer your prayers.

Prayer: "Thank you for revealing your will to us, Lord.  Thank you for telling us what is good and what is evil.  Help us to pray for the right things, Lord.  Help us to understand why You say "yes" and why you say "no" to our prayers.  Let us pray in Jesus' name and according to God's will.  Forgive us for praying for things that we do not need and shouldn't have.  Sanctify us.  Reveal your specific will to us.  Thank you for wanting to bless us and give us great things!  Thank you for never letting your followers go without.  You are an awesome God.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Do you know which time your favorite television show is on TV?  Do you know which time you'll meet with God each day?

Don't forget to prioritize the Creator before the creation.

Establish a time and place to meet with God.

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

ekklesia - a gathering of citizens called out from their homes, an assembly

Don't worry about how you'll obey God in the next year.  Consider how you'll obey Him in the next second.

If we don't spend time in fellowship with God, the Devil and his demons will try and trick us into fellowshipping with them.

Christian maturity doesn't come quickly.

Reading and studying God's Word will increase your faith in Him.

When you read the Word, God fills you with His Spirit.

Spending time with God transforms your life.

Meet with God each day.

Do you know which time your favorite television show is on TV?  Do you know which time you'll meet with God each day?

Recognize the ways that evil distracts you.

Establish a time and place to meet with God.

If statistics are correct and people only remember 5% of what they hear, we better find a pen and paper and begin taking notes.

In writing, respond to what you think God is saying to you.

If you fail, don't condemn yourself.  Simply get on the right track, again.

Come to church with an expectant heart.

Satan will do whatever it takes to distract you from your relationship with God.

Realize that some people may think Christians are very self-righteous.

The more we obey God, the more we will be blessed.

After devoting your life to God, He will use the fruit that comes.

These quotes came from God, me and Brian Blake.

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!

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 JCSM, please send your gift to the address below.

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.

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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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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."