from Max Lucado

You'll be home soon. You may not have noticed it, but you are closer to home than ever before.

Each moment is a step taken.
Each breath is a page turned.
Each day is a mile marked, a mountain climbed.

You are closer to home than you've ever been.

Before you know it, your appointed time will come; you'll descend the ramp and enter the city. You'll see faces that are waiting for you. You'll hear your name spoken by those who love you.

And . . . in the back, behind the crowds -- the One who would rather die than live without you will remove His pierced hands from His heavenly robe and APPLAUD.

Be encouraged -- you're really going to see Him!

First Place In Your Thoughts

Friends, these things must have first place in your thoughts:

1. Your sins--to humble you and abase you before God.
2. God's free and rich and sovereign grace--to soften and melt you down into submission to His holy will.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ--to assist, help, strengthen, and influence you in all your duties and services.
4. The blessed Scriptures--to guide you and lead you, "and to be a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your paths."
5. The afflictions of the godly--to draw out your charity, mercy, pity, sympathy and compassion to men in misery.
6. The glory and happiness of the eternal world--to arm you and steel you against all your sins, snares and temptations.

Thomas Brooks, The Golden Key to Open Hidden Treasures

The Best Way To Be Holy

"Turn to the Lord with weeping and with mourning."

Joel 2:12

The best way to be holy is to accuse, indict, arraign, and condemn yourself for your unholiness. Greatly lament and mourn over your own unholiness, over your own wickedness. Go to your closet, and fall down before the most high and holy God, and mourn bitterly over . . .

the unholiness of your nature,
the unholiness of your heart,
the unholiness of your affections,
the unholiness of your intentions,
the unholiness of your thoughts,
the unholiness of your words,
the unholiness of your life.

Oh, who can look upon sin . . .
as an offence against a holy God,
as the breach of a holy law,
as the wounding and crucifying of a holy Savior,
as the grieving and saddening of a holy Sanctifier,

and not mourn over it?

Oh, who can cast a serious eye . . .
upon the heinous nature of sin,
upon the exceeding sinfulness of sin,
upon the aggravations of sin--

and not have . . .

his heart humbled,

his soul grieved,

his spirit melted,

his mouth full of penitential confessions,

his eyes full of penitential tears, and

his heart full of penitential sorrow?

The Christian mourns that he has sinned against . . .

a God so great,

a God so gracious,

a God so bountiful,

a God so merciful.

Oh, how should a sinner fall a-weeping when he looks upon the greatness of his wickedness, and his lack of holiness! As ever you would be holy, mourn over your own unholiness. Those who weep not for sin here--shall weep out their eyes in hell hereafter! It is better to weep bitterly for your sins on earth, than to weep eternally for your folly in hell.

"Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted."

Matthew 5:4

(Thomas Brooks, The Crown and Glory of Christianity, or, Holiness, the Only Way to Happiness, 1662)