One moment after you die...

“One moment after men die, they know exactly how they should have lived. But then it is too late to go back and live their lives over again. Too late for the unbeliever, in the jaws of hell. But also too late for the believer, who cannot relive his life, remake his choices, this time following his King more faithfully.” ~ taken from Randy Alcorn's book Safely Home

What makes you happy?

I came across a today and I thought it could use a little tweek...
"Do what makes you happy. It doesn`t have to make sense to other people." ~ Warren Zevon

I'd like it better if it said...
Do what makes Jesus happy. It doesn't have to make sense to other people.

If you don’t yet know Jesus...

"If you don’t yet know Jesus, it’s not too late. Confess your sins and humbly accept the gift of his atoning sacrifice on your behalf. If you do know him, make your daily decisions in light of your destiny. By God’s grace, use the time you have left on the present Earth to store up for yourself treasures on the New Earth, to be laid at Christ’s feet for his glory (Revelation 4:10)."

~ Randy Alcorn (taken from his book 50 Days of Heaven - page 278)

You are dying...

"Every person reading this book (or post) is dying. Perhaps you have reason to believe that death will come very soon. You may be troubled, feeling uncertain or unready to leave. But since the overwhelming majority of our lives will be spent on the other side of death, not this side, shouldn't we be careful to get ready for what awaits us there?"

"Make sure of your relationship with Jesus Christ. Be certain that you trust only him to save you - not anyone or anything else, and certainly not any good works you've done. And then allow yourself to get excited about what's on the other side of death's door."

~ Randy Alcorn (taken from his book - 50 Days of Heaven)

Prepare for the end...NOW

"It ought to be the business of every day to prepare for our last day."

~ Matthew Henry

Five minutes after we die...

"Five minutes after we die, we'll know exactly how we should have lived. We'll know how we should have given, prayed, shared our faith, meditated on Scripture. But then it will be too late to go back and live our lives over again. We won't have a chance to become sold-out disciples of Jesus Christ in a fallen world. Here and now is our only opporutnity to do that."

"Ask yourself, 'Five minutes afer I die, what will I wish I would have done in this life while I still had the chance?' When you come up with the answer, why not do it now? Why not spend the rest of your life closing the gap between what you'll wish you would have done and what you actually did."

~ Randy Alcorn (taken from his book "50 Days of Heaven: Reflections that Bring Eternity to Light"

Rest for the saints...

"If there be so certain and glorious a rest for the saints, why is there no more industrious seeking after it? One would think, if a man did but once hear of such unspeakable glory to be obtained, and believed what he heard to be true, he should be transported with the vehemency of his desire after it, and should almost forget to eat and drink, and should care for nothing else, and speak of and inquire after nothing else, but how to get this treasure." ~ Richard Baxter from The Saints Everlasting Rest

Everyone feels benevolent...

"Everyone feels benevolent if nothing happens to be annoying him at the moment."

(Clive Staples) C. S. Lewis
Into The Wardrobe

The righteousness God seeks...

"The righteousness God seeks is a persistent righteousness, a commitment to continue making the right decision even when, perhaps hourly, you feel pulled in the opposite direction. Holiness is far more than an inclination toward occasional acts of kindness and charity. It is a commitment to persistent surrender before God." ~ Gary Thomas

Marriage is...

"Marriage is the greatest test in the world…but now I welcome the test instead of dreading it. It is much more than a test of sweetness of temper, as people sometimes think; it is a test of the whole character and affects every action."
~ T.S. Eliot

"Marriage is the operation by which a woman's vanity and a man's egotism are extracted without anesthetic." ~ Helen Rowland

One of the best wedding gifts God gave you was a full-length mirror called your spouse. Had there been a card attached, it would have said, "Here's to helping you discover what you're really like!" ~ Gary and Betsy Ricucci

All taken from chapter 6 of Gary Thomas's book "Sacred Marriage: What if God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More than to Make Us Happy?"

Sometimes it is easier to hide...

"Sometimes it is easier to hide behind self rejection and loathing rather than deal with specific areas of sin that the Lord points out to us. But what is easier often becomes a snare, never allowing us to truly take personal responsibility for our actions. For example, it can be easier to say, "I am a horrible person and utterly hopeless, so why even try?" than to say. "I repent of my selfish anger and with God's grace, choose to work with Him so I no longer live in this anger any longer"

~ Katherine Walden

Commission - Honor or Sacrifice?

