John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

So the shepherds are here in this field watching over their flocks at night when the angel of the Lord comes and tells them, "Unto you is born this day. . .a Saviour." What wonderful news! Would you be afraid if an angel came and spoke to you? We have the Bible now, and there is not as much need now for direct revelation from God as there was when there was no written Bible and people had no contact and did not know the will of God about things. But the angel did come again and again. An angel is a messenger of God. Because we do not see them does not mean there are less angels about us now than before. - John R. Rice

So the angel said, "I bring you good tidings of great joy." Now what are these tidings of great joy? I heard the other day about one in an Irish sweepstakes who got a lot of money. He bought a ticket or two; now he is in a gambling business because he got a lot of money. Somebody else inherited a lot of money unexpectedly from an uncle who died. Listen, the money will soon be gone. Money does not make it so you enjoy your food more than I do. You can't sleep any sweeter at night than we do who have not as much. You can't marry a prettier woman. you can't have children who admire you and love you and obey you better because you have money. (Perhaps you will have less respect.) These things don't make for happiness. They can't cure diseases. Money cannot give peace of mind. It cannot relieve guilt over your sins.
Oh, then, what you need is a Saviour! - John R. Rice

Some people so foolishly, and I think wickedly, talk of "limited atonement," meaning limited love, and limited grace, and limited invitation, and a limited Heaven; but they are wrong!
The angel did not say, "I come to call the elite and to call the predestined and to call the elected." No, here is good news which shall be to "all people." Thank God, Jesus died for the sins of this whole world! - John R. Rice

Let me say this. You people won't have any real Christmas unless you have Jesus. If all the Christmas you have is in a bottle, or in a Christmas tree, or in the gathering of the people in your home, or in the turkey and dressing and cranberry sauce and eggnog and pumpkin pie, then you won't have much Christmas- not without Jesus. You can have peace and joy only when you have Him. - John R. Rice

May the joyful message of the angels given at the first Christmas ring in your heart, "...a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord". Shepherds, wise men, the holy family - you may be as happy as any of them, and I pray that you may be, at this glad season. - John R. Rice

The Christmas joy does not depend on the outward trappings of Christmas. You may be lonely, poor, and cold, neglected by children, forgotten by your friends, yet may have the Christmas joy in your heart as Paul had, shut up in prison cells at Rome! Be sure to open your heart and let the dear Lord Jesus make it a happy Christmastime for you. - John R. Rice

It makes me sad that many people do not enjoy Christmas. Some devoted Christians feel sour, cantankerous, and full of objections about Christmas. To them I would say in the words of Scripture, that if you regard the day, regard it unto the Lord. And if you do not regard the day, Christmas, then be sure that you are Christian about it and do it as unto the Lord. But let nobody be judging and criticizing others for honest, worshipful, spiritual, and loving attitudes about Christmas. - John R. Rice