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

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

"Jesus THE Christ"

Matthew 16:16  "Simon Peter answered and said, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

Matthew 22:41, 42  "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, saying, 'What do you think about the Christ?  Whose Son is He?'  They said to Him, 'The Son of David.'"

Matthew 23:10  "And do not be called teachers; for One is your Teacher, the Christ."

Matthew 24:5-6  "For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.  And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet."

Matthew 26:63, 64  "But Jesus kept silent.  And the high priest answered and said to Him, 'I put You under oath by the living God: Tell us if You are the Christ, the Son of God!'  Jesus said to him, 'It is as you said. Nevertheless, I say to you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"

Luke 4:41  "And demons also came out of many, crying out and saying, 'You are the Christ, the Son of God!'  And He, rebuking them, did not allow them to speak, for they knew that He was the Christ."

Luke 22:67  "'If You are the Christ, tell us.'  But He said to them, 'If I tell you, you will by no means believe.'"

1 John 5:1  "Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him."

Insight: The phrase "the Christ" is used 53 times in the NKJV New Testament.  How often have you used it?  Did you think that Christ was Jesus' last name?  The word "Christ" is a title that means anointed one and Messiah; and this is why Jesus was called "the Christ."

Prayer: "Praise You for being the Christ!  Thank you for fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah.  Thank you for being an awesome God and showing us the way.  Forgive our sins and bless us.  Help us to be like You.  Remind us of the sacrifice that You made for us.  Thank you for loving us more than we know, understand, or deserve.  To You be all the glory, honor, and praise.  In Jesus' name, Amen."

America's Foundation

Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822-1893), the 19th President of the United States, had served as a Major General in the Civil War, a U.S. Congressman and a three-term governor of Ohio.  In his Inaugural Address, March 5, 1877, President Rutherford Birchard Hayes acknowledged he was:

"Looking for the guidance of that Divine Hand by which the destinies of nations and individuals are shaped."  - March 5, 1877.  Benjamin Weiss, God in American History: A Documentation of America's Religious Heritage (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1966), p. 103.  Willard Cantelon, Money Master of the World (Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1976), p. 120.

President Rutherford B. Hayes declared:

"I am a firm believer in the Divine teachings, perfect example, and atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  I believe also in the Holy Scriptures as the revealed Word of God to the world for its enlightenment and salvation."  - Stephen Abbott Northrop, D.D., A Cloud of Witnesses (Portland, Oregon: American Heritage Ministries, 1987), p. 233.

A Moment of Introspection

Every time I see the television advertisement for "The Passion" movie, I read and hear them say, "The Passion of the Christ."  This reminded me that Christ isn't Jesus' last name.  It is His title.  He is Jesus THE Christ.

You'd be surprised at how many people actually think Christ is His last name.  After thinking on this, I began to realize how calling Him Jesus Christ all the time and never calling Him Jesus the Christ somewhat humanized Jesus.  It made Him into a regular person with a first and last name.

Cultivate a renewed respect and appreciation for THE Christ.  He came and died for our sins and rose from the dead.

Ask someone you know if Christ is Jesus' last name or not.  If they don't know, be prepared to share the truth with them and define the Greek word "christos" for them as well.  The definition is below!

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

christos (Greek): Christ - anointed one, the Messiah

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained

"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:

Genesis 8:4 - The ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat in the seventh month. But how could this be since the mountain tops weren't visible until the tenth month (8:5)?

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

The ark was very large and it was able to rest on the mountains of Ararat without allowing the people in it to see the tops of the mountains.  There are also several factors (besides water) that could have obstructed the tops of the mountains.

(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 is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)

There are no 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!

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!

If you have never repented from your sins and believed, trusted, and accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, please email me! I would love to share the gospel with you. The Bible is very straightforward when it speaks about Heaven, Hell and eternal life. If there is any doubt that you are going to Heaven when you die, please let me know today! If you’d like to discover the biblical doctrine of salvation through Jesus Christ, please go here: Audio Gospel Message - http://www.jcsm.org/godsplan/TheGospel.mp3. or the Textual Gospel Message - http://gospel.jcsm.org.

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."