This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

JCSM.org

Over 1500 Links!

Hello!

I pray you had a great week and weekend!

Promise Keepers was awesome! I learned a lot, too. You can find the things I learned, here: http://www.jcsm.org/PromiseKeepers.htm. There were almost 600 decisions for Christ on Friday (rededication and salvation). Miles McPhearson and Ed Cole were two of the best speakers. I've typed over five pages of my notes from the conference.

The entire weekend was awesome. I spent time with a friend and saw Delirious in concert! They were a total blessing. Martin Smith sang his new songs from the "Glo" album. They are so Jesus centered! I want my band to be like that.

My band, Free Food, is auditioning a drummer, today. Please pray that it goes well! Dave seems like a great, Christian guy and he's excited about playing.

My forty day fast is going well! God has been showing me some incredible things about life, myself, Him, others, etc. It's a phenomenal experience. I'll post my journals, soon. Today is day 9 and I've written nearly 20 pages. If you are a doctor or know one online, please email me. I would love to ask one some questions about the physical effects of fasting. Please keep praying for me (your prayers are very important). Thanks for all the encouraging words!

I need someone to help this ministry by sending the devotions in the regular mail. I have five people doing this right now, but I don't want to burden them with too many addresses. There is a man in prison, who doesn't have email. He needs the devotions. If you'd like to serve the Lord in this capacity, please email me! Your work will be rewarded and appreciated.

Jars of Clay, Jennifer Knapp and Luna Halo will be performing in Southern California on the 20th and 21st of October. I'll see them at the Farmer's Fair on the 20th (www.farmersfair.com). It should be super! If you're a woman in the San Diego area, I'd recommend attending the "Just Give Me Jesus" revival (www.annegrahamlotz.com). It is October 20th and 21st, it's free and at the San Diego Sports Arena. There will be great music and some of the scheduled speakers are Anne Graham-Lotz, Jill Briscoe and Kay Arthur.

There are a couple new web sites on my page. They are The International Church Directory and The Anti-Pollution Page. Please visit them! The ICD is for you to "sound off" (promote, brag) about your church. There are many people who see my web pages and some of them may be looking for a good church. You can find that page here: http://www.alxbook.com/cgi-bin/guestbook.cgi?gb=G21937

The Anti-Pollution Page was fathered into existence after I inhaled emissions from a cement mixer on the freeway. It was incredibly sickening. I realized how much the environment was being polluted (by many different things). Please pray for our environment and see my new page, http://www.jcsm.org/Contents/Anti-Pollution.htm

Would you like a free book about governing your finances from a biblical perspective? At Promise Keepers, they were giving away "Money For Life." It's normally $25, but it can be ordered for free, here: www.moneyforlifebookpk.com

Would you like some free, Christian wallpaper? Go to this page: http://community.webshots.com/user/jazzbeaux

Would you like free videos? Visit www.scour.com. Have discernment with this site. There are all kinds of videos available. I'd only recommend it for people 18 years and older, just because anyone with a recording device can put a video on this site. There is everything from episodes of Seinfeld to full-length movies.

1-800-345-VOTE (Don't forget to register and vote!) California voters can get the registration form here, http://www.ss.ca.gov/elections/elections_k.htm

Please visit my web page! There's over 1500 links (pictures, midis, Bible lessons, humor, proverbial stories, links, devotions, poetry, prayer journals and much more!) and it has registered over 36,600 hits!

If this ministry has touched you in a special way, please pray and consider sending a gift to Jesus Christ Saves Ministries. On the web, we're encouraging the believers and sharing the gospel with unbelievers. I'm also doing counseling on a regular basis. As I do full-time ministry on the web, love and help others, I never charge them anything for my time or services.

Would you like to support God's work on the web? You can become a Super Supporter of JCSM by sending only $5 a month. You'll be joining us in our vision to reach people on the web with the good news! Of course, a gift of any size will be appreciated! My address and more information is at the bottom of this message.

Welcome to the new screen names or recipients of this message! Here are the devotions, moment of introspection, challenge and quotations for the week. Have a fantastic week and God bless you!

Love in Christ,

Jason J. Gastrich

ICQ#: 20731140

The Weekly Devotional Message

Day 1: "No Condemnation With Christ"

Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit."

Psalm 34:2 "The LORD redeems the soul of His servants, And none of those who trust in Him shall be condemned."

John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us life, Lord! Thank you for promising us an awesome place in your kingdom. Thank you for not condemning us, even though we are sinners. Praise You for your perfection and grace. There is no other God like You! Help us to give our lives to You. Thank you for being so worthy. Forgive us for our sins and purify us. Give us more faith in You, too. Thank you for being such a great God! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 2: "When Did They Cry?"

