Sabbath Keeping

"Listen to me, you who know righteousness, 

the people in whose heart is my law;

fear not the reproach of man,

nor be dismayed at their revilings."

~ Isaiah 51:7 ~

"He warned people to 'count the cost' before becoming Christians."Make no mistake," He says, "if you let me, I will make you perfect. The moment you put yourself in My hands, that is what you are in for. Nothing less, or other, than that. You have free will, and if you choose, you can push Me away. But if you do not push Me away, understand that I am going to see this job through. Whatever suffering it may cost you in your earthly life, whatever inconceivable purification it may cost you after death, whatever it costs Me, I will never rest, nor let you rest, until you are literally perfect--until my Father can say without reservation that He is well pleased with you, as He said He was well pleased with me. This I can do and will do. But I will not do anything less."

And yet--this is the other and equally important side of it--this Helper who will, in the long run, be satisfied with nothing less than absolute perfection will also be delighted with the first feeble, stumbling effort you make tomorrow to do the simplest duty. As a great Christian writer (George MacDonald) pointed out, everything father is pleased at the baby's first attempt to walk: no father would be satisfied with anything less than a firm, free manly walk in a grown-up son. In the same way, he said, "God is easy to please, but hard to satisfy."  ~ C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity ~

"If we displease God, does it matter whom we please?
If we please Him does it matter whom we displease?"
~ Leonard Ravenhill ~

"Some people say, "Once you learn to be happy, you won't tolerate being around people who make you feel anything less." My Christ says, "Your job is to get off your self righteous butt and start reaching out to the difficult people because my ministry wasn't about a bunch of nice people getting together once a week to sing hymns and get a feel good message, that you may or may not apply, depending on the depth of your anger for someone. It is about caring for and helping the broken hearted, the difficult, the hurt, the misunderstood, the repulsive, the wicked and the liars. It is about turning the other check when someone hurts you. It is about loving one another and making amends. It is allowing people as many chances as they need because God gives them endless chances. When you do this then you will know me and you will know true happiness and peace. Until then, you will never know who I really am. You will always be just a fan or a Sunday only warrior. You will continue to represent who you are to the world, but not me. I am the God that rescues." ~ Shannon L. Alder ~

"Where, oh, where are the eternity conscious believers?
Where are the souls white-hot for God because they fear His holy name and presence and so live with eternity's values in view?" ~ Leonard Ravenhill ~

"For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?

Or am I trying to please man?

If I were still trying to please man, 

I would not be a servant of Christ."

~ Galatians 1:10 ~ 

Prayer Keeping ~ Missouri woman's family  ~ Donna ~ me ~