John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Now we have a good God who remembers. Aren't you glad that God hears the sigh of every sick person? I read a very sweet promise over in Psalms that He hears the sigh of the prisoner, somebody behind bars. You say, "But he is a criminal." Yes, and I believe in punishing criminals. I believe in the death penalty for murder. I believe we ought to be strict in law enforcement. But yet God hears the sigh of the criminal behind bars. Aren't you glad God loves people who don't deserve it? He wouldn't love us if He didn't love those kind, if He didn't love people who don't deserve it. And so He hears the sigh of the prisoner. - John R. Rice

The truth is, God's people do have some trouble. The Scripture says, "In this world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).
The Lord said about Adam, when he put the curse on the ground, "...cursed is the ground for thy sake (Gen. 3:17)- not because I hate you, but because you need it." Trouble is of God. "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Heb. 12:11). So God means good when He allows trouble to come. - John R. Rice

Do you think that everyone who hardens his heart will die suddenly? Not necessarily everyone. Pharaoh did. Does it mean that everyone who hardens his heart will come to an awful tragic end? I don't know. Judas did. But sooner or later you will find the heart that has grown hardened in sin, is now beyond your control. You have hardened yourself against God. It isn't that God doesn't love you. It is that you do not love God. It isn't that God couldn't forgive you. You have passed the point of no return and your heart is so set you will not come. So sinners reach their judgment because a merciful God has withdrawn His offer of mercy so long and finally refused. - John R. Rice

For all of us death is coming. Ah, death is coming. It comes to old and to young. Luke, the 16th chapter, said there was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen, and he died. And Lazarus, a poor beggar out at the gate, died too. Both died- the rich man and the poor man. A man who is old dies; and a young person dies. "It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment," says Hebrews 9:27. So everybody had better prepare to die. You say, "I'm not afraid." That doesn't change the matter a particle. You will die afraid or unafraid. You are going to meet God. Oh, and if you are not ready to meet God, you ought to be afraid. - John R. Rice

We talk a lot about the love of God, and that is well and good. But you better remember that love and mercy are on one side and judgment and punishment on the other. It is true that God is love. It is also true that "our God is a consuming fire." The Bible says, "He that believeth on Him is not condemned," but the rest of the verse says, "But he that believeth not is condemned already." And John 3:36 says, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life." That is wonderful! I have it! But wait! The rest of the same verse says "..and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on Him." Oh, the heat of God's anger looks on rebellious sinners who do not turn! And so there comes at last judgment. - John R. Rice

Is baptism essential to salvation? So some people teach. They do not intend to pervert, but they do. They misunderstand the Scriptures. But however honest one is, the Bible teaches clearly that baptism is not essential to salvation.
I believe in baptism by immersion of people who are already saved and as a public profession of faith. But the Bible clearly teaches baptism is not essential for salvation. - John R. Rice

You say, "Don't you think baptism is important?" Yes, but not as important as the blood of Christ, which is all the pay it takes for salvation. Everything right is important as far as pleasing God is concerned. But as far as getting saved, the Lord does that free when you put your trust in Him. - John R. Rice

But somebody says, "Acts 2:38 says, 'Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.'" They are asking, "What must we do? We want what you people have here." All right, get saved, Repent and you will get saved, and then be baptized for the remission of sins. The word "for" is a translation of a little Greek preposition "eis". It is an indefinite preposition of reference. It may re...fer to "for, at, about, unto, into, toward," etc. It is an indefinite preposition of reference, so baptism refers to the remission of sins the believer has had. The Scripture says, "Repent, and be baptized," referring to the remission of your sins or illustrating the remission of sins. It is pointing to that, referring to that.
Even the word "for" does not mean "in order to" a lot of times. As it does not here. You praise a man "for" bravery. That is not to get him brave. It is because he is already brave. So you baptize people, not to get them saved, but referring to the fact that they are already saved. You praise a woman "for" her beauty. That does not make her beautiful. It is because she is already beautiful. You pay a man "for" his labor. That does not mean in order to get him to labor. He has already labored and earned it. So baptism is an evidence, and you are baptized because your sins are remitted or looking toward or referring to that. - John R. Rice

