Hello!

I pray you are having a great day.

Last week, I had the privilege to interview Mr. James Randi.  He is the founder of the JREF (James Randi Educational Foundation) and he has spent many years debunking fraudulent psychics and even fraudulent people who have called themselves Christians.  Unfortunately, Mr. Randi is not a believer in Christ, but I questioned him about his lack of faith and received some quaint replies.  Please pray for Mr. Randi's salvation and listen to the exclusive, 50 minute interview here: http://sa.jcsm.org.

I've uploaded 5 new songs to JCSM and added a streaming function!  Now, you can come and freely stream some encouraging music.  My spiritual songs include originals, some mainstream worship songs and even some scriptures that I put to music!  Listen here: http://jcsm.org/MP3.htm.

Billy Graham just finished his missions in San Diego and they were awesome!  I was able to attend two of them and saw thousands of people coming to Christ!  You can see my pictures from Qualcomm Stadium here: http://bgsd.jcsm.org.

JCSM has a new guest book!  If you haven't signed it, please come and say hello at http://guestbook.jcsm.org.

Would you like to link JCSM?  We have a few banners and we'd be happy if you wanted to pick one for your web site!  You can find them here: http://www.jcsm.org/Contents/LinkJCSM.htm.  If you need any help with these or with your web site, please let us know.

I hope you recognize the blessings you receive by being obedient to God.  As certain as He is near, you will be blessed and rewarded for doing God's will.

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 122,000 visits!

JCSM has encouraging sermons, exciting debates and the Bible on MP3 online and you can freely stream and download them!  Come and listen 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: "Pray Fervently"

Nehemiah 1:4  "So it was, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned for many days; I was fasting and praying before the God of heaven."

Romans 1:8-10  "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world.  For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of His Son, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my prayers, making request if, by some means, now at last I may find a way in the will of God to come to you."

Ephesians 1:15-21  "Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:  that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come."

Philippians 1:3-6  "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ."

Colossians 4:12  "Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of Christ, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God."

1 Thessalonians 5:17  "Pray without ceasing."

Insight: Prayer isn't supposed to be a side dish.  It is supposed to be the meal!  Praying fervently means praying continually with passion to God.  Don't give up on praying.  Read God's Word and learn how to pray according to His will.

Prayer: "Thank you for listening to our prayers, Lord.  Thank you for wanting us to pray to You.  Thank you for talking to us and answering our prayers.  Help us to pray according to your will.  Praise You for your Word.  Let us read it and memorize it.  Thank you for being true to your promises.  Help us to be true to ours.  Thank you for being the only person that literally wants to hear from us all day and every day!  We will appreciate You for being God and loving us so much.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "The Lord is Coming Back"

John 14:2, 3  "In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also."

John 14:28  "You have heard Me say to you, 'I am going away and coming back to you.' If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, 'I am going to the Father,' for My Father is greater than I."

2 Peter 3:9  "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance."

Revelation 3:3  "Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent.  Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you."

Insight: Two of the greatest things about Jesus Christ is His resurrection and promise to return, again.  Have faith in God and believe the promises in His Word.  Christ will return!

Prayer: "Thank you for promising us that You will return!  Thank you for rising from the dead and ascending to Heaven.  Increase our faith in You, Lord.  Help us to understand that You have kept your promises for thousands of years and You will keep them for all eternity.  Praise You for living a sinless life and telling us that You will return.  Let us remain hopeful.  Let us recognize the signs of your coming.  Praise You for knowing the future and telling us about it.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Humble Yourself"

2 Chronicles 7:14  "If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Psalm 149:4  "For the LORD takes pleasure in His people; He will beautify the humble with salvation."

Proverbs 29:23  "A man’s pride will bring him low, but the humble in spirit will retain honor."

James 4:10  "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up."

1 Peter 5:5-7  "Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.  Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for 'God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.'  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you."

Insight: If we do not have humility, God will oppose us.  If we do not have humility, we will have trouble in life and trouble growing spiritually.  Pray for humility and be God's teachable clay.

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to have humility.  Thank you for teaching us all kinds of wonderful thing when we can humble ourselves.  Bless us, increase our ministry, lay your hand on us and keep us from evil.  Thank you for being a good God and having great things for us.  Give us meekness, so we can keep our power under control.  Thank you for loving us more than we understand.  We will learn from You because You are wise.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "In the Name of Jesus"

Mark 16:17, 18 "And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."

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 14:26 "But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you."

John 16:23b, 24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you. Until now you have asked nothing in My name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."

Luke 9:48 "Whoever receives this little child in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me. For he who is least among you all will be great."

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."

Matthew 18:20 "For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them."

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.'"

Acts 3:6  "Then Peter said, 'Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.'"

Acts 16:18b "But Paul, greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out that very hour."

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."

Insight: Are you living in Jesus' name?  Are you praying in Jesus' name?  Are you doing miracles in His name?  Make sure you put Him first and be in His name.

