Chat Programs/IDs: ICQ#: 20731140, AIM: MrJasonGastrich, YIM: Jesus_Saved_Jason

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

"Christians Are In Christ"

Romans 6:11b  "Reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 6:23  "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:1, 2  "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.  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death."

Romans 12:5  "So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another."

Romans 16:7  "Greet Andronicus and Junia, my countrymen and my fellow prisoners, who are of note among the apostles, who also were in Christ before me."

1 Corinthians 4:10a  "We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ!"

1 Corinthians 15:22  "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive."

2 Corinthians 2:14, 17  "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.  For we are not, as so many, peddling the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as from God, we speak in the sight of God in Christ."

2 Corinthians 3:14  "But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ."

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."

Insight: Christians should be in Christ.  What does this mean?  It means doing God's will and obeying Him.  We are in Christ when we are living as He wants us to live.  Strive to be in and stay in Christ.

Prayer: "Thank you for loving us, Lord.  Thank you for wanting us to be close to You.  Help us to keep on the straight and narrow path.  Forgive us for tracing fleeting things.  Help us to see things as You do.  Thank you for loving us despite our shortcomings.  Help us to see sin as You see it and confess it and avoid it.  Thank you for sending Jesus to Earth to overcome sin and death!  Hallelujah!  Remind us that He lived a perfect life, so we could have hope to overcome sin and be pure.  Thank you for the people we know that have been righteous for a period of time.  Bless them and help us to be and stay righteous.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

America's Foundation

Jacob Duche' (1738-1798), was the Anglican clergyman, who, at the request of the Continental Congress, opened the first session of Congress with prayer.  As recorded in the Journals of the Continental Congress, the first official act of Congress, having just received the news that British troops had attacked Boston, was to open in prayer:

"Tuesday, September 6, 1774.  Resolved, That the Rev. Mr. Duche' be desired to open the Congress tomorrow morning with prayers, at the Carpenter's Hall, at 9 o'clock."  - September 6, 1774.  The Journals of the Continental Congress 1774-1789 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1905), Vol. I, p. 26.  David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 100.

The 35th Psalm, the Psalter for the Seventh day of September, which was read by Rev. Mr. Duche' in the first Continental Congress, begins:

"Plead my cause, Oh, Lord, with them that strive with me, fight against them that fight against me.  Take hold of buckler and shield, and rise up for my help.  Draw also the spear and the battle-axe to meet those who pursue me; Say to my soul, 'I am your salvation.'  Let those be ashamed and dishonored who seek my life; Let those be turned back and humiliated who devise evil against me."  - September 7, 1774, Rev. Mr. Duche' reading Psalm 35.  "Our Christian Heritage," Letter from Plymouth Rock (Marlborough, NH: The Plymouth Rock Foundation), pp. 2-3.  Catherine Millard, The Rewriting of America's History (Camp Hill, PA: Horizon House Publishers, 1991), p. 249.

Rev. Mr. Duche' in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia, proceeded extemporaneously to offer the First Prayer in Congress on September 7, 1774:

"Be Thou present O God of Wisdom and direct the counsel of this Honorable Assembly; enable them to settle all things on the best and surest foundations; that the scene of blood may be speedily closed; that Order, Harmony and Peace may be effectually restored, and that Truth and Justice, Religion and Piety, prevail and flourish among the people."

Preserve the health of their bodies, and the vigor of their minds, shower down on them, and the millions they here represent, such temporal Blessings as Thou seest expedient for them, in this world, and crown them with everlasting Glory in the world to come.  All this we ask in the name and through the merits of Jesus Christ, Thy Son and Saviour, Amen."  - September 7, 1774, First Prayer in Congress - Beautiful Reminiscence (Washington, D.C.: Library of Congress).  Gary DeMar, God and Government - A Biblical and Historical Study (Atlanta, GA: American Vision Press, 1982), Vol. I, p. 108.  John S. C. Abbot, George Washington (NY: Dodd, Mead & Co., 1875, 1917), p. 187.  David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), pp. 101-102.

The Journals of Congress record Congress' appreciation to Rev. Mr. Duche':

"Wednesday, September 7, 1774, 9 o'clock a.m.  Agreeable to the resolve of yesterday, the meeting was opened with prayers by the Rev. Mr. Duche'.  Voted, That the thanks of Congress be given to Mr. Duche'... for performing divine Service, and for the excellent prayer, which he composed and delivered on the occasion."  - September 7, 1774, The Journals of the Continental Congress 1774-1789 (Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1905), Vol. I, p. 27.  David Barton, The Myth of Separation (Aledo, TX: WallBuilder Press, 1991), p. 101.

A Moment of Introspection

How can we be in Christ and still be unsatisfied?

Seek to be in Christ and have a passion to do His will.  Pray and seek Him and ask Him if you need to make any changes to be in Him.  Once you are living in Christ, make every effort to stay in Him.

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

mooth (Hebrew): die - literally or figuratively, causatively to kill, put to death, destroy, crying, slay

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Genesis 7:13-14 - All of the animals boarded the ark "in the selfsame day." Since there were several million species involved, they must have boarded at a rate of at least 100/second. How did poor Noah and his family make sure that the correct number of each species entered through the door and then get them all settled into their proper living quarters so efficiently? I wish the airline companies could do as well!

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

Once again, the Bible doesn't use the word "species."  The animals boarded the ark in denominations of their "kinds."  Therefore, there were not millions of species boarding the ark.  The varieties of animals that we see today could have easily varied from the parents of these "kinds" of animals.

(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.)

Adam had everything he could possibly want, but he wasn't satisfied.

It's important to have a passion for God.

Little things can mean a lot.

God made things in an orderly way for a reason.

God's plans are bigger than ours.

A passion will help you endure persecution as you love and serve Christ.

Do you have a passion to please God?

God will work with you with whatever you have if you give it to Him.

These quotes came from God, me, and Darren Carrington.

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 70,000 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."