The Faithful Lord

this post provided by the very highly recommended ICR

The Faithful Lord     "But the Lord is faithful, who shall stablish you, and keep you from evil." (2 Thessalonians 3:3)   The Lord Jesus Christ has many wonderful attributes, not the least of which is His faithfulness. That is, He is believable and trustworthy, sure to do all He promises. He will keep us from the evil one and from being overcome by evil in our lives, as promised in our text. Also, "God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted |that is, 'tested'| above that ye are able" (1 Corinthians 10:13). Why does He care for us so?   In the first place, He is our Creator, and has a distinct purpose and will for our lives. Therefore all who are His can safely "commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator" (1 Peter 4:19). He will keep us to the end; Paul said, "I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ." Then follows his confident assurance: "Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it" (1 Thessalonians 5:23-24).   Even when we yield to the temptations along the way, and fall into sin, He promises: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9), because He has paid the penalty for all our sins, and He is "a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people" (Hebrews 2:17).   With such a faithful Savior and Lord, we surely ought to trust Him fully. In spite of this, we often doubt Him and His Word, but even this does not change His love toward us. "If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself" (2 Timothy 2:13). Indeed, "God is faithful, by whom ye were called" (1 Corinthians 1:9), for His very name is "called Faithful and True" (Revelation 19:11). HMM   Print this article | More Days of Praise articles     Institute for Creation Research | 1806 Royal Lane | Dallas | TX | 75229

“The Chill Out Psalm”

FRET NOT

 

PSALM 37

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. FRET NOT BECAUSE OF EVIL DOERS [v. 1-6]

 

1. Trust in the LORD [v. 1-3] “dwell” with Him, not the wicked

 

2. Delight in the LORD [v. 4] “desire” what He desires for you [1 Peter 2:2]

 

3. Commit thy Way to the LORD [v. 5-6] “depend” on Him to work it out [Rm. 8:28]

 

II. FRET NOT BECAUSE OF OTHERS [v. 7]

 

1. Rest in the Lord  [to be dumb; by implication, to be astonished, to stop; also to perish:--cease, be cut down (off), forbear, hold peace, quiet self, rest, be silent, keep (put to) silence, be (stand) still, tarry, wait.

 

2. Wait on the Lord [tremble, trust, wait carefully (patiently), be wounded]

 

3. Hope in His Word [Psalm 130:5]

 

III. FRET NOT BECAUSE YOU MIGHT SIN [v. 8]

 

1. The Lord Knows the End of the Wicked [v. 8-17]

 

2. The Lord Knows the End of the Righteous [v. 17-28]

 

3. The Lord Knows the Way [v. 29-40]

QUOTES OF THE WEEK

That's my personal convictions and stand. I believe they're Biblical. If you disagree with that you've got just as much right to be wrong as I have to be right. - Pastor Larry Brown

Your greatest need and first need, and until that is satisfied nothing else matters, is to get that new name- the name "Christian." I will never forget the night I got mine. 7 years old. Revival meeting in a little country church south of Birmingham, Alabama where I was raised. That night when the Spirit of God nailed me to my seat and that night on my face in front of the audience I opened my heart to the Saviour and He gave me that night, the name, "Christian." And I'm so thankful to God for the time He said, "On the roll, Fred Brown, now a child of God." - Evangelist Fred Brown [June 30, 1975, Sword Family Conference]

If you will dedicate yourself to God's Holiness He will dedicate Himself to your happiness. - note I came across in my mother's handwriting in one of her reading Bibles.

A chip on the shoulder indicates wood higher up. - unknown

If any man thinks ill of you do not be angry with him; for you are worse than he thinks you to be.  - Charles Spurgeon

You and I make appointments and miss them by half-an-hour. But God has never missed an appointment yet. - Charles Spurgeon

The storehouse of God’s Word was never meant for mere scrutiny, not even primarily for study, but for sustenance. - Vance Havner

 

There's a delusion going around today, even in evangelical and fundamental circles sometimes, that we must be entertained at church. Christianity has come all the way from an experience to a performance. - Havner

GOD LEAVES NO LOOSE ENDS

JEREMIAH 45-47

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. THE FATE OF BARUCH [Jeremiah 45] note the time difference

 

1. Baruch’s Exclamation [v. 1-3]

 

2. Baruch’s Explanation [v. 4]

 

3. Baruch’s Expectation [v. 5]

 

II. THE FATE OF EGYPT [Jeremiah 46]

 

1. The Pride of Egypt [v. 1-10] Egypt wanted to “Bring It”

 

2. The Power of God [v. 11-25] God tells them there is not enough medicine in the world…

 

3. The Plan of God [v. 26, Is. 19:19-25 note Assyria is modern day Iraq]

 

III. THE FATE OF THE PHILISTINES [Jeremiah 47]

 

1. The “Flood” [v. 1-5]

 

2. The Question [v. 6]

 

