This is the Weekly Devotional Message from

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

Devotions for October 18^th through 24^th

Monday "God is Just"

Psalm 7:11 "God is a just judge, And God is angry with the wicked every day."

1 Peter 3:18 "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit."

Romans 1:17 "For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, The just shall live by faith."

Prayer: "Thank you for being a just God. Bless us, Lord. Thanks for saving us and justifying is by faith in You! Thank you for dying for us, even though You were perfect. Make us like You, now. Thank you for meeting us where we are and taking us where You want us to be. You are an awesome God! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Tuesday "Overcome Jealousy and Covetousness"

Proverb 28:16 "A ruler who lacks understanding is a great oppressor, But he who hates covetousness will prolong his days."

Psalm 119:36 "Incline my heart to Your testimonies, And not to covetousness."

Mark 7:21-23 ""For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

Colossians 3:5 "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

Hebrews 13:5 "Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Prayer: "Thank you for telling us what it means to be like Christ. Forgive us of our sins. Help us to have contentment with what we have. Remove our covetousness and jealousy. Let us be happy for others and what they have. Give us security and more faith in You, God. Give us peace and joy! Lift our heads and remove worry from our minds. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Wednesday "Crucifixion is the Cure!"

Luke 9:23-26 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. For what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world, and lose himself, or be cast away? For whosoever shall be ashamed of me and of my words, of him shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he shall come in his own glory, and in his Father's, and of the holy angels."

Romans 5:8-9 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him."

Hebrews 12:2 "looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Prayer: "Thank you for Jesus' sacrificial death for us, Lord! Thank you that we have a door to Heaven through Him! Remind us to praise You and thank You for this great love. Help us to crucify our fleshly desires. Thank you for having a perfect will and plan for us! There's no other God like You! Thank you for having patience with us when we think we know more than You do. Forgive us and give us a push in the right direction. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Thursday "Do You and Know Jesus?"

Psalm 100:3 "Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture."

John 17:3 "And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent."

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."

Jeremiah 29:13 "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart."

Prayer: "Thank you for being with us, Lord! You are a faithful God. Help us to know You more and more each day. Thank you for developing a godly character within us! You are so worthy, Lord! Thank you for being wonderful and beyond comprehension. Thank you for revealing yourself to us when we seek You wholeheartedly! Praise You! Help us to seek You all the time. In Jesus' name, Amen."

Friday "The Pitfalls of Pride"

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

Proverb 8:13-14 "The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate. Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, I have strength."

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

Proverb 14:3 "In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, But the lips of the wise will preserve them."

Prayer: "Thank you for wisdom, Lord. Help us to be free of pride. Thank you for the things You have contrasted with pride; wisdom, understanding, strength. You are an awesome God! Thank you for the ways that You are different from the majority of the people in this world. Help us to seek You and your ways, despite what is popular. You are the source of success and lasting satisfaction! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Saturday "The Honor of Humility"

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

Proverb 15:33 "The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom, And before honor is humility."

Proverb 22:4 "By humility and the fear of the LORD Are riches and honor and life."

Colossians 3:12-14 "Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection."

1 Peter 5:6-7 "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."

Prayer: "Thank you for wanting us to be humble, Lord. Thank you for the incredible things You teach us when we are teachable and humble! You are an awesome God. Help us to be quiet and humble. Thank you for lifting us up so much, too! Let us not think of ourselves more highly than we should. Forgive us for being prideful in the past. Teach us strength in humility! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Sunday "We Have New Life!"

2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new."

Romans 6:4 "Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."

Prayer: "Thank you for giving us new life! Help us to forgive ourselves like You have. Lift us up and remove our guilt and shame. Let us see ourselves and others like You do! Bless us and give us strength. You are our Heavenly Father and the Holy One! In Jesus' name, Amen."

Isaiah 55:10-11

Em D

As the rain and snow fall from Heaven

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They never return without watering the land

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Making it bud and bloom

C D C D G D

Yielding seed for the sower and bread for the eater

C D

So is God's Word (3X)

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When it leaves His mouth

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It will not return to Him

C D C D Em D

But will accomplish what it should

C D

It performs a purpose (3X)

G D

For God

Challenge

Memorize some scriptures! Have you ever been in a situation where you wished you knew the Bible better? Or have you been somewhere and you wished you knew how a certain verse went? It will be of great value to you and possibly others if you memorize God's Word! There's nothing like God's living, unchanging Word. You could write the verses, put music to them, read them over and over, etc. I find it easier to remember something that I read and see frequently. Are you having trouble finding an important verse? Let me know the partial verse and I'll tell you if I can find it. Our singles group is beginning scripture memorization this week, so I know it'll be good and you can do it too! Have fun and God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!

Quotations

Some things deserve a second look; others do not.

There are several different and perfectly acceptable ways to respond to a circumstance or situation.

The only lasting foundation for a true, positive, self-concept is God's opinion of you.

People who dislike themselves are immobilized by fears of being rejected.

Time alone doesn't need to be a lonely experience.

To expect one person to meet someone's every social need is not only unrealistic but also unfair.

When conflict arises, work together to find a solution because the relationship is more important than the compromise.

It's comfortable to take our relationships with Christ and others to a certain point. Going deeper than before is an imperative challenge.

When I find myself repeating the same superficial statements about a subject, I know I need to research it some more.

The more secrets you keep the less people will know you. The less people know you, the less they'll understand you.

Do you notice the little and hurting ones?

What makes you afraid? Pray for courage and stand up against it!

Pride blinds us from a lot of changes that we should make. It delays the sanctification process.

We work so hard to be tough on our own, but we don't have to be strong alone.