John 11:33-36 "Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And He said, 'Where have you laid him?' They said to Him, 'Lord, come and see.' Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, 'See how He loved him!'"

Matthew 26:75 "And Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.' So he went out and wept bitterly."

2 Samuel 18:33 "Then the king was deeply moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept. And as he went, he said thus: 'O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom, if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!'"

Ezra 10:1 "...Ezra was praying, and while he was confessing, weeping, and bowing down before the house of God..."

Genesis 45:9-11, 14, 15 "Hurry and go up to my father, and say to him, 'Thus says your son Joseph: 'God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near to me, you and your children, your children's children, your flocks and your herds, and all that you have. There I will provide for you, lest you and your household, and all that you have, come to poverty; for there are still five years of famine.' Then he fell on his brother Benjamin's neck and wept, and Benjamin wept on his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brothers and wept over them, and after that his brothers talked with him."

Prayer: "Thank you for the examples of crying in the Bible. Let us remember that no matter what our culture tells us, it's ok to cry. Help us to be seriously sorry for our sins. Help us to mourn when our loved ones die. Let us cry for joy when we are elated. Thank you for making us human beings with emotions. Let us not hate the way that we are, but thank you for it. Let us be genuine and real, Lord. Give us sincerity and depth of character. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 3: "Is Pride Bad?"

Proverb 16:18 "Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before a fall."

Proverb 8:13 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate."

Proverb 11:2 "When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom."

Proverb 13:10 "By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom."

Proverb 14:13 "In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them."

Proverb 29:23 "A man's pride will bring him low, But the humble in spirit will retain honor."

1 John 2:16 "For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father but is of the world."

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us of the problems with pride. Remove our foolish pride, Lord. Help us to be humble and meek. Teach us these qualities that do not come natural to us. Forgive us for falling short, Lord. Thank you for having such great patience on us. Help us to learn from your examples in the Bible. Give us godly mentors and role models who practice humility and meekness. Praise You for knowing exactly how we should and shouldn't be. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 4: "The Need for Mourning and Weeping"

Ecclesiastes 3:1, 4 "To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;"

Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep."

Prayer: "Thank you for the times where we can mourn and weep, Lord. Let us see them as profitable. Help us to pray for the things and/or people that make us mourn. Thank you for the examples of the prophets and how they mourned. Thank you for teaching us great things in uncomfortable times. If we chose the lessons we wanted to learn, we would probably be very incomplete people. Thank you for being a perfect Father to us! Let us fully trust You and go where You lead us. Help us to hear your voice and be sensitive to your Holy Spirit! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 5: "The Heart"

Ezekiel 36:26, 27 "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them."

2 Timothy 2:22 "Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart."

Proverb 15:14 "The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness."

Proverb 15:25 "The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, But the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil."

Matthew 22:37, 38 "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."

Prayer: "Thank you for teaching us about the heart, Lord. Help us to love You with ALL our heart. Thank you for the awesome rewards You give us when we are totally devoted to You. Purify our hearts. Let us see You like You truly are. Thank you for your fellowship. Give us wisdom and help us to choose godly things over worldly things. Give us an undivided heart, Lord. Forgive us for chasing foolish pleasures and earthly treasures. You are our God and we will seek and love You first! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 6: "Don't Consult Evil Spirits"

Leviticus 20:6-8 "And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the LORD your God. And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the LORD who sanctifies you."

Leviticus 20:27 "A man or a woman who is a medium, or who has familiar spirits, shall surely be put to death; they shall stone them with stones. Their blood shall be upon them."

Leviticus 19:31 "Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the LORD your God."

1 Chronicles 10:13, 14 "So Saul died for his unfaithfulness which he had committed against the LORD, because he did not keep the word of the LORD, and also because he consulted a medium for guidance. But he did not inquire of the LORD; therefore He killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse."

Revelation 21:8 "But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death."

Prayer: "Thank you for warning us about evil spirits, Lord. Praise You for having more power than any demon. Remind us that Your way is perfect and You hold the answers we need. Give us patience, so we can wait on You. Thank you for doing a mighty work in the people who love You. Forgive the ones who have went to mediums, witches and tarrot card readers. Save the ones who are using this magic. Remind us that Your ways are much better and more true than the evil one's ways. Praise You for being so much more pure than them! Give us discernment, so we can see what is evil and what is good. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Day 7: "Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!"

Psalm 30:4 "Sing praise to the LORD, you saints of His, And give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name."