3. The Answer [v. 7]

JEHOSHAPHAT’S VALENTINE

2 CHRONICLES                                  

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. HE HAD A HEART FOR GOD & THE THINGS OF GOD [2 CHRONICLES 17:1-5]

 

1. He Removed the Wrong [v. 6]

 

2. He Spread the Word [v. 7-9]

 

3. He Sought God’s Help [18:1-7, 29-31]

 

II. HE PREPARED HIS HEART [12:14, 19:3, 30:19]

 

1. He Received Rebuke [2 Chr. 19:1-3]

 

2. He Brought People Back to God [2 Chr. 19:4]

 

3. He Encouraged Officials to be Men of God [2 Chr. 19:5-11]

 

III. HE ILLUSTRATES OUR SITUATION

 

1. He Made Some Major Mistakes [18:1-3, 29; 19:2; 20:35-37; 21:1, 6]

 

2. God Knows Our Hearts [1:11; 6:7-8, 30]

 

3. God Wants All of Our Hearts [6:38; 15:12-15; 16:9, Deuteronomy 4:29, 6:5; Mk. 12:28-30]

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: What is the Abomination of Desolation?

the question today is provided by the very reliable:

Thank you for reading my Prophetic Daily Devotionals!   Please visit my website to learn more Bible prophecies being fulfilled in these last days.    Mark 13:14     But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judaea flee to the mountains:   For further study - Mark 13:14-23   The portion of scripture selected for our devotional today is from the Olivet Discourse, the message that Jesus gave on Monday afternoon of "Passion Week", the week of our Lords crucifixion.   In response to a question from His disciples, Jesus was explaining what will happen during the seven year Tribulation Period that leads up to the Second Coming of our Lord.   The disciples had asked the Lord for some "signs" of His Second Coming, His return to the earth to set up His kingdom, Mark 13:4.   Remember these are Jews asking for "signs" of the Second Coming. I Corinthians 1:22 reveals that God will give the Jews "signs"; however, "signs" are not for Christians.   We're not looking for "signs", we are listening for a "sound", the sound of the trumpet, the Lord's shout and the voice of the archangel, I Thessalonians 4:16, and we go to the heavenlies to ever be with the Lord.   By the way, there is not one prophecy that must be fulfilled before the Rapture. All prophecies yet to be fulfilled come after the Rapture.   Now back to the "signs" for the Jews, Jesus told them, verse 14, when you see the "abomination of desolation" spoken of by the prophet Daniel, Daniel 9:27, they were to flee to the mountains.   The "abomination of desolation" is when the Anti-christ walks into the Temple, into the "holy of holies" and claims to be God, II Thessalonians 2:4. That is when the Temple is desecrated. That happens at the mid-way point of the Tribulation Period, some three and one half years after the Rapture.   This then means that there must be a temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem in the first part of the Tribulation Period. All preparations have been made for a temple to be erected and go into full operation, today.   For the first time in history, all that needs to be done to fulfill the Lord's prophecy is in place. The Lord also gave additional information to describe when this all would happen, verse 22, when false teachers and false prophets were actively using signs, wonders and miracles to deceive and seduce the world.   This passage of scripture describes our day, today, which seems to indicate that we are so close to the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. Only one thing has to happen before all of these prophecies will be fulfilled, the Rapture of the Church, which could happen at any moment.     Prayer Thot: Perhaps today will be the day, Jesus, that You shout for us to join You in the heavenlies. Even so come, Lord Jesus, and help me to live in that expectancy.     Visit our website at http:/www.prophecytoday.com

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JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

Many a life of sin and shame is simply the outgrowth of a life without any discipline, without rebuke and without reproof. The child who was not punished for sin at home will naturally feel that he can get by with sin. And the same child will grow into a man without self-control, without a fear of sin, without a conscience well-developed. Proverbs 29:15 says that, "The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." Do you leave your child to himself? Do you let him have his own way? Then, mother, you might as well get ready to be brought to shame by the same boy or girl that you now refuse to punish! - John R. Rice

Hear me! If you begin the road of sin you will come out at a destination you never expected! I have talked with many a criminal. I say "criminals," but actually they were ordinary people, very little different from you and me. And again and again the man or woman who was an embezzler, or a murderer, has said to me, "Whatever possessed me to commit such a sin! I never dreamed I would do a thing like that!" You see, the harlot never intended to become a harlot when she first we...nt to the dance or when she allowed promiscuous necking and petting. You see, the man never intended to be a whoremonger when he looked at a woman to lust after her. you see, a murderer never intended to be a murderer when he first allowed hate to find lodgment in his heart. Sin may have small beginnings but it has fearful endings! Lust may seem a long way from murder but in James 1:15 we are told: "Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death." - John R. Rice

