This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

Devotions for October 4^th through 10^th

Monday "Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy"

Proverb 12:20 "There is deceit in the hearts of those who plot evil, but joy for those who promote peace."

John 16:24 "Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete."

James 1:2, 3 "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

1 Peter 4:13 "But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed."

Prayer: "Thank you for all the joy You have given us. Give us more joy, Lord, and take away our sadness. Thank you for forgiving us and making all things work out for the good. Lift our heads and remind us that there will be much, much joy to come, too. Give us contentment and not resentment in our circumstances. Help us to see them like You do. Remind us to ask for joy and other blessings. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Tuesday "Don't Be Deceived"

Mark 13:22 "For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect."

Matthew 24:5 "For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

Matthew 24:26, 27 "Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be."

1 John 4:1 "Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world."

Prayer: "Give us wisdom and discernment. Thank you for giving us salvation by faith and the Holy Spirit and your Word. Make us use the tools You have given us to test the spirits and find out what is right and wrong. Don't let us even think about praying to see if we should obey what is in your Word--that much is obvious. But give us discernment to deal with the difficult decisions that will come our way. Thank you for your eternal truth in your Word! Protect us, Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Wednesday "Put Your Trust in God"

Philippians 3:3 "For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh."

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 will make your paths straight."

John 6:63 "The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life."

Prayer: "Praise You because you are faithful! Remind us that You are everywhere. Give us wisdom and let us know that the flesh isn't trustworthy. Thank you for your Word. Remind us that if we lean on our own understanding, we will fall down. Thank you for the gift of prayer! Make us talk to You when we need answers and a faithful friend, God. Increase our faithfulness in You. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Thursday "It Starts with Love"

Matthew 5:43-45 "You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven."

1 Corinthians 13:1-8 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away."

1 Corinthians 13:13 "And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

Prayer: "Have us love one another, Lord. Teach us how to love like You do. Thanks for loving us so much! There is no other love like Yours! Forgive us for not showing everybody love in the past. Give us self-control, so we aren't foolish and hurtful. Remind us of the power of words--they can build up and destroy. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Friday "Give to the Poor"

Luke 19:8, 9 "And Zacchaeus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation come to this house, forsomuch as he also is a son of Abraham."

Mark 10:21 "Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me."

Prayer: "Thank you for Jesus' example of a life of giving. Remind us to give what You've given us. Thank you for giving us so much! Cause us to stop and realize how much we really have and give to the poor and needy. Thank you for blessing and rewarding us when we do. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Saturday "Be Bold and Courageous!"

Psalm 138:3 "In the day when I cried out, You answered me, And made me bold with strength in my soul."

Proverb 28:1 "The wicked flee when no one pursues, But the righteous are bold as a lion."

2 Corinthians 3:12 "Therefore, since we have such hope, we use great boldness of speech;"

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to be bold, confident and unafraid! Bless us and strengthen us, Lord. Make us like You! Thank you for having patience with us as we fear and sin. Forgive us for our sins. Expose them to us, so we can repent and draw closer to You! Praise You for being a worthy, good God! There's no other God like You! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Sunday "Make A Difference"

John 7:46 (Talking about Jesus) "The officers answered, No man ever spoke like this Man!"

Mark 1:4 "John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins."

Esther 5:2-4 "So it was, when the king saw Queen Esther standing in the court, that she found favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the golden scepter that was in his hand. Then Esther went near and touched the top of the scepter. And the king said to her, What do you wish, Queen Esther? What is your request? It shall be given to you; up to half the kingdom! So Esther answered, If it pleases the king, let the king and Haman come today to the banquet that I have prepared for him."

Matthew 28:19-20 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen."

Prayer: "Thank you for the people in the Bible who made a difference! Help us to draw very close to You and make a difference, too. Thank you for the opportunities to serve and lift You up. Help us to take advantage of them more often. Bless us, Lord! Purify our hearts and motives. Make us set aside time to pray, worship and serve You! Thank you for being our awesome God. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Challenge

Tell someone that you love them. You can tell more than one person you love them, if you wish. How often do you show love to others and how often do you tell people that you love them? The Bible tells us that the love of many will grow cold towards the end. Can you see a lack of love in the world and in your life? I can. More love in the world starts with God and it starts with God working through you. Think of ways you can love others. Give to them and tell them you love them.

God is love. Loving God and others is the greatest commandment. Jesus said that people will know that we are Christians by our love. Love is critically important in the Christian life. For more on love, please see the paper that I wrote at

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

Quotations

I need to have more conversations than soliloquies, soap boxes and asides.

What consumes your thoughts controls your life.

What if your words could be judged like a crime?

It's funny how silence speaks sometimes when you're alone.

Don't pretend that you don't like what you do like.

You can learn a lot when you're humble.