Psalm 75:1 "We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near."

Psalm 106:1 "Praise the LORD! Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever."

1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."

Prayer: "Thank you for being so worthy of our thanks! There is no God like You in all the universe. You created all things and You hold them together. Thank you for being a great friend to those in need. Thank you for giving us so many things - the ability to read, walk, talk, eat, dress ourselves, etc. Remind us to thank you for ALL THINGS. Without You, we would have nothing. Without You, we would still be sinking in the pit. You are such a great God, Jesus. Thank you for overcoming sin and being perfect on Earth! Show us how to live godly lives, Lord. Thank you for the way You change our heart when we give thanks for our circumstances, even when they don't seem encouraging. Let us see things like You do! Your eyes are what we need. Help us to thank others, too. Praise You for giving us your Word! Help us apply it and love it, forever. To You be all the glory, honor and praise, forever and ever. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Make a list of why your Dad belongs in the Hall of Fame. We need to love our Dads and appreciate them. They've all done tremendous things for us. When you're done making your list, consider giving it to him. It will be an encouragement and he'll know how much you appreciate him.

If you've never had a Dad or want an extra challenge, list the reasons why you love God! God has met your needs in a specific and special way. Listing the reasons why you love Him will draw you closer to Him and remind you how much He has done. God bless you as you meet this week's challenges!

A Moment of Introspection

Have you ever been baptized or considered baptism? The Bible talks quite a bit about this subject. Some people even think you need to be baptized to be saved (I don't think this. Most cults think this.).

It is well-known that right after a person accepts Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, they should get baptized. There are many stories in the Bible when people accepted Christ, then were baptized. I was baptized when I was twenty years old. It was a great experience!

Baptism is the outward expression of an inward change. Here are a couple scriptures on baptism:

Mark 16:16 "He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned."

Acts 16:31-33 "So they said, 'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.' Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night and washed their stripes. And immediately he and all his family were baptized."

Acts 8:34-38 "So the eunuch answered Philip and said, 'I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?' Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him. Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, 'See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?' Then Philip said, 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' So he commanded the chariot to stand still. And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him."

Quotations

You can't have spring water and salt water coming from the same spring.

You have to have a sense of humor about yourself and life.

Sometimes you fight better when you're in a corner.

Forgiving people makes you feel great.

We're going to be wrong a lot. We might as well admit it now.

Spiritual leaders need to give up their pride.

Forgiving someone isn't telling them that what they did was right. It is admitting it was wrong, but loving them anyway.

Foolishness requires little intelligence and shows none.

Show me a day without ups and downs and I'll show you a day in Heaven.

If we are too busy for God, we are too busy.

Satan's goal is to take our minds and hearts off Christ then steer us toward the cares of the world.

Next time you demand that Jesus return now, remember how many people get saved each week. If Jesus were to return last week, the people who were saved this week would have to live in the tribulation.

God's Word brings encouragement and responsibility to the believer.

To choose against God brings emptiness, pain and death.

To choose God brings blessings, fulfillment and life.

There are secret things of God that are only revealed to those who seek Him.

God's Word is complete. We don't need something new.

Accept Jesus as Lord of your life and you can experience His promises.

God offers a relationship to all people.

I think there's more there.

Demons know who we are and they know the past, but they don't know the future.

Be careful when people tell you to trust things other than God.

God forbids black and white magic.

There's no such thing as good luck or bad luck.

I'll walk under ladders and I'll go to the 13th floor because I believe in God's sovereign will.

I don't like missing church services because I miss a whole lot of stuff God is trying to tell me.

I need things like encouragement and spiritual words.

If you take away from His deity and believe in a lesser Christ, how can God let you into Heaven?

People can tell some things about you by watching how you treat your friends and family.

How did "Don't have sex before marriage" get replaced with "Don't have sex on the first date"?

Our actions are just as important as achieving the outcome we want.

Minorities should be respected more than they are.

Being able to reconcile relationships is a sign of maturity.

I have more strength from God than any amount of strength food could give me.

Keep listening.

If I don't sing praises to God, I'm getting ripped off and God isn't getting what He deserves.

We will see more and more supernatural things towards the end times.

Just because something is supernatural, it doesn't mean it is good.

The Holy Spirit will bring to mind whatever you put in your mind.

If your sword is all the scripture you know, how big is your sword?

There is no new revelation of God's Word, but there is illumination.

The Holy of Holies is now inside us.

Do you keep your body as clean as the Israelites kept the tabernacle?

There's nothing wrong with throwing your friends a ball that they can hit out of the park.