The promises You made me are true.

Your love has melted me down like snow.

I don't care about the things you used to do. I see better days are waiting for you.

Come with me to an everlasting place.

It's dangerous to trust your own strength more than God's.

As long as I can't fully understand something, I seem to stay interested.

Sin promotes worry in my life.

She loves me and this time I'm not lying to myself.

What is more attractive than godly love?

Don't think you always know how others see you.

Am I itching you where you need to be scratched?

Have an ear for wisdom.

I forgot it because I didn't write it down.

Just like your sin can effect another person, so can your repentance.

The ones you love the most stay on your mind when you're not together.

You rob yourself of being joyful when you are not content.

He'd love to cure your problems.

I'll abandon every selfish thought.

I wanna be Your hands, I'll be Your feet. I'll go where You send me!

I want to touch the world like You've touched me!

I've never seen anything like this Holy Spirit!

God will recharge your batteries.

Things I used to do and worry about are forever gone.

I can't think of any better gifts than salvation, sanctification and glorification.

Be looking and listening for what God has to say to you.

Do you have a realistic picture of what hell will be?

I can't go to sleep - there's more to learn about Christ!

Why hold down one to raise another?

We may rise and fall, but in the end, we meet our fate together.

We can influence unbelievers, but we should not let them influence us.

Satan will test you and see if you are lying about wanting to be godly.

The common thread of joy and sadness is relationships.

You don't want to be standing on the edge of the cliff with greasy shoes.

Ask yourself what you can do to glorify God.

You need to have a positive influence in every life you touch.

We want to build bridges, not walls.

Don't hurt someone and be the cause of tears in their eyes.

Every time we put God in a box, He wants to get out.

God will bless you when you remain faithful to Him in your relationships.

There's tremendous value in being single.

FAITH = Forsaking All I Trust Him

When you give up superficial desires, you can see what will truly satisfy you.

God will deal with you in a unique way because He is a personal God.

There can't be real joy without a relationship with Christ.

Contentment will overcome feeling you need lots of things.

Many people who try and disprove Christianity become Christians.

Wipe the tears from their eyes; don't cause them.

Faith is not simply the belief that God will do what you want. Faith is the belief that God will do what is right.

God's economy is right side up and ours is upside down.

The greater your cares the more genuine your prayers.

The darker the room the greater the need for light.

Healing begins when we do something, reaching out and taking a step.

The best deception has some truth in it.

Biblical prophets were right 100% of the time and they were stoned to death when they made a false prophecy.

Communication is essential for relationships.

It takes energy to stand up against temptation from the demons.

Laughing can show a lack of seriousness to a certain person or topic.

The more we know God the more we can trust Him.

Today the gift of prophecy is speaking the Word of God.

I'm a soul set free to fly.

Be approachable, accepting, able to forgive and have an attitude of grace.

Know your own limitations.

Not being in a hurry makes you more approachable.

Do you walk away from people while you're talking to them?

It's depressing to think you are all you will ever be.

Are you standing over your friends with a crown and encouraging them to grow into it?

Share God's promises with people.

Know when to be quiet.

Being a "doormat" is not a substitute for forgiveness.

Marriage is not so much a final destination as it is a school in which we can learn how to love deeply.

Know what it is you are forgiving and say so.

Consider what your friends bring into your relationship with them.

God has given us a relationship with Him on His terms.

God wants His children to have certain characteristics.

God's determined will and revealed will are always known because we find them in His Word.

God's specific will for our lives requires our cooperation with Him.

Don't be so preoccupied with God's specific will that you fail to heed His determined and revealed will.

The believer who wants to do God's will must remain sensitive and cooperative, not forcing their way into areas that God closes off.

If God simply gave us "yes, no" answers all the time, there wouldn't be much room for faith and growth.

It's fun knowing you're becoming who God wants you to be.

The more sin we allow in our lives, the harder it is to determine God's specific will.

Seek counsel from qualified people.

Do you and your friends speak the truth in love?

Cultivate intimacy with God.

The Lord uses circumstances and expects us to "read" them with a sensitive, alert conscience.

Am I doing God's will today?

If your specific future and desires are your god, then you will be frustrated.

Do you really want to know God's will or are you trying to justify your will?

Cultivate a consistent walk with God.

Discover your gifts and pursue your calling.

Be open to God's divine interruptions.

True love will be there when you return to it.

Don't be jealous of your leaders. They have an important job and so do you.

Things that are difficult to pray about are probably in the most need of prayer.

Life goes pretty fast. If you don't stop and look you could miss it.

Salvation is like a fire in the midnight of a soul; it lights up like a can of gasoline.

There's a source of help for every need.

The more you know someone, the better you can lead them.

You only have one life. You can't sit around and wait for your next life to start.

I'm interested in anything except evil.

Love is still the key.

The seeds of truth are out of my hands. If you want to destroy them, then so be it.

Do you understand the message of grace?

There's no demon like control.

There's no cure like crucifixion.

Emotions can be like a trapdoor.

Don't depend on a lie or a liar.

Hearing the truth can be a sweet insult.

A friend is someone that you can speak to about life issues and not feel like they will think less of you.

Every goodbye is also a hello.

How you talk says a lot about you.

Some things can be taught best by example.

Saying or feeling that you'll only be happy after something happens isn't being content right now.

Don't be afraid of what you know.

Imitation is a form of flattery.

We can exaggerate our feelings of distress. Friends can help put things in perspective.

Jealousy is not an indication of love.

This world is largely profit driven.

Don't turn this knife inside me.

Don't fear contentment or confuse it with complacency.

Live the good news!