“Custom is the nurse of sin. Every fresh act of sin lessens fear remorse, hardens our hearts, blunts the edge of our conscience, and increases our evil inclination” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 11).

“He [Devil] will paint, cover with gold, and dress up sin, in order to make you fall in love with it. He will deform, misrepresent, and fabricate true Christianity, in order to make you take a dislike to it. He will exalt the pleasures of wickedness–but he will hide from you the sting. He will lift up before your eyes the cross and its painfulness–but will keep you out of sight the eternal crown. He will promise you everything, as he did to Christ, if you will only serve Him. He will even help you to wear a form of Christianity, if you will only neglect the power. He will tell you at the beginning of your lives, it is too soon to serve God–he will tell you at the end, it is too late. Oh, do not be deceived!!” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 13).

“Habits have deep roots. Once sin is allowed to settle in your heart, it will not be turned out at your bidding. Custom becomes second nature, and its chains are not easily broken” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 10).

Thom S. Rainer reflects on current trending for how Christians are thinking about church-buildings.

“The Bible is very plain about how godliness does come. Paul wrote about godliness to Timothy. In his first letter to that budding young minister, he said, in contrast to all the ways that will fail (mentioned in the first part of the verse), “Timothy, you must discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (I Timothy 4:7). Discipline is the secret of godliness” (Jay E. Adams, Godliness Through Discipline, 2).

“Get close to God’s covenant people. Get to know your neighbors, and those with whom you transact business. Be a neighbor, as Christ has commanded. Get out of the rat race. Find a sense of place, and when you have, you will know that you must never leave. . . . Put your heart where your home is, and you will never be sorry” (R.C. Sproul Jr., Eternity in Our Hearts: Essays on the Good Life, 30).

“Young men, do not be deceived. Don’t think you can, at will, serve lusts and pleasures in your beginning and then go and serve God with ease at your latter end. Don’t think you can live with Esau, and then die with Jacob. It is a mockery to deal with God and your souls in such a fashion” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 9).

“What young men will be in all probability depends on what they are now, and they seem to forget this” (J.C. Ryle, Thoughts for Young Men, 8).

“I shelter my children. I would sooner have my children left out in a tornado than placed in the hands of a professional priest of the religion of the state, a government school teacher” (R.C. Sproul Jr., Eternity in Our Hearts: Essays on the Good Life, 23).

And government school teachers are professional priests of the religion of the state; fifty years ago this book demonstrated that function of American Education.

1 Corinthians 15:20,  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.

Some day I’ll die. How glorious will it be?–beholding the face of God and waiting for the full redemption of my body? And how much more glorious will it be at the last day when soul is united again to resurrected self-same body? How do I begin preparing now for such glorious things?