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?” - David Livingston, Missionary to Africa

Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

Prayers Not Answered

"The reason our prayers are not answered is that we are not stupid enough to believe what Jesus says." ~ Oswald Chambers

"As long as we are self-sufficient and complacent, we don't need to ask God for anything, we don't want Him; it is only when we know we are powerless that we are prepared to listen to Jesus Christ and to do what He says." ~ Oswald Chambers

Contempt or Respect?

"Contempt is conceived with expectations. Respect is conceived with expressions of gratitude. We can choose which one we will obsess over –expectations or thanksgivings. The choice will result in a birth – and the child will be named either contempt, or respect." ~ Gary Thomas taken from his book "Sacred Influence"

Tender and Compassionate

"You never have less reason to be pleased with yourself than when you find yourself most angry and offended at the behavior of others. All sin is certainly to be hated and abhorred where it is, but then we must set ourselves against sin as we do against sickness and diseases, by showing ourselves tender and compassionate to the sick and diseased." ~ Gary Thomas from his book "Sacred Influence"

Receiving a pure heart is better...

"Let me say that receiving a pure heart from God is better than getting healed of cancer. It is better than becoming rich overnight. It is better than preaching marvelous sermons or writing best-selling books. Receiving a pure heart is to be like God at the core of your being." ~ Jim Cymbala from his book "Fresh Faith"

The Body of Christ...

"The body of Christ, especially in well-functioning, small, intimate groups, is the most healing body in the world; yet we do not treat it as such. We wouldn't think of relating to a medical doctor with the same reserve as we have in the healing body of Christ. Would we say to a doctor, "I have this unspoken illness?" Of course not! But we often use this term, unspoken request, in sharing our needs with the body. Would we try to deceive a doctor into thinking our hurt is nonexistent or in a different place than it actually is? Of course not! Would we say, "I am here for a friend - examine me and diagnose him?" Of course not! Yet we treat the church with such distrust and fear. We choose to hide." ~ Gayle D. Erwin

Pain has meaning...

"One thing we may be sure of, however: For the believer all pain has meaning; all adversity is profitable. There is no question that adversity is difficult. It usually takes us by surprise and seems to strike where we are most vulnerable. To us it often appears completely senseless and irrational, but to God none of it is either senseless or irrational. He has a purpose in every pain He brings or allows in our lives. We can be sure that in some way He intends it for our profit and His glory." ~ Jerry Bridges

Lord teach me to listen

"Lord, teach me to listen. The times are noisy and my ears are weary with the thousand raucous sounds which continuously assault them. Give me the spirit of the boy Samuel when he said to Thee, "Speak, for Thy servant heareth." Let me hear Thee speaking in my heart. Let me get used to the sound of Thy voice, that its tones may be familiar when the sounds of earth die away and the only sound will be the music of Thy speaking. Amen." ~ A. W. Tozer

Never cease loving a person...

"Never cease loving a person, and never give up hope for him, for even the prodigal son who had fallen most low, could still be saved; the bitterest enemy and also he who was your friend could again be your friend; love that has grown cold can kindle again." ~ Soren Kierkegaard

You cannot see faith...

"You cannot see faith, but you can see the footprints of the faithful." We must leave behind "faithful footprints" for others to follow." ~ unknown

Our thoughts become...

"Our thoughts become our words.
Our words become our actions.
Our actions become our habits.
Our habits become our character.
Our character becomes our destiny."

~ unknown

Your Position in Christ

"Knowing your position in Christ Jesus gives you the power to overcome any condition related to your past. When you know your position, your old “condition” has no power over you."
~unknown

17 Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

The devil...

"The devil is not terribly frightened of our human efforts and credentials. But he knows his kingdom will be damaged when we begin to lift up our hearts to God."

~ Jim Cymbala

Prayer will make...

"Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer." Bunyan

God's hand...

"God's hand is not shortened that He cannot take the greatest apparent catastrophe and transform it for His glory."

- author unknown

It takes courage...

"It takes courage To refrain from gossip when others about you delight in it. To stand up for an absent person who is being abused. To live honestly within your means and not dishonestly on the means of others. To be a real man, a true woman, by holding fast to your Christian ideals when it causes you to be looked upon as strange and peculiar. To be talked about and yet remain when a word would justify you in the yes of others, but which you cannot speak without injury to another. To refuse to do a thing which is wrong, though other do it. To dress according to you income and to deny yourself what you cannot afford to buy. To live always according to your convictions."

Anonymous

Breaking God's heart...

We must move from asking God to take care of the things that are breaking our hearts, to praying about the things that are breaking His heart. ~Margaret Gibb

To love at all...

"To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it up carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket - safe, dark, motionless, airless - it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable... The only place outside of Heaven where you can be perfectly safe from all the dangers... of love is hell." - C.S. Lewis