Every encouraging word and message is important.

Christ is behind godly love, so there is nothing to fear.

Thank you when I don't get my way and You get Yours instead.

It's wonderful to become more open and honest with God, others and myself.

Be patient when it takes your friends some time to overcome temptations. Remember that you haven't always repented immediately either.

I can never quite define the way you've changed this heart of mine.

Everyone has an agenda.

Christians should have an unselfish agenda.

Take my will and conform it to Yours.

Can you tell that what I've been looking at isn't what you've been looking at?

Can you tell that what I've been hearing isn't what you've been hearing?

God can take care of you better than anyone else.

When you need it most, God will give it to you.

Refusing to be patient is like refusing to grow spiritually.

When you say, "Thank God" don't forget to say, "Thank you God!"

Are you ready for what's to come?

Why get upset when there's no other way?

When this world knocks you down, your Dad will help you back up.

Good teachers make learning fun!

Do you extinguish or promote worrying?

It's bad to sin, but isn't it even worse to see others following your sinful example?

Everyone is capable of being deep and being superficial, being serious and being humorous.

We're eagles of one nest.

Stop and smell the flowers!

Be confident as you do the will of God and obey Him.

I have confidence in the decadence of the flesh.

In order to catch a fish, sometimes you must give it some line to wear it out, before you can reel it in.

How has the Holy Spirit convicted you today?

We shouldn't be co-dependent on anyone except God.

We may like to pick and choose the lessons we learn and how much we grow, but God often chooses for us.

When you enter into prayer, be thinking, "Let's change me, God!"

Many gods will change your life, but only Jesus will change you in the right way.

Let Christ dominate your life.

Fake believers stop claiming they serve Christ when persecution begins.

Continuous self-loathing will be self-destructive.

Have you forgiven yourself today?

If you have not forgiven yourself after God has, you really should.

If you have right motives, you have God's stamp of approval and do not need to get another.

Have you ever went into a city with the sole purpose of preaching the gospel?

Seek first heavenly approval.

Sometimes we need to say what the Bible says, then get out of the way and let it work.

It's easy to get into the ministry and become arrogant.

If you're in full time ministry, remember it is a calling from God, not simply a profession.

People regret not repairing relationships.

More than anything, scripture shows us how much God loves us and what He's done to show us that love.

Loving God and others is the greatest commandment. Why can't you tell them?

The more we know Christ, the more we will understand His love toward us.

You are God's because He selected you and saved you. Doesn't this make you special?

How can we glorify God if we don't do anything to make a difference in this world?

Although God's love for us cannot be measured by any comprehensible standards, God wants us to know this ocean of love.

Until you accept, experience and possess actual peace with God, no one can describe its wonders to you.

Words of truth and encouragement should spring from the body of believers like a geyser.

Making a difference does not make a difference unless it makes a difference to God.

Don't get discouraged when your friends ask dumb questions.

Do you have a mission statement for your life?

Prune the sin off your life. God will grow something new and good.

The Christian life is like flying an airplane; corrections must continuously be made in order to keep flying smoothly toward the mark.

We've been selected, saved and sealed to glorify God.

Make a lifestyle out of worship.

Are you doing something because Jesus said it or because someone else said it?

Do you say things with the intent to humble people?

I'll do anything to make you complete.

Strength and humility are Christian virtues; arrogance and fear are not.

Sometimes the subjectivity of youth is better than the objectivity of an older wisdom.

We can either hurt or help others with the Word of God.

I draw closer to Christ through knowing them.

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes.

There are many necessary ingredients in the pursuit of Christ.

We deserve freedom in Christ and the enemy can use the opposite sex to rob us of that freedom when we choose immaturity over faithfulness to Christ.

The devil wants to lead me to wells that are not as deep as God's well.

The more you enjoy what you are doing, the more motivated and successful you will be.

I feel like I'm holding onto a giant snowball which is Christ and rolling towards God!

I've been to the ledge so many times, I know the pigeons by name.

Some Christians have lost the sense that they are at war and that is why they are so often defeated.

It is your responsibility to put on the armor of God.

Take every opportunity you can to learn more about God and His Word so that you can be armed against the enemy who is out to destroy you.

You may never be walking as close the Lord as you are when you are trusting Him to give you courage to witness to those around you.

Salvation changes your thinking process.

It is your relationship with Christ that protects your mind from Satan's evil influences.

The Word of God is our weapon in spiritual battle. Remember how Jesus overcame Satan's temptations by quoting scripture?

Rather than becoming a casualty, God can help us to learn how to be victorious warriors in the great spiritual battle.

What the long range ballistics missile is to the soldier, prayer is to the believer.

Help and serve today; you don't know if you'll have the chance tomorrow.

When people show wonderful, godly examples of friendship, we realize how we have been a poor friend.