Hello!

I pray you had a great weekend.

My discussion with Word Faith Pastor Tom Brown went very well.  We talked for over an hour and debated subjects like name-it/claim-it doctrines, health and wealth gospel, his exorcism ministry, tongues, the atonement and much more!  You can freely hear it here: http://sa.jcsm.org.

Today, JCSM reached two milestones!  This is JCSM's 300th devotional message!  We have been sending the devotions for over 5 years and plan on sending them for many years to come.  To God be the glory.

In less than one year, over 10,000 posts have been registered on the JCSM Forum!  When you have a minute, please visit our forum.  If our popular debate section isn't your cup of tea, then join us in "General Discussion" and see how some people from Germany and England are viewing the current war with Iraq.  These conversations have been particularly revealing and interesting.  Forum link: http://forum.jcsm.org.  Additionally, President Bush's weekly address (given on Saturday) is in the "General Discussion" section along with Condoleezza Rice's piece called, "Why We Know Iraq is Lying."

I've been creating a PowerPoint lesson for The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained.  Since the book is finished, I'm giving lectures on it to Bible study groups, churches and conferences.  Please pray that everything goes well and the listeners decide to dig deeper as they study and understand God's Word.  Here is the link for my book: http://skepticsannotatedbible.org.

My lecture at UCSD's Campus Crusade for Christ was postponed due to a scheduling conflict.  I'll be speaking to 120 college students on April 17th.  Please pray that this goes very well and if you'd like information about attending, you can email me for details.

My subsequent debate at UCSD was postponed to April 21st.  I'll be debating Dr. Jamison Collins.  He has been a frequent poster on the JCSM Forum, so if you'd like a preview of our debate, you can visit the forum and read our exchanges.

Please pray for the war with Iraq.  49 countries are aligned against Iraq's regime and we should pray that all of the troops get home safely.  Right now, under 100 coalition troops have died.  Let's also pray that Iraq is unable to use biological and chemical weapons.  Since the coalition troops have "chem suits", these awful weapons would probably only hurt the Iraqi civilians.

The IRS has indicated to me and my family that we should be getting a sizable tax return!  Praise the Lord.  Don't forget to file your taxes.  If you have low income, you may be eligible for free, online, electronic filing through a variety of companies.  You can learn about these things at http://www.irs.gov.

A few days ago, my professor told me that I received an "A" on my Master's degree thesis!  This was great news and a big relief.  Now, I've completed all of the requirements for the Master of Arts in Bible and Theology degree!  Since I got straight "A's", I may even graduate with honors.

In May, I'll get my degree and begin the Doctorate program.  Please pray that I can afford it.  It will cost between $3-4,000.  It'll surely be worth it, though. 

If you want to see some of the graduate work I completed, I have many of my papers and notes on the internet.  You can view these things here: http://www.jcsm.org/Seminaries.htm.

I've been practicing some songs with a couple of Christians because we want to lead others into worship.  Please pray that we continue to grow and improve.  We have been given some great equipment and talents from the Lord, so we are excited about our first worship service in April.

I pray that you are blessed this week.  I hope God gives you joy and peace as He works in and through you.

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 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: "God is High Above Us"

1 Chronicles 16:25  "For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is also to be feared above all gods."

Nehemiah 9:5b, 6  "Stand up and bless the LORD your God Forever and ever!  Blessed be Your glorious name which is exalted above all blessing and praise!  You alone are the LORD; you have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all.  The host of heaven worships You."

Psalm 113:4-6  "The LORD is high above all nations, His glory above the heavens.  Who is like the LORD our God, who dwells on high, who humbles Himself to behold the things that are in the heavens and in the earth?"

John 1:3  "All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made."

John 3:31  "He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all."

James 1:17  "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning."

Insight: Keep God in His rightful place - above all things.  God is greater than anything else, so we should be consumed with the pursuit of Him.  If you aren't, at least be committed to spending some time with Him and becoming like Him.

Prayer: "Thank you for being high above everything.  Thank you for being perfect and holy.  Help us understand that we can trust You because You made us and You are faithful and good.  Give us great joy and peace as we consider your character!  Remind us that we know the loving Creator of all things.  Thank you for revealing yourself to us, Lord.  You are our everything.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "God's Wrath and Judgment"

Ezra 8:22b  "The hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek Him, but His power and His wrath are against all those who forsake Him."

Jeremiah 10:10  "But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King.  At His wrath the earth will tremble, and the nations will not be able to endure His indignation."

John 3:36  "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

Romans 1:18  "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness."

Romans 2:5-10  "But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who 'will render to each one according to his deeds': eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness - indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For there is no partiality with God."

Insight: God has a multi-faceted character.  He is a God of love, mercy and kindness.  However, He is also a God of judgment and wrath.  If He weren't, then He wouldn't be a righteous judge.  Trust God and be forgiven, then warn others of the wrath of God that extends to those that reject Him.

Prayer: "Thank you for being a righteous judge.  Remind us what it means to be a virtuous judge and how your wrath and judgment are necessary.  Thank you for saving us!  Thank you for forgiving and redeeming us.  Let others know your truth.  Help people to understand how their sins have condemned them, but You can save them.  Thank you for dying for our sins and rising from the dead.  There is no other like You!  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Our Jealous God"

Exodus 20:4-6  "You shall not make for yourself a carved image - any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.  For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

Nahum 1:2  "God is jealous, and the LORD avenges; the LORD avenges and is furious.  The LORD will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies."

Zephaniah 3:8  "'Therefore wait for Me,' says the LORD, 'Until the day I rise up for plunder; my determination is to gather the nations to My assembly of kingdoms, to pour on them My indignation, all My fierce anger; all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of My jealousy."