God has not changed. He has done different things at different points in time.

God was immanent and transcendent since before creation.

Take the salt out of the Earth and the Earth will rot.

The Holy Spirit came upon people in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, all believers are given the Holy Spirit when they have saving faith in Jesus Christ.

There are some times when you are acutely aware of God's presence filling you.

Using my spiritual gifts is energizing and encouraging.

Only God's Spirit knows how to continuously minister to a person.

Functioning within your spiritual gift is rewarding and awesome.

You'll get more tired doing something that isn't utilizing your spiritual gifts than by doing something that is utilizing your spiritual gifts.

If there aren't many people at your Bible study, ask why. Perhaps it's spiritual warfare, perhaps it's not a solid study. Perhaps the World Series is on television.

If I didn't forgive her, I wouldn't have gotten that blessing and that hug.

Going to church doesn't mean you're going to Heaven.

I've probably never been so pro-church before now.

Without faith in Jesus and a love for Him, there wouldn't be a need for church.

I am only one part of the body of Christ.

We need to maximize our marriage, not our activities.

Changing marriage partners will only be changing problems because everyone has their set of problems.

Sometimes we can get immune to God's Spirit if we deny His prompting.

I love that spiritual sensitivity and closeness with God that I experience when I fast.

Seek the time keeper.

Just because they have the money, it doesn't mean they know what satisfies the soul.

If they killed me, I'd become more powerful than they could imagine.

Spiritual growth requires spiritual food.

These quotes came from God, me, the Inspirational Study Bible (with Max Lucado), Dr. Jerry Falwell, "God's Chosen Fast", Future Shock, Tyrone Moore, Paul Breithaupt, 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. Like most verses in the Bible, they can be debated. To use what I have written in the most beneficial way, try and trace them back to the scriptures they were derived from 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 sent religiously, the web pages stay on the www and the subscribers are blessed, sanctified and protected from evil. Thank you very much in advance!

Do you want to help people receive the good news? I have sent nearly 500,000 emails, encouraging people with God's Word! Please join me in the great commission. I'm reaching new people every day with God's awesome Word! If God has blessed you and you wish to send a love offering to me and my ministry, please send it to the address below.

3431 Seabreeze Walk

Oceanside, Ca 92056

You can help this ministry! Your donations will keep my ministries running and they further my visions for evangelism. The internet, the telephone (volunteering time for the Youth Crisis hotline), the guitar, singing and gospel tracts are some ways that I encourage people and lead them to Christ. I'm certain there will be more ways to reach people in the future. Along with getting support, I also give support! I regularly give to my church and frequently give to needy people. Lastly, I do a lot of research on religious topics on the internet and at the library. You will definitely see the results of my work on my web page and in the weekly messages!

For more about me and my service history, go to http://resume.jcsm.org. For what I do, my ministries and giving, go to http://vision.jcsm.org

If you have received these devotions from someone other than I, please email me and I will send them to you, personally, each week. Don't worry, I don't send forwards or any other junk mail. I also refrain from giving your name to anyone. Also, email me if you wish to be removed from this list. If you prefer to receive the devotions in Spanish or French, please email me and I'll send you them each week in either Spanish or French!

If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please email me! I would love to share the gospel with you. The Bible is very straightforward when it speaks about Heaven, Hell and eternal life. If there is any doubt that you are going to Heaven when you die, please let me know today!

Are you having trouble in life? Do you need someone to talk to? You can call the youth crisis hotline at 1-800-HIT-HOME, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I'm currently volunteering time for this hotline. Our motto is "help, not hassle". We will listen to you and encourage you. If you are hurting and need someone to talk to, please feel free to call. YDI pays for these calls and has helped over 1 million people! They are also looking for people to answer calls. Their web site is at www.1800hithome.com

Would you like to feed starving people by simply clicking a button and paying absolutely nothing? Sponsors pay to donate food to hungry people all over the world. I click this nearly every day. It takes about 10 seconds and it donates food to needy people! Go here: www.thehungersite.com

JCSM now does regular mailings! If you are getting rid of your email or know someone who wants the devotions, but doesn't have email, please give me their address and we'll send them the devotions. If you don't have internet access, but want to read a certain web page or Bible lesson, let me know. I could copy and paste something into an email message for you.

Since April of 1997, the weekly devotional message has been sent on the internet. This message currently reaches 4258 people in 98 countries. To read a list of these countries, go here: http://www.jcsm.org/misc/countries.htm. To read the archived devotions online, go here: http://devos.jcsm.org.

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

http://www.jcsm.org

Over 1500 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."