John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Back when my six daughters were at home, I told them again and again, "If you forget everything else, remember this, that your dad said: if there ever comes a time of trouble or heartbreak or when you don't know what to do, call on the Lord." God hears prayer. He hears those in trouble. He hears the orphan. He hears the widow. He hears the oppressed. He hears the poor, the lame and the blind. - John R. Rice

The hippie rebellion is a foolish and wicked thing, but it only goes to show that money and education and the affluent society, which has raised young people without much work and without much supervision or discipline, does not satisfy the poor heart that relies upon it. A man is bound by a thirst for drink and cannot get away. There are alcoholics, nine million of them [printed in 1972-ed.], in America, and others go fast on that road! Many another man is bound by lust until he cannot be pure if he would, and he does not have the manhood to keep marriage vows nor the strength in himself to be clean. Some are even mastered by the little cigarette, while others are enslaved by fear of man, by the opinions of their companions. Yes, the lepers are right--there is famine in the city! And all the weary and heavy laden better come to Jesus and find the rest this world can never give. John R. Rice

Dr. H. A. Ironside told how when his sons were little, he once put on a great fur coat and played bear with his five-year-old-boy. Down on all fours he galloped after the child from room to room. The little fellow screamed, half in delight, half in fear. Dr. Ironside told how he hemmed the little fellow up in a corner in the kitchen, and to the five-year-old, the snarling bear seemed very real. Then he screamed and fell into his father's arms and said, "You are not any old bear! You are my daddy! You wouldn't eat me up! You love me and you wouldn't hurt me!"
And the dear, saintly preacher told how, when he was a young fellow, he had felt that God was on his trail with avenging angels and the sword of judgment. He felt himself a sinner and that an angry God was ready to hew him down and send him to Hell. But when he fell into God's arms, he found that God loved him and that He was not his enemy but the best Friend, the best Lover he ever had. The enemy he feared was not there. - John R. Rice

Rome has perverted the Bible meaning of the word "church". And there is a general idea that Catholics and Protestants and various cults all make up parts of the church, referring to a worldly organization. The term is never so used in the Bible. The word "church" never means a denomination nor a group of denominations. As for that mystical body of Christ caught out at the rapture, including all the saved, it is not made up of human organizations, but of individual souls who have trusted Christ. That body of Christ has no organized entity, and has no discernible history in human affairs. - John R. Rice

We must say, then, that when Jesus said, "...upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," He was not speaking of local congregations. The gates of Hell do prevail against a church when it loses its soul-winning passion and concern. So this church at Ephesus passed out of existence, as did all other churches of the New Testament. The local church is not immortal. As Dr. B. H. Carroll said, "Churches are time organizations, not eternal organizations." That church which is the body of Christ is eternal, but local congregations of Christians are not. And every local congregation has a solemn warning that unless they come back to soul-winning zeal and joy, the Lord is likely to remove the church itself, the candlestick. - John R. Rice

There are Christians with whom we differ. But I must love born-again Christians who believe the Bible, who love the dear Lord Jesus, my Lord Jesus! - John R. Rice

Ah, men of God, neither wicked men not governments nor circumstances, can shut doors that Christ opens for us, not open doors that Christ closes. Rome could not stop the ministry of Martin Luther. The Church of England could not shut up the ministry of John Wesley. And many a believing Christian has found it so. - John R. Rice