One sin leads to another. And I will tell you now, that there is only one remedy that can stop the growing floodtide of sin when it starts in the heart. There is only one way that one may break the chords that are beginning to bind and enslave a man or woman in sin. And that one remedy is confession to God, in honest repentance. As long as one covers his sin and tries to hide it, he will go further in sin. As long as one excuses his sin and has an alibi for it, and hugs the sin to his bosom, he will commit more sin and go on in his enslavement. But, thank God, when a man turns to god in honest, heartbroken confession and admits his sin and comes for the mercy that is promised to the penitent sinner, then the enchantment that ensnares him is broken. The enslaving passion is cleansed. -  John R. Rice

I studied most carefully the career of one great criminal in Texas who for murders and every kind of crime was finally assessed total penalties of some four hundred years in the penitentiary before he was at last given the death penalty for another murder. Do you know how he started? He started by first stealing chickens, and then stealing tires and batteries off cars! Hardly anybody believes that stealing watermelons or chickens is the way to murder and the electric chair. B...ut it is! And hardly any Christian will believe that promiscuous necking and the dance and nude pictures are the way to adultery and murder. But they are! Oh, sin, unconfessed sin, sin that is hidden in the heart, sin that is appeased and temporized with- such sin leads to utter ruin. So it did even with the godly man David, the anointed king, the Spirit-filled prophet. And so it will with you, whoever you be, who temporize with sin, coddle it, do not confess it, and forsake it. - John R. Rice

It is not always God's will to heal, and so God does not always give faith. Sometimes there is sin in the life and God will give no faith until the sin is confessed and forsaken. But in many cases there is no unconfessed sin that hinders, yet it is simply not God's will to heal the sick. We must face the simple and blessed truth that ofttimes God has something far better than healing. It is better to be sick in the will of God than to be well out of the will of God. It is better to glorify God in trouble than never have trouble. It is better even for a Christian to die and go to Heaven and be with the Lord than to remain on earth well and strong. - John R. Rice

It ought to be obvious to any spiritually minded Christian that to follow self is not to follow God and that if a Christian has his own way, God cannot have His way. - John R. Rice

Moses said, "Lord, I am an old man and don't talk well. I can't make speeches." He was very bold forty years ago, but I guess now that he lost his patience and faith, he thinks it is too late. God is not too late. God doesn't get there too late. God's train comes in on time. And Moses, you can trust it. God will have a way. - John R. Rice

 

FACTS OF FAITH

Pastor Rick Jackson [inspired by Pastor David McCoy’s message “Rules of Faith”]

 

I. FAITH IS LOGICAL [Acts 17:2, 18:4, 19, 24:25; Rm. 12:1]

 

1. It is Logical to Believe Creation Requires a Creator [Rm. 1:18-22]

 

2. It is Logical to Believe a God that Cannot Lie [Titus 1:2, Is. 1:18, 1 Peter 3:15]

 

3. It is Logical to believe a Book Inspired by a God that Cannot Lie [Hebrews 5:14, 2 Tm. 3:15-17]

 

II. FAITH IS NOT COMFORTABLE [Heb. 11:13, 25, 35-40]

 

1.  It is Not Comfortable to Fight the Flesh [James 4:1-3]

 

2. It is Not Comfortable to Fight the World [James 4:4-6]

 

3. It is Not Comfortable to Fight the Devil [James 4:7-10]

 

No, it is not comfortable, but, it is right.

 

III. FAITH IS NOT NEGOTIABLE [Heb. 11:6]

 

1. Salvation is by Faith – period! [Rm. 11:6, Galatians 2:16]

 

“We believe that salvation is by grace. Plus nothing and minus nothing. The conditions to salvation are repentance and faith.”

 

2. Sanctification is by Faith [Jn. 17:17, Ephesians 5:26, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, Titus 2:11-15]

 

3. (Acceptable) Service is by Faith [Deuteronomy 10:12, Joshua 24:14-15, Eph. 6:5-9, Col. 3:23-24, Rm. 12:1]

HOW CAN WE KEEP RUNNING?

Evangelist Matt Downs

[preached at Bradford Baptist Church on Jan. 30, 2015 - the church's 30th Anniversary]

Heb. 12:1-3

How can we keep running?