Insight: If God weren't jealous, then He would let us enjoy our foolishness.  God loves us and wants us to be fully devoted to Him.  Be thankful that God doesn't desire only half of your time because the other half would surely be spent hurting yourself and rejecting Him.

Prayer: "Thank you for being a jealous God!  Thank you for wanting us for yourself and not settling for half-hearted devotion.  Praise You for showing us what it means to be fully devoted.  Forgive us for being apathetic or seeking You half-heartedly.  Help us to see the benefits of going all out for You.  Thank you for rewarding the ones that diligently seek You.  You are an awesome God.  Bless us and lift our heads.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "Bow to God"

1 Kings 18:39  "Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, 'The LORD, He is God!  The LORD, He is God!'"

1 Chronicles 29:20  "Then David said to all the assembly, 'Now bless the LORD your God.'  So all the assembly blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed their heads and prostrated themselves before the LORD and the king."

Nehemiah 8:6  "And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God.  Then all the people answered, 'Amen, Amen!' while lifting up their hands.  And they bowed their heads and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground."

Philippians 2:10, 11  "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."

Insight: All throughout history, we have seen people bowing before God.  Some bow in humility, some bow in fear.  Bow before God and worship Him because He is worthy.  One day, every knee will bow before Him.

Prayer: "Thank you for being worthy of our praise and devotion.  You are an awesome God.  Thank you for loving us more than we understand.  Bless us, increase our ministry, lay your hand on us and keep us from evil.  Thank you for being faithful to us, Lord.  We praise your holy name.  Help us to bow to You and worship You in spirit and in truth.  You are our God.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Exceedingly, Abundantly Above"

Ephesians 3:20, 21  "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen."

Philippians 4:13  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Romans 8:38, 39  "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Insight: Have you ever underestimated God?  When we get to Heaven, we will probably understand how God is much bigger than we think He is.  We will likely see how much more we could have done with His power and in His name if we only would have realized what He had to offer us.

Prayer: "Thank you for being powerful.  Thank you for being able to do more than we realize.  Help us to trust You and seek You.  Thank you for being a good God and having great resources for us.  Let us have what You want us to have.  Help us to avoid putting You in a box.  Let us pray very big; so big that we will fail unless You intervene.  Thank you for being a God that reveals Himself to those that want and need You badly.  We love You, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Give to the Poor"

Psalm 41:1, 2  "Blessed is he who considers the poor; The LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. The LORD will preserve him and keep him alive, And he will be blessed on the earth; You will not deliver him to the will of his enemies."

Proverbs 22:9   "He who has a generous eye will be blessed, For he gives of his bread to the poor."

Proverbs 28:27  "He who gives to the poor will not lack, But he who hides his eyes will have many curses."

Isaiah 58:10  "If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday."

Matthew 25:34-40  "Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’"

Luke 14:13, 14  "But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind.  And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just."

2 Corinthians 9:7  "So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver."

1Timothy 6:17, 18  "Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty, nor to trust in uncertain riches but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy. Let them do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to give, willing to share, storing up for themselves a good foundation for the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

Insight: We should follow God's example of helping the poor in spirit and give to those that are poor in other areas.  We are all poor and without God's love and provision, we would remain poor.  Consider the poor people in your life and how you can show them God's riches.

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us people that we can help.  Show us how we can help them, Lord.  Thank you for entrusting us with your resources.  Remind us that we are stewards of the things that You give.  Help us to use them wisely and use them for your kingdom.  Thank you for making our cups run over!  Remind us that You give and You can take, too.  Praise You for blessing the faithful people that obey You.  Help us to do your will.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "The Breath of Life"

Genesis 2:7  "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being."

Job 32:8  "But there is a spirit in man, and the breath of the Almighty gives him understanding."

Job 33:4  "The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."

Job 37:10  "By the breath of God ice is given, and the broad waters are frozen."

Psalm 33:6  "By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth."

Isaiah 42:5  "Thus says God the LORD, who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it, who gives breath to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it."

Insight: God is sovereign.  Sovereign is a big word for "in control."  We should rest in the knowledge that God is always in control of everything.  The Creator who made life with His breath has sustained it and will continue to be faithful to you and me.

Prayer: "Thank you for being faithful to us.  Thank you for being sovereign, too.  Remind us that You are near.  Remind us that You are in control.  Thank you for being unshaken, even when others fear or worry.  Remove our worries and fears.  Put our feet on the Rock that is Christ Jesus.  Thank you for giving us a rich and deep source of peace.  Thank you for loving us.  Thank you for giving us life!  You are the life that is within us and we need You.  Praise You, Lord.  To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Are you living and prospering according to God's riches?  Do you realize how rich God is?

Don't limit yourself by living according to your own riches or the riches you receive from your boss.  Seek God and ask for His riches.  He will give you more than money and exactly what you need.

Share the gospel with someone!

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

gennao: born - to procreate, beget (referring to lineages, not necessarily father/son relationships, but even lines of people and descendants)

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Genesis 1:25-26 - In the first creation story, God makes humans (male and female) after the other animals; in the second, God makes a man first, then the other animals, and then a woman.

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

* Genesis one is the entire six-day creation.  Genesis two is an overview, with a specific look at the sixth day of creation.

(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.)

You don't have to like everyone, but you are commanded to love them.

Let God's Spirit move you.

As you begin to obey God, He will bless you and show you more of Him.

Use the resources God is giving you.

God can give you "Super Sized" blessings.

These quotes came from God and me.

Do you need more quotes?  We have thousands in our archives!  They are located here: http://quotes.jcsm.org.

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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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."