Hello!

I pray you had a wonderful weekend.

This Tuesday, I'm discussing some religious issues with Tom Brown.  He is a Word-Faith preacher and author.  Please pray that everything goes well.  I'll be asking him several questions about his doctrines and experiences.  This discussion will be uploaded to Sermon Audio and it can be freely heard by Wednesday at http:/sa.jcsm.org.

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained is already encouraging people all over the world!  Did you miss our last special?  If you'd like a copy of this e-book software (which includes over 3,000 clarifications of "Bible difficulties" and over 450 pictures of Israel), then click the following link and take advantage of our special offer.  Until Friday, we are offering this CD-ROM to all of our devotional readers for only $15 and FREE shipping to U.S. customers!  Link:

The JCSM Study Center is coming together quickly.  We are hoping to have it online by the middle of the week.  When this fantastic, free resource becomes available, we will send you a special email.

I pray that God blesses you and gives you peace and joy.

Would you prayerfully consider supporting JCSM with $5 per month?  If God leads you to take this step of faith and bless this ministry, PayPal will process a donation subscription for you.  It will only take a minute and you can join us in this dynamic ministry that constantly reaches people all over the world.  Here is the link for $5 donations: Click here!

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 112,000 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.

Would you like to support God’s work on the web? If this ministry has touched you in a special way, please pray and consider sending a gift to JCSM. You can join us in our vision to reach people on the web with the good news! Either email me for more information or simply go here: http://vision.jcsm.org.

Welcome to the new readers of this message! Here are the Devotions, A Moment of Introspection, JCSM's Challenge, the Greek Bible Word of the Week, a faith-builder from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained" and the Quotes of the Week. Have a fantastic week and God bless you!

Love in Christ,

Jason J. Gastrich

ICQ#: 20731140

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1: "Jesus' Blood"

Hebrews 9:13-15  "For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?  And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance."

Hebrews 13:20, 21  "Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever.  Amen."

1 John 1:7  "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin."

1 John 1:9  "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

Insight: Jesus' blood washes away our sins and cleanses us.  In other words, His shed blood symbolizes His atoning sacrifice - His sacrificial death and resurrection.  Repent from your sins and believe, trust and accept Him and His blood will save you.

Prayer: "Thank you for dying for us, Lord.  Thank you for saving us from the consequences of our sins.  You are awesome!  Bless us, increase our ministries, lay your hand on us and keep us from evil.  Thank you for loving us more than we understand.  Let us rejoice in our faith and forgiveness.  Increase our faith and help us to understand, trust and believe You.  Let us also be able to forgive others as easily as You forgive us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "The Name of Jesus"

Mark 9:41  "For whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you belong to Christ, assuredly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward."

Acts 2:38  "Then Peter said to them, 'Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'"

1 Corinthians 5:4, 5  "In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when you are gathered together, along with my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, deliver such a one to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus."

Ephesians 5:20  "Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."

Philippians 2:9-11  "Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

1 Timothy 2:19  "Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: 'The Lord knows those who are His,' and, 'Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.'"

Insight: We are Christians and we have take part of our Savior's title.  Jesus is His name.  Remember that we serve a living God and our Savior is alive.  Speak the name of Jesus and do all things in His name.

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us your name, Lord.  Thank you for saving us!  Let us understand what You have done for us.  Forgive us for being too simple-minded.  Forgive us for 'majoring on the minors.'  Help us love You more.  Thank you for teaching us about You in the Bible.  Help us to read it and learn about You and your perfect ways.  Thank you for the power in your name!  Remind us to use your name for your glory.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Don't Bow to Other gods"

Leviticus 26:1  "You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God."

Joshua 23:7b, 8  "You shall not make mention of the name of their gods, nor cause anyone to swear by them; you shall not serve them nor bow down to them, but you shall hold fast to the LORD your God, as you have done to this day."

2 Kings 17:35b, 36  "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow down to them nor serve them nor sacrifice to them; but the LORD, who brought you up from the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm, Him you shall fear, Him you shall worship, and to Him you shall offer sacrifice."

Romans 14:11  "For it is written: 'As I live, says the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.'"

Insight: Are you bowing to other gods?  You may not literally worship an idol, but if you are putting anything ahead of God, then you are bowing to another god.  Take stock of your life and submit to God.  Leave the little gods and embrace the BIG God.

Prayer: "Thank you for being our God and our friend.  There is no other like You.  Thank you for satisfying us much more than any other god.  Remind us how awesome You are.  Help us to return to the only well that will satisfy our spiritual selves.  Thank you for knowing exactly what we need.  You are a good God.  Thank you for helping us to succeed.  Remind us that the evil gods drain us and lead us into destruction.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "Sing to the Lord"

1 Chronicles 6: 23, 24  "Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples."

Psalm 13:6  "I will sing to the LORD, because He has dealt bountifully with me."

Psalm 95:1, 2  "Oh come, let us sing to the LORD! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms."

