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The Weekly Devotion (click here to listen!)

"The Power of Prayer"

Matthew 7:7-11  "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.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"

Matthew 26:36  "Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to the disciples, 'Sit here while I go and pray over there.'"

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."

1 Thessalonians 5:17  "Pray without ceasing."

James 1:5, 6  "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.  But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind."

Hebrews 4:16  "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

Insight: Prayer is a very important discipline.  We see Jesus praying before major events in His life, so we should do the same.  We should also pray without ceasing.  God wants us to ask Him for things like grace and wisdom.  Pray according to His will and He will bless you.

Prayer: "Dear Lord, thanks for wanting us to talk to You and listen to You.  Forgive us for being lazy or simply talking all the time without listening.  Help us to pause and hear what You have to say.  Thank you for being a good and loving God.  Thank you for wanting us to know You.  Let us have more faith and more love for You and others.  We love You, Lord.  Please give us more grace and more wisdom.  Protect us from evil.  Bless us and increase our ministry.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

America's Foundation

Michael Faraday (1791-1867), an English chemist and naturalist, was one of the greatest physicists of all time.  In 1833, the prestigious Royal Institute honored him as professor of chemistry.  He pioneered the liquefaction of gases and discovered benzene; which is used in aniline dyes, high explosives, and perfumes.

Michael Faraday's most famous scientific contributions include the discovery of electrolysis, electromagnetic induction, the concept of magnetic lines of force, and the invention of the first electrical generator in 1831.

"It is permitted to the Christian to think of death; he is even represented as praying that God would teach him to number his days.  Words are given him:  'Thanks be unto God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.'  And though the thought of death brings the thought of judgment, it also brings to the Christian the thought of Him who died, who rose again for the justification of those who believe in Him." - Walter Jerrold, Michael Faraday, Man of Science, p. 120.  Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witness (Portland, OR: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 147.

"The Christian who is taught by God (by His Word and Holy Spirit) finds his guide in the Word of God, and commits the keeping of his soul in the hands of God.  He looks for no assurance beyond what the Word of God can give him; and if his mind is troubled by the cares and fears which may assail him, he can go nowhere but to the throne of grace and to Scripture." - George Wilson, Short Biographies for the People, Vol. IV.  Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witness (Portland, OR: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 147-8.

"No outward manifestation can give either instruction or assurance to him, nor can any outward opposition or trouble diminish his confidence for Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness; but to them who are called, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.  The Christian religion is a revelation, and that revelation is the Word of God." - George Wilson, Short Biographies for the People, Vol. IV.  Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witness (Portland, OR: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 147-8.

A Moment of Introspection

Have you seen the television commercials, lately?  Many of them are awful.  One of the sillier ones has a family in an SUV and they aren't very happy, so they go to an electronics store (name omitted), buy a DVD player for the back seat, plug their ears with headphones, then begin to enjoy themselves.  It's too bad they can't just enjoy each other's company and have some fun with the family.

When you see television commercials, make a righteous judgment.  See them through the lens of scripture.  Don't buy what you don't need.  Reject foolishness.  Seek to buy what you need and what you can give to others.  Pray about the things you think you need and make sure you really need them.  You may be chasing your tail for a long time if you seek wholeheartedly after something fleeting.

Choose one or two days in December and fast.  You can fast for 24 hours or from sunrise to sunset.  Either way, avoid some food and fast to God.  It will be a great time to reflect on the Savior's birth and life.

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

mosheh (Hebrew): Moses - drawing out of the water, rescued

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Genesis 6:9 - Noah is called a "just man and perfect," but according to several other Bible passages such a man has never existed. I bet he didn't seem so perfect when he was drunk and naked in front of his sons (9:20-21).

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

Genesis 6:9 says, "Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations."  This simply means he loved God and his bloodline had not been contaminated by the "sons of God" that had slept with the human women.  This does not say, mean or imply that Noah was a flawless person or that he would never sin.

(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.)

God's Word must be our standard.

God's work must be our priority.

We need to practice God's ways.

God's will should be our goal.

An unacceptable partnership, an unscriptural practice, or an unsuitable compromise can cause us to veer off course.

Your career isn't necessarily your life's purpose.  God has a purpose for your life and that is your purpose.

Diligently do nothing one day a week.

How many times do you say, "God is telling me to say/do . . ."?

If you don't know what God's Word says, the Devil will try and tell you; and it will be something false.

You don't want to do things MTV's way or CBS' way.  You want to do things God's way.

When you feel discouraged, it could be a warning that something bad is coming.

When you wake up, what do you think about first?

When you wake up, the Devil and/or his demons will try and discourage and sidetrack you from God's purpose.

Wake up and ask God what you should do.

If you don't want to do God's will, then why come to church?

These quotes came from God, me, and Miles McPhearson.

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 the quotes are humorous or rhetorical, others are written from sermons and Bible studies, and some 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!

Do you want to help people receive the good news?  We’re reaching new people every day with God’s awesome Word! If God has blessed you and you wish to send a love offering to JCSM, please send your gift to the address below.

You can join our vision and help this ministry! Your donations will keep these ministries running and further our visions for evangelism. Hundreds of web pages have been created to lead people to the Lord. Frequently, we make new ones and they are used to bring more and more people into a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. We’re certain there will be more ways to reach people in the future.

JCSM is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization.  If you wish to contact us in the mail or send support, please make checks payable to Jesus Christ Saves Ministries.  Here is our mailing address:

Jesus Christ Saves Ministries

3219 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. #212

San Diego, CA 92117

Along with getting support, we also give support! JCSM regularly gives to churches, Christian ministries and needy people. Another function of this ministry is to do counseling. We are always answering questions about life, the Lord and everything in between. Lastly, we do a lot of research on religious topics on the internet and library. You will definitely see the results of our hard work and your loving support, in the web pages, and in the weekly devotions!

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, if you're traveling, or if you need to find a new church, I recommend visiting the following site and locating a Calvary Chapel near you: http://www.calvarychapel.org.

OCCM (Online Christ-Centered Ministries) has certified JCSM as a ministry that preaches the true, biblical gospel of Jesus Christ.  OCCM is a professional membership association for Christian ministries and people that reside on and off the internet.  Are you OCCM certified?  For more information, go here: http://www.occm.org.

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: http://5.jcsm.org.

Over 50,000 web pages!

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 not perish, but have everlasting life."