Prayer: "Thank you for having an awesome name.  Thank you for telling us to value your name, pray in your name and do great things in your name.  Forgive us for failing to give you credit.  Show us how to be and remind us how to do things correctly.  Thank you for having mercy and grace on us.  You are an awesome God.  Bless us and lift us up, Lord.  We love You and praise your name.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "Don't Be Deceived"

Matthew 24:4, 5  "And Jesus answered and said to them: 'Take heed that no one deceives you.  For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.'"

Mark 13:22, 23  "For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand."

Romans 16:17, 18  "Now I urge you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.  For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple."

1 Corinthians 6:9  "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God."

2 Timothy 3:13-15  "But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.  But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus."

2 John 1:7, 8  "For many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.  This is a deceiver and an antichrist.  Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward."

Insight: In His Word, God has warned us about deceivers and liars.  By His Spirit, He reveals the truth and exposes lies.  Walk in His Spirit and be discerning.  Some people are deceivers.

Prayer: "Thank you for this warning, Lord.  Thank you for telling us about the future in advance.  Protect us and help us to identify falsehoods and people who try and pass them off as the truth.  Thank you for being a good God and thank you for being the truth.  Help us to hide your Word in our heart, so we can know what is sin and what is right.  Thank you for preparing us for spiritual battles and wanting us to be victorious.  Bless our steps.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "There is Peace Through Christ"

Psalm 91:1, 2  "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the LORD, 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God, in Him I will trust.'"

Matthew 5:9  "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God."

Romans 5:1, 2  "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God."

Romans 14:17, 18  "For the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men."

Insight: Every generation has seen people that have received awesome peace from God in situations where they should be experiencing nothing but turmoil.  Be one of those people, even if your peace simply comes in times of stress or need.

Prayer: "Thank you for the awesome peace You give, Lord.  Thank you for giving us peace even in times of hardships and anxiety.  Bless us and remove our worries and fears.  Calm our hearts.  Thank you for wanting us to relax and even give You our burdens.  Remind us that we do not have to carry them.  Thank you for removing our pains and fears and replacing them with your awesome peace.  Remind us that You are our sure foundation.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "There's Joy in the Lord"

Ecclesiastes 2:26  "For God gives wisdom and knowledge and joy to a man who is good in His sight; but to the sinner He gives the work of gathering and collecting, that he may give to him who is good before God.  This also is vanity and grasping for the wind."

Psalm 16:9-11  "Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; my flesh also will rest in hope.  For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.  You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."

Psalm 30:11, 12  "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.  O LORD my God, I will give thanks to You forever."

John 15:11  "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full."

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

Romans 15:13  "Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

Insight: Have you prayed for joy, lately?  Make praying for joy a priority and see how God puts a smile on your face!

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to experience joy.  Thank you for the fruits of the Spirit.  Give us all of the fruits of your Spirit, Lord.  Give us great joy and put a smile on our faces.  Praise You for being a God with a wonderful character.  Thank you for being a living God.  Remind us that we should be joyful.  We have eternal life through Jesus!  Help us to find reasons to be joyful.  Remind us that You can remove our unhappiness.  We give You our pains and problems and ask for joy, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

A Moment of Introspection

How old is the Earth?  Is it 6,000 years old?  Is it 15 billion years old?

I just heard some sermons by Chuck Missler and they were quite interesting.  During the 4th and 5th sermons, he interviewed an Australian scientist named Barry Setterfield.  Mr. Setterfield has pioneered the theory that the speed of light has slowed dramatically since God created the heavens and the earth.  If you do a quick search on the internet, you can find some information about this.

If you have some extra time, listen to Chuck's sermons.  They are called, "Stretching the Heavens", there are five of them and they are free to stream from the internet.  OnePlace.com is hosting them and you can hear them with a RealPlayer or related device.  Here is the link: http://www.oneplace.com/Ministries/6640/Archives.asp.

Buy someone flowers!

You don't have to wait and buy flowers to someone when they are sick or when you've done something wrong.  Buy flowers for someone you love because you want to make them smile!  This is an inexpensive way to be kind to someone.

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

mother: meter - mother, figuratively or literally, immediate or remote

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Genesis 2:4-7 - In chapter 1 plants are created on the third day before humans are created on the sixth day. But in chapter 2 the order is reversed. (1:11-13, 27-31)

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

* Chapter two isn't a chronology of events.  It is an overview of the creation week and an emphasis on the sixth day of creation.

* God had already created fully grown plants on the third day.  The phrases "in the field" and "before any herb of the field had grown" should be noted.  God created plants, shown in Genesis 1, that were fully grown - they weren't seedlings or seeds.  In Genesis 2:5, plants and herbs of the field, that required human help, had not grown, yet.  This verse is clearly talking about a different area and type of vegetation.

(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 aren't any new quotes this week, but 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!

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Fishes and Loaves (FALO) is a great, missions organization.  They have helped many people embark on missions trips to the uttermost parts of the world.  If you are interested in missions, please visit http://www.gofalo.net.

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."