Dear Subscribers,
I hope you had a wonderful weekend.
Anaheim, California is hosting the Harvest Crusade this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. P.O.D., Kutless, Michael W. Smith, Leeland, Lincoln Brewster, and Randy Travis will play while Greg Laurie gives invitation sermons each night. I've been to many of these and they're great and they're usually free, but you pay for your parking. Click here for details!
On Saturday at 7pm, Phil Wickham is playing at Pathways Church in Santee, California. He's a local musician "turned big" with some great songs. Call Pathways with questions about tickets.
This week, I turn 34 years old. A very special thanks to all of the people who haven't killed me. <Insert smile or laugh here> It should be an exciting week for me and my family.
It's that time of year again. Yes, Fantasy Football time that is. JCSM is going to launch our league soon, but we want your input on something. Which free fantasy sports company should we use and why? We can choose from CBS Sports, FOX Sports, Yahoo, EA Sports, etc. Let us know your favorite!
Welcome to the new readers of this message! Here is your Devotion, some Cool Facts, 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!)
"Discovering Your Blind Spots"
Proverb 18:24 "A man who has friends must himself be friendly, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."
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!"
Hebrews 10:24, 25 "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."
Insight: When we draw closer to Christ, He'll reveal our blind spots to us. Sometimes, He'll do this through prayer, a friend, music, email, etc. God has every medium at His disposal and all we need to do is listen and respond appropriately.
Prayer: "Dear Lord, thank you for loving us so much. Thank you for showing us grace and mercy despite our blind spots. Help us to seek You and search You out. Thank you for giving us wisdom and love. Let us see You as You actually are. In Jesus' name, Amen."
On March 11, 1986, a fleet of space probes greeted Comet Halley during its most recent appearance. The European Giotto probe closely approached Halley today and transmitted detailed pictures back to earth. The comet was found to be irregular in shape, extremely dark in color, and its surface was punctured by jets of gas and dust spewing outward into space. Comets are active members of the created solar system. They are a solid collection of the frozen chemicals which melt slightly when close to the sun. The existence of hundreds of known comets is an indication that the created earth and the solar system are not ancient.
This excerpt was taken from Donald DeYoung's book called, "365 Fascinating Facts From the World of Discovery."
We should all have at least one person we can talk to about important issues.
Ask someone you trust if you have a blind spot. You may have several, so be prepared! After you find what they are, start praying against them and be determined to make a positive change.
God bless you as you meet this week's challenge!
epeesoonagogay (Greek, see Hebrews 10:25): a complete collection; specifically a Christian meeting (for worship): assembling (gathering) together
The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained
"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible" claims:
Matthew 2:1-2 - Does the Bible condemn astrology?
"The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained" responds:
Astrology involves manipulating God by
predicting things without His supervision or blessing. We don't see this
condoned anywhere in the Bible.
This star was a sign of the Savior's virgin birth. We already saw in
Jeremiah 10:2 how there would be signs from heaven for believers to
understand and unbelievers to be dismayed. This wasn't astrology, but it
was the revelation and plan of God.
(This explanation came from "The Skeptic's Annotated Bible: Corrected and Explained", by Dr. 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.)
There are no new quotes this week. However, if you like to read wise quotes, you can either visit our Quotations Archive or get a copy of Dr. Gastrich's book called, "10,000 Wise Quotes and Spiritual Sayings"! It's the largest collection of Bible-based quotations in the world.
P.O. Box 9297
San Diego, CA 92169
Jason Gastrich, Ph.D.
Executive Director
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