A serious and direct proclamation from God's Word!!!

As Phillipians 2:10-11 says (NASB), "so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." This is serious!!! What are you doing!! What have you been doing with your life? Have you just been floating on the Hypocrital boat down the easy river of pomp and circumstance in your little "religous" society. Wake up before it is too late!! Because one day it will be too late!! All of the things that you find your security in now, if they are not intact with the things of Christ, will leave you in utter dismay, emptiness, and the deepest of all disparagement when your life comes to an end. As Christians, where do we hold our esteem? Who do we love and trust in? Shouldn't the source of this love, trust, and esteem be our Savior who in His mercy has delivered us from eternal death and torture? If our Savior is truly the product of these thing in our lives then why don't we take Him seriously!! I am so tired of all the "Biblical" puns, jokes, and supposed humors with the "religous" circles. Why? That's my question. Why? Is it funny to dishonor our Savior by taking key biblical principles and values out of context and making them a topic of humor. What is going on? Are you so blind that you can't see that this is a form both of blasphemy and using God's name in vain? Disagree with me if you like, but I have come to the point in my life where I have no desire to grieve the Spirit in me. Consider me less in your pathetic "religous" circle if you wish, but remember this: "EVERY KNEE WILL BOW"!!!! It's not a game people!! It's time to wake up and I pray that the Lord will use this letter to those who read it to bring severe conviction and remorse to the hearts of His chosen. I cannot know the condition of your heart, but God does. And it is serious my friends, indeed it is gravely serious, and further, your eternal standing depends on it. Pray that God will remove the suffocating cloth the adversary has so craftily and deceptively placed over your eyes. Because when you stand before the Judgment seat of Christ, it won't be funny anymore. In Him, Josh

Just over 2 1/2 weeks to go!!!!!

You know, with all the difficulty and struggle this year has brought, the Lord has always been faithful to me. He's always brough that encouraging word from another person when I really needed it. He's even given me the strength to push through the strange fatigue that has been somewhat crippling to me since last semester. He's given me the knowledge base to help out the students that I've tutored and stuff even when I feared that I would not be mathematically and sometimes scientifically equipped to help them. As 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NASB) so truely says, "Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong." Even when the glimpse of light and hope seems to fade or your hold onto the edge of life's cliff dwindles to just a one-finger grip, He is there "......to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy," Jude 1:24 (NASB). And with all the joys, difficulties, stresses, sorrows, encouragement passes another segment of life. Lordwilling, in just over two and a half weeks, I will have completed half of my undergraduate education. God has provided the financial, physical, and mental capabilites for me to recieve an education in accordance with His plans and purposes and for this I am most thankful. May the Lord grant me the grace and strength to say, as Paul did, when I come to the end of life's brief and often difficult road, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith;" 2 Timothy 4:7 (NASB). For the Christian there is really no greater testimony than that. Being faithful to Christ, realizing that He works all things for His plans and purposes, and walking boldly against the traffic and muddling confusion that the rest of this world is in. So, as the semester comes to close and the last few words are written on this chapter in my life, thank you Lord and please grant me the grace to stand firm in you which is entirely impossible for me to do apart from You grace in my life. I love you Lord and look forward to the day when your working through me on this earth is complete and I can spend eternity worshipping You, my Creator, Savior, and eternal Father. Amen. In Him, Josh

Wow.

You know what? The coolest thing just happened to me. As I went to lay on my bed at about 2:57 p.m., I figured I'd spend about 10 minutes resting and thinking about all the stuff that I need to get done this weekend. But as I thought my mind started drifting and reflecting. Somehow I though back to my first day of kindergarten when my teacher asked me if I wanted to be called Josh or Joshua. After some delay I chose the cooler sounding of the two, Josh. Soon my mind started reflecting on my entire life, starting with this first day of kindergarten. I found myself remembering, albeit somewhat cloudily, the schoolyears and summers which followed this trend. I eventually made it to the summer following 9th grade, the point at which I feel that God turned my hearts motives and desires to Him. I was on a slippery slope to destruction, my blatant rebellion and wickedness seeping into every aspect of my life. But then there was a change. Of course, I cannot comprehend what caused it for it was only the working of God. It didn't happen in a moment, week, or even month. Rather, life since this point has been a continual growing process. There have definitely been hurdles, obstacles, and even the severest points of despair, but God has always brought me through them. This I cannot explain either. All that I can do is thank the Lord with all of my being for His transforming work in my life. I guess the "wow" title of this post should really be "thank you Lord". He knows that "I am but dust and ashes" (Gen 18:27, NASB) but makes available to me, and every believer, all the "armor" (Eph 6:10-20) that we need to stand strong in Him. Even when we fail to fully equip ourselves and are wounded by the enemy, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, NASB) What an encouragment to know that if we are in Him, nothing in this life can even touch our eternal standing in Him. We are forever His:) Joyfully in Christ, Josh Gilbert

A Word of Encouragement from God's Word.....

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." Phillipians 1:6 (NASB)