Any ministry to be fruitful for God must be in the power of the Holy Spirit. It is impossible to preach aright and fruitfully without the Word; likewise, it is impossible to preach aright and fruitfully without the Holy Spirit. When the miraculous Word is carried and made to live and burn in the heart by the blessed Holy Spirit, then one may have, like Jeremiah, the Word of God burning as a fire shut up in his bones. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 286]
When we come to read the Bible, how needful it is that our hearts long for and beseech the Spirit of God to open the Word and teach us. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 287]
How much of the Scripture should one read every day? One noble man of God answers, "Read until the heart burns." Only as one waits upon God with the blessed Word until the Word burns, can the Scripture mean to us all it ought to mean. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 287]
In West Texas a farmer deacon said to me sadly, "Brother Rice, I am afraid many of the preachers around here are not called to preach. They never have any tears. They never win souls. The services are so dead." But I answered, "Most likely they really are called, but are not anointed to preach." Many a man is called to preach and yet his ministry is dead because he does not have the fire of God in his bones, because he does not have the anointing of God upon him. Or in the language of Jeremiah, the Word has not become a burning fire in his heart, so that he is compelled to speak. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 297]
Hudson Taylor had a motto, "Attempt great things for God, expect great things from God." In Psalm 81:10 the Lord says that in view of such a wonderful program as we have, we should open our moth wide and He will fill it. And surely He means that we should loosen cords and strengthen stakes, that we should attempt great things for God, and expect God to make possible that which otherwise would not be possible. - John R. Rice [Great Truths for Soul Winners, pg. 256]
Revivals come from God. A real heart-refreshing, church-building, sin-convicting, home-righting, city-shaking, soul-saving, God-honoring revival is a miracle of God's grace and we cannot have it unless God gives it. But that is no reason why we should not do human preparation for revivals. I do not believe that God ever gives revivals except as men and women do their human part in getting ready for the blessing God is so anxious to give. We need never doubt that we can have revival when we meet God's requirements so we ought to prepare for and organize for a revival, it we want one. - John R. Rice [How to Have A Revival, pg. 315]
I never change my preaching to please the worldly or the unbelieving. On this matter we must not compromise. But, oh, for love like that of the Lord Jesus who preached to both publicans and sinners, Sadducees and Pharisees, all alike, every time He could get them into His audience! - John R. Rice [How to Have A Revival, pg. 322]
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