Psalm 98:5, 6  "Sing to the LORD with the harp, with the harp and the sound of a psalm, with trumpets and the sound of a horn; shout joyfully before the LORD, the King."

Isaiah 49:3  "Sing, O heavens! Be joyful, O earth! And break out in singing, O mountains! For the LORD has comforted His people, and will have mercy on His afflicted."

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."

Insight: Singing isn't just a release or self-expression.  It is praise to the Lord.  Take some time and sing some praises to God.  If you think you have a bad voice, then try singing alone.  The Bible tells us to "make a joyful noise" and it doesn't tell us we have to sing all the right notes.

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to sing praises to You.  Thank you for the way that You change our hearts and lives as we worship You in song.  Remind us of the great and wonderful blessings of worship.  Help us to worship You with our whole heart and not just haphazardly.  Thank you for hearing us and loving us.  Remind us that You are faithful.  Thank you for being the most faithful friend we could ever have.  We love You, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "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 4:4  "Be angry, and do not sin.  Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah"

Psalm 77:11, 12  "I will remember the works of the LORD; surely I will remember Your wonders of old. I will also meditate on all Your work, and talk of Your deeds."

Psalm 119:15, 16  "I will meditate on Your precepts, and contemplate Your ways. I will delight myself in Your statutes; I will not forget Your word."

Psalm 145:5  "I will meditate on the glorious splendor of Your majesty, and on Your wondrous works."

Philippians 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: Meditation didn't come from Eastern religions or mystics.  Meditation on the Creator came from Him and His Word.  Take some time to seriously meditate on the wonders of the Lord.

Prayer: "Thank you for showing us more and more of You as we seek You with all of our heart.  Thank you for giving us awesome thoughts as we meditate on You.  Give us more of your righteousness, Lord.  Convert our heart and mind to your way of thinking.  Thank you for revealing great things to us as we meditate on You.  Forgive us for neglecting to obey You.  Let us repent and do as You have asked.  Remind us of the wonderful peace we have as we acknowledge your presence.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "We've Been Born Again"

John 3:3, 5   "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.'  Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God."

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."

1 John 3:9  "Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God."

1 John 5:1  "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him."

Insight: "Born again" isn't a cliché or a buzzword.  It is describing the new life a believer has in Christ.  We don't turn over a new leaf.  We begin a new life!

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us a new life, Lord.  Thank you for loving us so much that you forgive our ugly past and set us on a better path.  Remind us that we have been born again.  Help us to understand what that means.  Thank you for giving us new desires and helping the foolish things to seem less desirable.  Praise You for being a great God and putting your Holy Spirit within us.  Let us be sensitive to your prompting.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Preach the Good News"

Insight: Have you preached the gospel, lately?  Find a way to share the good news with someone.  It doesn't have to be a 30 minute sermon, but it could be!

Prayer: "Give us the courage to share the good news with others.  Thank you for the courage that someone else had who shared the good news with us.  Remind us of the reality of Hell and the reality of life with You for eternity.  Thank you for the wonderful ways that You have changed people's lives.  You are an awesome God.  Let us tell others the truth about You and their need for forgiveness, redemption and salvation.  Help us to give people the biblical gospel without watering it down or changing it.  Praise You for making the doctrine of salvation straightforward and understandable.  We love You, Lord.  Thank you for saving us.  In Jesus' name, Amen."  ** If you'd like to see the gospel message, so you can share it with someone, please go here: http://gospel.jcsm.org.

This week's MOI is on the JCSM Forum.  I've been discussing the war with Iraq with a German citizen.  He doesn't believe in Christ or the war with Iraq.  It has been a very interesting exchange because he sees things from a different perspective; a perspective that a person living in the U.S. may not always get.

When you have a minute, visit the JCSM Forum.  We've been discussing the war in the "General Discussion" part of the forum.  Link: http://forum.jcsm.org.  Please visit and you can even post your MOI!

Check with your local and state government and see if they can offer you anything for free!

You may be quite surprised, but governments (like ours in the U.S.) give many things away to their citizens.  I've gotten everything from free food, to free auto repair, to free medical coverage.  You'll never know if you qualify unless you seek and ask!

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

eido: see - know, be aware, behold, consider, perceive, understand

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

1:24 - In verse 11, God "let the earth bring forth" the plants. Now he has the earth "bring forth" the animals as well. So maybe the creationists have it all wrong. Maybe God created livings things through the process of evolution.

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained" responds:

* Verse 25 indicates exactly how God made these things.  It reads, "And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good."  They were all made "according to its kind", so they didn't evolve into existence.

(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Jason Gastrich.  This book is on CD and explains over 3,000 difficulties regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org.)

There are no, new quotes this week.  If you'd like to read some quotes, we have thousands in our archives.  They are located here: http://quotes.jcsm.org.

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.

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

San Diego, CA 92117

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.

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."