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JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!)

"Christ Our Rock"

1 Corinthians 10:4  "And all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ."

Matthew 16:18  "And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Psalm 118:22  "The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone."

1 Peter 2:6-7  "Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame. Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone."

1 Corinthians 3:10-11  "According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Ephesians 2:19-22  "Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone, in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit."

Matthew 7:24-25  "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock."

Isaiah 26:4  "Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal."

Insight: Jesus Christ is the Rock of our salvation.  He is our sure foundation.  Build on Him and you won't be disappointed.  You won't fall.  Weak foundations fail.  Make sure yours is the solid Rock of Christ.

Prayer: "Thank you for being our Rock.  Thank you for being the Rock of our salvation.  Bless us and make us like You.  Thank you for building the church on Jesus Christ.  Let us put no other Rock before You.  Remind us how only You can be our firm and strong foundation.  Only You can show us nothing but truth.  Forgive us for building with other foundations.  Thank you for reminding us that they fail.  Help us to either return to You or stay by You.  We love You, Lord.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

America's Foundation

George Washington Carver (1864-1943), was an agricultural chemist of international fame who revolutionized the economy of the south by introducing hundreds of uses for the peanut, soybean, pecan and sweet potato in the place of cotton.  These crops not only replenished the soil, but provided income for the south which has since grown into the hundreds of millions of dollars.

His discoveries from the peanut (over 300), the sweet potato (over 118), as well as from the soybean, etc., included cosmetics, face powder, lotion, shaving cream, vinegar, cold cream, printer's ink, salad oil, rubbing oil, instant coffee, leather stains from mahogany to blue, synthetic tapioca, egg yolk, flour, paints, non-toxic colors (from which crayons were eventually created).

Henry Ford became personal friends with Dr. Carver, being fascinated with his method of deriving rubber from milkweed.  Mr. Ford tried many times to get Dr. Carver to join him in business, but Carver was committed to helping his people and the south.  Mr. Ford built a duplicate of Dr. Carver's birthplace at his Dearborn Village, and built a school for children named George Washington Carver School.

George Washington Carver was visited at Tuskegee Institute by Vice-President Calvin Coolidge, as well as by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.  He became a confidant and advisor to leaders and scientists from all over the world, from Thomas Edison to Mahatma Gandhi.  (Edison also offered him a position with a six figure income, but Carver turned it down).

Years ago I went into my laboratory and said, "Dear Mr. Creator, please tell me what the universe was made for?"

The Great Creator answered, "You want to know too much for that little mind of yours.  Ask for something more your size, little man."

Then I asked.  "Please, Mr. Creator, tell me what man was made for?"

Again the Great Creator replied, "You are still asking too much.  Cut down of the extent and improve the intent."

So then I asked, "Please, Mr. Creator, will you tell me why the peanut was made?"

"That's better, but even then it's infinite.  What do you want to know about the peanut?"

"Mr. Creator, can I make milk out of the peanut?"

"What kind of milk do you want?  Good Jersey milk of just plain boarding house milk?"

"Good Jersey milk."

And then the Great Creator taught me to take the peanut apart and put it together again.  And out of the process have come forth all these products!  - 1920, in speaking at Blue Ridge, North Carolina to the Young Mens Christian Association.  Ethel Edwards, Carver of Tuskegee (Cincinnati, Ohio: Ethel Edwards & James T. Hardwick, a limited edition work compiled in part from over 300 personal letters written by Dr. Carver to James T. Hardwick between 1922-1937, available from the Carver Memorial in Locust Grove, Diamond, Mo., 1071), pp. 114-117.

"Dr. Carver, how did you learn all of these things?"

Carver answered:

"From an old book"

"What book?" asked the Senator.

Carver replied, "The Bible."

The Senator inquired, "Does the Bible tell about peanuts?"

"No Sir" Dr. Carver replied, "But it tells about the God who made the peanut.  I asked Him to show me what to do with the peanut, and he did."  - ibid

George Washington Carver named his laboratory God's Little Workshop and never took any scientific textbooks into it, as he would just ask God how to perform his experiments.

"God is going to reveal to us things He never revealed before if we put our hands in His.  No books ever go into my laboratory.  The thing I am to do and the way of doing it are revealed to me.  I never have to grope for methods.  The method is revealed to me the moment I an inspired to create something new.  Without God to draw aside the curtain I would be helpless."  - November 19, 1924, in a speech before 500 people of the Women's Board of Domestic Missions in New York City's Marble Collegiate Church.  Ethel Edwards, Carver of Tuskegee (Cincinnati, Ohio: Ethel Edwards & James T. Hardwick, a limited edition work compiled in part from over 300 personal letters written by Dr. Carver to James T. Hardwick between 1922-1937, available from the Carver Memorial in Locust Grove, Diamond, Mo., 1071), pp. 141-142.

"Only alone can I draw close enough to God to discover His secrets."  - Ethel Edwards, Carver of Tuskegee (Cincinnati, Ohio: Ethel Edwards & James T. Hardwick, a limited edition work compiled in part from over 300 personal letters written by Dr. Carver to James T. Hardwick between 1922-1937, available from the Carver Memorial in Locust Grove, Diamond, Mo., 1071), pp. 183, 199.

In 1939, George Washington Carver was awarded the Roosevelt Medal, with the declaration:

"To a scientist humbly seeking the guidance of God and a liberator to men of the white race as well as the black."  - 1939, in the citation made at the presentation of the Roosevelt Medal.  Henry M. Morris, Men of Science - Men of God (El Cajon, CA: Master Books, Creation Life Publishers, Inc., 1990), pp. 81-83.

George Washington Carver remarked:

"The secret of my success?  It is simple.  It is found in the Bible, "In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths."  - Bless Your Heart (series II) (Eden Prairie, MN: Heartland Samplers, Inc., 1990), 7.12.

A Moment of Introspection

Pray like everything depends on God.  Serve the Lord like everything depends on you.

Get healthy!

Record everything you eat in a journal.  Do this for one week.  Use a calorie web site (like this one - http://www.weightlossforgood.co.uk/calorie_intake_calculator.htm) to find your daily caloric intake and see if you are eating too much, too little, or just right.

Next, analyze your food consumption.  Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables?  Are you having enough protein and carbohydrates?

After you find these things, try and make some positive changes.  Substitute fatty or sugary snacks for vegetables.  The better you treat your body, the better you will feel.  Get stronger so you can serve God longer!

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

tsaw-lakh (Hebrew): prosperous - to push forward, break out, be good, be profitable

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Genesis 7:4 - God repeats his intention to kill "every living substance ... from off the face of the earth." But why does God kill all the innocent animals? What had they done to deserve his wrath? It seems God never gets his fill of tormenting animals.

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

God commanded humans to rule over the animal kingdom.  The animals are subject to humans and the humans are subject to God.  The Creator of all things may end the lives of the animals that He created.

Next time you fill up your car with gas, think about the animals that were killed in the Great Flood and remember that they are the reason you're able to drive that car (their death and decay made the Earth's crude oil deposits, which are turned into gasoline and many other, useful products).

(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.  However, 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!

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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.

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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."