I. Take a Look at Our Examples [Heb. 11]

1. They were all saved [v. 4]

2. They pleased God [v. 5-6]

3. They worked hard [v. 7]

4. They were obedient [v. 8]

II. Take a Look at Ourselves [12:1]

Lay aside the weights- might be the internet, sports, friends, etc.

Lay aside the sins- bitterness, pride, selfishness, attitudes, etc.

III. Take a Look at Jesus Christ [12:2-3]

Quotes of the Week

Do not pray for tasks equal to your powers. Pray for powers equal to your tasks. -  Phillips Brooks

God sovereignly decreed that man should be free to exercise moral choice, and man from the beginning has fulfilled that decree by making his choice between good and evil. Man's will is free because God is sovereign. A God less sovereign could not bestow moral freedom upon His creatures. He would be afraid to do so. -  A.W. Tozer

The voice of God is a friendly voice. No one need fear to listen to it unless he has already made up his mind to resist it. -  Tozer

The gospel comes to the sinner at once, with nothing short of complete forgiveness; as the starting-point of all his efforts to be holy. It does not say, "Go and sin no more, and I will not condemn thee." It says at once, "Neither do I condemn thee, Go and sin no more." -  Horatius Bonar

There is no worse screen to block out the Spirit than confidence in our own intelligence. -  John Calvin

Faith is the acknowledgment of the entire absence of all goodness in us, and the recognition of the cross as the substitute for all the want on our part. The whole work is His, not ours, from first to last. -  Horatius Bonar

We are told to let our light shine, and if it does, we don't need to tell anybody it does. Lighthouses don't fire cannons to call attention to their shining - they just shine. -  DL Moody

God is like the sun. You cannot look at it, but without it, you can't look at anything else.  -  GK Chesterton

Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite. -  Charles Spurgeon

JEREMIAH 44

LAST CALL FOR JUDAH                                                                                                                  

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR SENSES? [v. 1-6]

 

1. You Have Seen It! [v. 1-2]

 

2. You Have Heard It! [v. 3, 2:4, 6:10, 7:2, 9:20, 10:1, 17:20, 19:3, 21:11, 22:2, 29; 28:7, 29:20, 31:10, 34:4, 42:15, 44:24, 26 – i.e., over 15 times in the book of Jeremiah alone]

 

3. You Will Feel It! [v. 4-6]

 

II. HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? [v. 7-14]

 

1. Why Provoke God? [v. 7-8, Dt. 4:23-29, Matthew 4:7]

 

2. Why Forget Something So Important? [v. 9-10, Ex. 13:3]

 

3. You Will Not Escape! [v. 11-14, Num. 32:23, Gal. 6:7]

 

III. WILL YOU LOSE YOUR SOUL? [v. 15-30, Matthew 16:26]

 

1. Serious Rebellion [v. 15-17, Ps. 2]

 

2. Silly Reasoning [v. 17-19, Proverbs 14:12, 16:25]

 

3. Sure Result [v. 20-30, Psalm 9:17, 2 Peter 3:3-12]

ABRAM’S ALTAR

GENESIS 12:1-8

 

Inspired by  a Lehman Strauss message and/adapted by Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. ABRAM PITCHED HIS TENT SHOWING HIS DETACHMENT FROM THE WORLD [v. 8]

 

1. He Sojourned as a Stranger [Heb. 11:9]

 

2. He Sought as a Citizen [Heb. 11:10]

 

3. He Stands as a Symbol [11:13-16, 12:22-29, 13:12-17]

 

II. ABRAM BUILT AN ALTAR SHOWING HIS DEVOTION TO GOD [v. 8]

 

1. A Family Altar Can Alter Your Family [18:19, 26:24-25]

 

2. A Daily Altar Can Alter Your Day [13:4] Abram’s lack of a daily altar got him in trouble

 

3. A Personal Altar Can Alter Your Person [12:7, 8, 13:18, 22:9]

 

III. ABRAM CALLED UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHOWING HIS DEPENDENCE ON THE LORD [v. 8]

 

1. For Salvation [Gal. 3:6-14, 29]

 

2. For Supplication [Heb. 7]

 

3. For Sanctification [12:8, 13:4, Psalm 55:17, Daniel 6:10]

Question of the Week: Unicorns in the Bible: Fantasy Animal or Historical Creature?

from the good folks at the highly recommended AiG

Unicorns in the Bible Some people claim the Bible is a book of fairy tales because it mentions unicorns. However, the biblical unicorn was a real animal, not an imaginary creature.   Find Out More →   Get Equipped Guide to Dinosaurs Purchase Now 〉

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