Pictures that make you go "Wha...?"

John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

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 refer 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

In Romans 11:6 says, "And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work." No one has a right to say "saved by grace" and mean baptism or church membership, living right or holding out faithful, etc. Grace is grace, that is, a free gift of God to people who do not deserve it. That is the only way people are saved according to the Bible. But baptismal regeneration teaching dishonors the Bible doctrine of grace. - John R. Rice

"Limited atonement!" I am shocked at the thought of it. What do I mean? You had as well call it limited love! That God only loves a few! Not that He loved the whole world, he loves just some and wants the rest of them to go to Hell, hyper-Calvinism teaches. It teaches that God selects certain people and will not call anybody else to be saved but those few. So limited atonement means limited grace, limited love. That puts a lie to all the sweet invitations in the Bible to sinners. And that is against the Scriptures. First John 2:2 says that "he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world."
- John R. Rice

Someone wrote to me with a lot of tirade, "Spurgeon was a Calvinist." Yes, but not a hyper-Calvinist, for he preached all the time, "Whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." He invited people. he gave public invitations. I have recently published in THE SWORD OF THE LORD a copy from THE SWORD AND TROWEL from Spurgeon's own writing how he said he gave an invitation. Oh, yes, and had revivals and had hundreds of people saved and dealt with them. He was wrong about the Calvinist part but not as far wrong as those who are hyper-Calvinists, for Spurgeon openly preached that God loves every sinner and every sinner who wants to come can be saved. - John R. Rice

Now men are made by God. Does that mean that all men are the children of God? There never was a more foolish statement, and it has been widespread everywhere, that all men are the children of God. All that can mean, to honest men who know the Bible, is that men are creatures of God, are created by God.
You say, "I know that I am a child of God because God created me." Then a cow is the child of God in exactly the same sense you are, for God created the cow, too. If you mean we are creatures of God, that we are the offspring of God, that we are His invention, that He has a patent on us, that He made us, that He owns us--that is right. But you may own an automobile without it being your child. God made men, that is true. But there is not any spiritual sense in which we are the children of God by nature. By nature men are not children of God. - John R. Rice

We had as well face the fact that the whole human race is a race of sinners, a fallen race, a degenerate race. Now let me say a word to my post-millennial friends, my a-millennial friends, all who are trying to correct the world, and trying to make the world a better place in which to live. Now I am for you when you try to put down sin. I am for you in trying to vote out liquor. I will tell you what I would do: I would vote out this socialistic, pro-communistic, this pink, red New Deal administration that has gotten its tentacles on common people, and bribing you with jobs and taking other men's money that they earned and giving it to you, to plow up crops, to keep you from earning money and to buy the votes of you farmers and buy the votes of you who labor. I would vote out this ungodly, heathen, New Deal, socialistic, pro-communistic gang. I am for making the world better.
But you had better face the fact that you are not going to make it all right. This world is doomed! The race of mankind is a wicked, fallen race, alien from God. Oh, what men need is new hearts! The only way we are ever going to fix this world for Jesus Christ is to have Him come in person and clean out the Devil-possessed sinners and take charge. Now this world is a bad world. If you have not found out that, then you are a babe in the woods. - John R. Rice

"He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." If you find anybody who does not believe the Bible, that man is not of God. That is the trouble. - John R. Rice

Sufficient Grace

Thank you for reading my Prophetic Daily Devotionals!   Please visit my website to learn more Bible prophecies being fulfilled in these last days.    II Corinthians 12:9     And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.     For further study - II Corinthians 12:1-10  As we come to our reading today, I am eager to share several thoughts with you about the experiences of the Apostle Paul. These experiences in the life of Paul will give us insight into biblical principles that  we each can appropriate for ourselves.   Let me remind you that Paul was a brilliant man. Some scholars have said he was one of the five greatest minds that ever lived. His writings are masterpieces of literature, from a worldly perspective.   Paul tells us that in order for him to not be exalted above measure, above what he should be, he was given, by God, a "thorn in the flesh", verse 7. We don't know exactly what the "thorn" was except that it was something physical, a physical ailment of some type.   Verse 8 tells us that Paul went to the Lord in prayer to request the removal of the "thorn." It is with this backdrop of weakness that God's divine power is displayed. Just think of the awesome statement from God to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."   Even as I wrote God's statement I had to pause to think about it. This philosophy is opposite to what the world, even some elements of the Church, believe is for today. We are told all you do is pray and God will heal you. That was not the case with Paul. God's plan for Paul was to make manifest in his life the power and strength of God in his weakness, his physical ailment.   Notice in verse 10 that Paul says he took pleasure in his infirmities because it was for the "sake of Christ" that this was happening to him. In weakness Paul knew he was made strong. This is such a blessing to each of us as we face everyday with our own weakness. His grace is, indeed, sufficient.   But now look again at the beginning of our reading for today, verses 2-4. Paul writes that he knew a man who about 14 years earlier was caught up into heaven, the "third heaven". Let me explain the three heavens.   The "first heaven" is where the sun and the clouds are located. The "second heaven" is where the stars and galaxies are located. The "third heaven" is where God and Jesus are today. You see the first heaven "by day", the second heaven "by night" and the third heaven "by faith".   Paul spoke of himself as "a man in Christ" and not as one of great worthiness or as one who had achieved spiritual excellence. Paul was "caught up" into the third heaven in the will and plan of God. By the way, the phrase used here "caught up" is the same phrase describing the "Rapture" in I Thessalonians 4:17.  Paul experienced the "Rapture," the event that he had explained to the people in Thessalonica. Remember Paul's last words in II Timothy 4:8, he was looking forward to a "crown of righteousness" as he eagerly looked for Jesus to Rapture the Church into heaven.   He had the experience of the Rapture and wanted to go to heaven in that way, instead of by death. I want that also, don't you?   PRAYER THOT: Lord, help me to understand Your strength through my weakness and also eagerly await Your call for me to join You in heaven.     Visit our website at http:/www.prophecytoday.com

The material in this post was provided by the highly recommended Shofar Communications | PO Box 2510 | Chattanooga | TN | 37409

FAINT NOT

LUKE 18:1

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. WHAT CAUSES FAINTING?

