John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

Stonewall Jackson was a devout Christian, greatly loved and respected.
Robert E. Lee was one of the greatest Christian gentlemen that America has ever produced, without a flaw in his character. In his case there was no matter of hate or animosity, but of generous love and daily prayer as he tried to do what seemed to him right. General Lee said, "I have fought against the people of the North because I believe they were trying to wrest from the South dearest rights. But I have never cherished toward them bitter or vindictive feelings, and have never seen the day when I did not pray for them." - John R. Rice

When I was in the army in 1918, I remember how sweet to my soul were the promises of the ninety-first Psalm. I put myself to dwell "under the shadow of the Almighty." I said of the Lord, "He is my Refuge and my Fortress." He covered me with His feathers, and under His wings I trusted and was not afraid. God gave me peace. Then in a strange way, giving me a case of the mumps and sending me to a bas...e hospital, He made me miss the boat to France and I never got overseas. That was not the way I would have chosen. I wanted to go, but God cared for His own. Any Christian who is in the will of God can have sweet peace anywhere and perfect protection. A Christian soldier in the front-line trenches is as safe as he would be at home, if he is in the will of God and trusting. He might die at home, he might die in the battle, but he will not die in either place except it be in God's will, and he can rest assured in that and have sweet peace. - John R. Rice

 

The Bible says, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." So only smart people are going to take God's Word and stand by God's standard. A man is a fool to go against God and think he is smarter than God or that he can ignore what God says. - John R. Rice

 

And now, preachers who do not believe the Bible pretend to lead in spiritual things! Those who deny all the essentials of the historic Christian faith are made bishops and go to the biggest pulpits and are officers of the National Council of Churches! Now those who trample on the blood of Christ and spit on the Bible are called Christians! But people who compromise and have small convictions about the Christian religion cannot be trusted to have much convictions about Americanism. Those who are not enemies of sin and Satan and unbelief will not be much enemies of communism and socialism. The drift of America away from God is primarily a religious problem. - John R. Rice

 

Lawlessness begins in the home. Child delinquency begins in the home. Where children are taught to respect and honor and obey the authority of the father and mother, they do not turn out to be criminals.
In homes where children learn the Ten Commandments, learn the moral code of the Bible, learn to pray and sing gospel songs at a family altar, that home does not produce drunkards, adulterers, profane swearers and infidels! - John R. Rice

 

I believe that the continually enlarged national debts in America are wrong and dangerous. I believe that the creeping socialism should alarm Christian people everywhere. I believe the encroachment of the central government on the rights of the states, and the effort of the President and the Supreme Court to control the schools, to change the law by court interpretation, to dictate to state legisl...atures, ought to attract the attention and challenge the best efforts of Christian Americans to correct these dangers and evils. The continual enlargement of our welfare rolls, the encouragement of people to be free-loaders, to believe that the government and the world owes them a living, is wrong. I believe good Christians ought to teach their children better than that and they ought to teach our politicians better, too. - John R. Rice

 

Talk to me no more of "the river of chilly waters!" You cannot frighten me by speaking of "that grim reaper, Death!" Death is not "the king of terrors" any more. I can say with David, "Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me." And if I die at home or abroad, in poverty or riches, whether famous or infamous, I know that the angels of God will take my spirit at death and carry me straight to Jesus and the Father! I can sing without fear, with the saints of old,

Oh, come angel band,
Come and around me stand.
Oh, bear me away on your snowy wings
To my immortal home.

Praise God for His angels! - John R. Rice