Then Dr. Roberson said to the man, "If the situation is as bad as that, why move away from Chattanooga? You have a good job here; your children are in this church and are serving God. Why move away?"
"Because I can get $20.00 more a week on the new job," the man said. He was willing to jeopardize his Christian testimony and the Christian lives and influence and happiness of his children for $20.00 more a week! - John R. Rice
All must agree that Jesus demanded public profession of faith of those who trust Him for salvation. "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life," says John 3:36, and many other Scriptures make it clear that people are saved on simple penitent faith in the heart. Public confession does not save. But it should certainly follow salvation immediately. And often the assurance of salvation depends on public confession. Besides, a public invitation to accept Christ and claim Him openly actually gets more people to decide for Christ. The act of the will in coming out openly clarifies the issues. Action of the body in publicly standing or going forward is a logical and easily understood counterpart of the action of the will which turns from sin to surrender to Christ and to accept Him as Saviour. - John R. Rice
Now let me say frankly that I do not believe God ever intended miracles to be a plaything. I do not believe that even in Bible times they were customary. I do not believe that Peter went out before breakfast every morning and worked a few miracles. Peter raised only Dorcas from the dead. Paul raised only a young man at Troas. And there were no more raisings from the dead. We know that at the words of Peter, Ananias and Sapphira died. We do not know any others did. We know that at the word of Paul, Elymas the sorcerer was struck blind. We do not read that he exercised such power anywhere else. I do not believe that normally Christians need or should expect a grand profusion of spectacular miracles. - John R. Rice
I do not believe it is always God's will to heal the sick. God wants some people to die and go to Heaven. God wants some people to lie on their backs until the good work of chastisement brings the peaceable fruit of righteousness. And God wants some saints to suffer and praise God and show how sweet it is to trust in Jesus in poverty and pain and obscurity. And yet it is still true that God usually wants to heal the sick, whether by natural means or supernatural. - John R. Rice
Mark 16:17 and 18 is saying no more than Jesus plainly said in Mark 11:22 and 23. It says no more than John 15:7, "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." Furthermore, the promise is no greater than the fulfillment in the times of the apostles. What is promised in Mark 16:17 was fulfilled in the book of Acts. So I think we have good reason to count this passage in Mark authentic, the very Word of God. And it promises miraculous power to those who have faith for such power. - John R. Rice
In Dallas, a construction foreman was saved. He set out to be a good Christian. But he came to tell me, in real distress, that he was having trouble quitting the cigarette habit. "I can do all right, Brother Rice, if I see you every day," he said, "but when I do not see you every day, I soon get such a hunger for cigarettes, and I can hardly keep away from the habit. What shall I do?"
I told him that if he could live an hour with cigarettes, then he should go hourly and pray and commit himself to the Lord afresh, confess his weakness and ask for help.
He said, "I'll do it! I'm the foreman. I can do as I please. There is a tool house on the job. Every hour on the clock I'll go alone and pray until I lick this thing." And he did.
Oh, I know he can have the power of God for himself, and he learned how to do it. But is it not suggestive that he found that if he could talk to God's man every day, he would some way get courage and strength to overcome this enslaving habit? - John R. Rice
In any particular community there may be times of sowing and then times of reaping, an ebb and flow of opportunity. That has been true in all ages and it is no different today. But around the world it is continually the same that multitudes of people are ripe for the Gospel and could be won by Spirit-filled, impassioned and zealous soul winners. The world is white unto harvest. It always has been and always will be as long as human hearts are what they are and sin is what it is and the Gospel is what it is. THERE IS NO TROUBLE WITH THE HARVEST; THE TROUBLE IS WITH THE REAPERS. - John R. Rice
No comments:
Post a Comment