 

1. Sin [Is. 1:1-5ff, Lam. 5:15-17]

 

2. Judgment [Lam. 5:17-18, Is. 13:1-9ff, Ez. 21:1-7]

 

3. Chastening Without Acceptance [Heb. 12:5-12ff]

 

II. WHY WE SHOULD NOT FAINT

 

1. The Presence of God [Dt. 20:1-4]

 

2. The Purpose of God [2 Cor. 3:17-4:2ff] we have a ministry to beworking at

 

3. The Promise of God [Gal. 6:6-10]

 

III. WHAT SHOULD YOU DO WHEN YOU ARE TEMPTED TO FAINT?

 

1. Wait on the Lord [Is. 40:28-31] don’t resign… re sign!

 

2. Pray to the Lord [Luke 18:1ff]

 

3. Know the Book & its Author [2 Cor. 4:13-18, Heb. 12:3, 2 Peter 3:18]

Quotes of the Week

I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else. - C.S. Lewis


There is a brotherhood within the body of believers, and the Lord Jesus Christ is the common denominator. - Dr. J. Vernon McGee


The more we read and study the Word, the more we will learn, we will love, and we will live. Joy fills and floods the soul. - J. Vernon McGee


We [have] forgotten that a leather-bound Bible needs some shoe leather to go with it. - J. Vernon McGee


The anger of man is contrary to the will and work of God. - J. Vernon McGee


If you can be satisfied with sin, you need to examine yourself to see whether or not you are in the faith. - J. Vernon McGee


We rationalize sin. We rationalize our bad tempers, our gossip, and even gross immorality; but the Bible calls them sins. - J. Vernon McGee


No ifs, ands, or buts about it—God intends to judge sin. Maybe you don’t like it, but that is what He says: He intends to judge sin. - J. Vernon McGee

GOD LEAVES NO LOOSE ENDS [Part 2]

JEREMIAH 48 – MOAB

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. MOAB CONFOUNDED [v. 1-14]

 

1. A Marred history [v. 1]

 

2. A Massive horror [v. 2-9]

 

3. A Mistaken Hope [v. 10-14]

 

II. MOAB’S CALAMITY [v. 15-27]

 

1. The Spoiling of Moab [v. 15-20]

 

2. The Sentence of Moab [v. 21-25]

 

3. The Sin of Moab [v. 26-27]

 

III. MOAB’S CORNER [v. 27-47]

 

1. The Help of Moab [v. 27-28, 47; Is. 16:1-5; Mt. 24:15-16]

 

2. The Howl for Moab [v. 29-39; Ezek. 18:23, 32, 33:11]

 

3. The Heat on Moab [v. 40-46, Num. 21:28, 24:17]

THE POWER OF “NOT”

JOHN 14:18-29

 

Pastor Rick Jackson

 

I. FRET NOT – HE LOVES YOU

 

1. He Wants You [Isaiah 53:6, Acts 17:30, 2 Peter 3:9 – the example of Zaccheus, Saul, Judas]

 

2. He Died for You [Is. 53:6, 1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:14-15]

 

3. He Lives For You [John 14:19, Hebrews 7:25]

 

II. FAINT NOT – HE HOLDS YOU [Ps. 139]

 

1. He Knows Who You Are [v. 1-6, John 10:27]

 

2. He Knows Where You Are [v. 7-12, Job 23:10]

 

3. He Holds You [v. 10, Jn. 6:37-40, 17:11]

 

III. FEAR NOT – HE KEEPS YOU [Ps. 121]

 

1. He Will Help You [v. 1-2, Psalm 10:14, 30:10, 54:4, Hebrews 13:6]

 

2. He Will Keep You [v. 3-6, 1 Pet. 1:3-5]

 

3. He Will Preserve You [v. 7-8, 2 Tm. 4:18] shamar- to hedge about (as with thorns)

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Should Christians Go Green?

Question and answer provided by the good folks at AIG

Should Christians Go Green? What is our responsibility to the earth and to its inhabitants? Bible-believing Christians are often falsely accused of being anti-earth because we believe that God gave mankind dominion over the earth as stated in Genesis 1 and implied again in Genesis 9 after the Flood. What does this dominion mandate really equate to?   Get Answers →   Get Equipped The Ecology Book Purchase Now 〉

Wasn't the Bible Written by Mere Men? The real issue is whether God had any involvement in the authorship of the Bible. To claim the Bible was written by mere men, one must be transcendent. Study Says Universe Had No Beginning? A study suggests the universe had neither a beginning nor a big bang, but if the universe is eternal, then there is no need of God. Answering the Skeptics—Mega Conference Plan to join us this June to be refreshed and get equipped to defend your faith and answer the skeptical questions of the age. Inside Where It Is Warm With over four inches of snow on the ground and temperatures plunging below zero, construction on the Ark may have slowed down on the outside, but work continues at the design studio.

Media The Six Days of Creation A Young Earth Is Not the Issue

Events

Copyright (C) 2015 Answers In Genesis All rights reserved.

Answers In Genesis · 2800 Bullittsburg Church Rd. · Petersburg, KY 41080 · USA

Please visit our help area.