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Hello! I hope you had a great week and weekend. We're doing all we can to double the number of people who visit JCSM's web site in the next 30 days. Are you? So far, the amount has increased by 50% in the last 14 days! Thanks very much to those who have helped. We pray that you're richly blessed as you forward our emails and web pages to your friends and family members. On Saturday, we launched JCSM's newest top sites program! If you have a web site with mp3 content or if you're looking for some quality, free mp3 files, you'll want to visit JCSM's Top 400 Christian MP3 Sites! We also have JCSM's Top 1000 Christian Sites and JCSM's Top 500 Christian Forums. Our Podcasting has been a success! Our weekly audio devotions are being downloaded over 4,000 times each week. Please pray that these numbers continue to grow, so we can reach more and more people with the good news. Are you looking to improve your health? Or would you like to run your own business, helping others improve their health? Either way, you'll want to check out JuicePlus+. Please welcome our newest OCCM member! Adele Good's Christian business has recently been approved by OCCM's board of directors. You can click here to visit her site and see the many, interesting products it offers. This weekend, Spirit West Coast is coming to Del Mar, California! If you want to hear some great Christian bands, then you won't want to miss it. Email me if you're going and maybe my wife and I can meet you there. We'll be there all three days. On Sunday, my wife, daughter, and I attended John MacArthur's church (Grace Community Church) in Sun Valley, California. He is a well known author, pastor, and the President of Master's College. We were blessed a lot by the service, so we will likely return and become regular attendees while we're living in Pasadena. Many of the quotes below came from him. If you're interested in being encouraged by John MacArthur, you could click here and listen to his archived radio broadcasts. They're free to download. Also, you can click here and read a number of his lessons that we host on our web site. Last week, I encouraged you to write three things that went right each day. Did you do it? I did and it was a blessing, so I hope you did, too. Are you fighting fear, doubt, or worry? You're not alone! Please reply to this message via email and I'll personally encourage you and pray for you. On May 19th, The Da Vinci Code was released at movie theaters across America. Please pray that people understand it's all fiction and not real. Please pray that they are not deceived by the lies. Welcome to the new readers of this message! Here is your Devotion, A Moment of Introspection, JCSM's Challenge, the Word of the Week, a faith-builder from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained," and the Quotes of the Week. Have a fantastic week and God bless you! Love in Christ, Jason Gastrich, Ph.D. Contact Us: http://jcsm.org/contact.php
JCSM's Weekly Devotions (click here to listen!) Luke 8:17, 18 "For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything hidden that will not be known and come to light. Therefore take heed how you hear. For whoever has, to him more will be given; and whoever does not have, even what he seems to have will be taken from him." Matthew 6:3, 4 "But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly." 1 Samuel 16:7 "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'” Romans 11:33-36 "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of the LORD? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen." Insight: God sees and knows all things. Don't bother trying to hide from Him. Do what is right in public and in private. Trust God to bless and reward you without needing public affirmation or praise. Ask God to align your heart with His and seek His affirmation alone. Prayer: "Dear Lord, thank you for knowing and seeing all! There is no other like You. Help us to care deeply about You, what You think, and your will and not worry about what others are saying or doing. Let us hold You in the highest esteem because You are God and we need to obey You. Thank you for your mercy and grace. Thank you for your kindness and patience. Without You, we would not live. Thank you for the gift of eternal life through your Son, Jesus Christ. In Jesus' name, Amen."
Hugh Williamson (1735-1819), who was a signer of the Constitution of the United States of America, was also a member of the Continental Congress, a member of the House of Representatives, a land speculator and a scientist, (having joined with Dr. Franklin in many of his electrical experiments). "In 1759 he went to Connecticut, where he pursued his theological studies and was licensed to preach. After returning from Connecticut, he was admitted to membership in the Presbytery of Philadelphia... [and] preached nearly two years.” ¹ In 1811, Hugh Williamson wrote a powerful book refuting the "higher criticism" of scripture. His book, entitled Observations of the Climate in Different Parts of America, provided a scientific explanation for the credibility of the Holy Scriptures in regard to Noah's flood and the events of Moses' exodus. ² ¹ John Neal, Trinity College Historical Society Papers, Series 13 (New York: AMS Press, 1915), pp. 62-63. Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), p. 182. ² Tim LaHaye, Faith of Our Founding Fathers (Brentwood, TN: Wolgemuth & Hyatt, Publishers, Inc., 1987), p. 182. If you'd like to see more quotes from those that framed and founded America, please click here: http://jcsm.org/AmericasFounders/.
Faith is exercised when we ask.
Can you take full responsibility for your sins? If you haven't ever, then confess them to God right now. If you have, but haven't in a long time, make a short list of them and confess them. If you do the former and believe in Jesus Christ, you'll be saved! If you do the latter, you'll experience a great relief and a closer relationship with Jesus Christ. God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!
krooptos (Greek, see Matthew 6:4): concealed, in private, hidden, secret
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims: Exodus 4:5 - Can God be seen? "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained" responds: These verses simply say that God appeared. God the Father has no body and has never been seen by human eyes. However, He has appeared to people as a cloud, a burning bush, etc. (This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Jason Gastrich. This book is on CD and gives over 4,000 answers to alleged Bible errors, regarding the entire Bible at http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.org. There is also a 300 question workbook that accompanies the CD-ROM.)
Today's culture is ripe for the deception, the revision of history that The Da Vinci Code presents. The cults and the liberals always attack the person of Jesus Christ. Sex, in a perverted way, is usually at the core of all false religions. The Da Vinci Code promotes ancient feminism and calls Christianity a fraud. The Gnostics believed a goddess actually cast Yahweh into Hell. False religious writings were inspired by demons. The American media is bent on promoting blasphemies. Heaven will be a physical place, a cube that is 1500 miles in size. Catholics are afraid to disconnect with their church because their church has told them that they must try to obtain salvation through the church; even though they say there is no assurance of salvation. The unregenerate sinner can only be free in the confines of his own prison. God doesn't do right by an external standard. If we want fairness, then we'd be Hellbound. The Bible was written by men who would have resolved the apparent discrepancies if it weren't for the truth, the will, and the inspiration of God. God preferred that we have a mystery that was beyond our comprehension instead of perfect understanding. Jesus bore the sins of the future individuals because He is an infinite being. When our asking is in line with the will of God, it will be done. God would only answer prayers that would benefit us. These quotes came from me, John MacArthur, and the Holy Spirit. If you'd like to read more quotes, we have thousands in our archive! Visit http://quotes.jcsm.org. Plus, if you'd like to read a new quote every day, please go to http://jcsm.org/Wisdom.htm and bookmark it!
Jesus Christ Saves Ministries
Jason Gastrich, Ph.D. JCSM's Director ______________________________________________________ JCSM is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization. Copyright © 1997-present. |
