JOHN R. RICE QUOTES OF THE WEEK

 Man isn't saved by man living. Man is saved by Christ dying! -John R. Rice

Wouldn't it be a pity for you to go through Christmas and still be unsaved? You are in God's world which He made and you don't love Him.

You will celebrate Christmas but the Christ of Christmas Himself you will ignore or reject and go your wicked way without Him. What sin! What folly! What tragedy! Why don't you this Christmas love Jesus Christ? This Christmas have peace in your heart. This Christmas trust Jesus. Give Him your heart, your life, your soul. Trust Him today. - John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 19]

"And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." -Luke 2:10, 11

A Saviour! Not just salvation, but the Saviour Himself! Jesus is a Saviour, and Christmastime is having Jesus, and you can have Jesus all the year. And all the blessings He gives are so much better than any incidental blessings that accompany Christmas. - John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 19]

I remember one time I sent as a present a good book to a pastor who had wanted me for a revival. I could not find time to go, but I sent him with love a new book autographed and said, "I want you to have this new book as a token of my affection."

He sent it back, saying, "I don't want your old book. You wouldn't come to my church for revival, so I don't want your old book." He sent it back. That doesn't mean that I didn't love him and didn't give it. It meant he wouldn't receive it.

God gives salvation to everybody. And if one won't receive it, it is still the gift of God. And as far as His love and provision and atonement are concerned, He is the Saviour for the whole world. "And 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 [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 20]

Remember in Matthew 28:19, 20 Jesus gave the Great Commission and then said, "And, lo, I am with you alway , even unto the end of the world." Oh, Christ is always with us. And Hebrews 13:5, 6 says, "Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Not the "Lord WAS my helper" when I got saved; He "IS my helper" and He has said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." That means Christmas all the year and all the years-plural-down on until we get to Heaven.

We can rejoice in that kind of salvation can't we? - John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 21]

It is good to remember the birth of Christ. Of course, the main thing to remember is that Jesus Christ must be first with Christians. So I would much rather tell little children that Jesus was born; tell that wonderful story of shepherds on the hillside and the angels coming to announce the birth; tell about Mary and how glad when the angel came and said, "Mary, you are going to have a Son. At long last God is sending the Saviour and you are to have a Son born without a human father." That is a much more wonderful story than Santa. - John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 9]

Let your heart be revived at Christmastime.

It is hard to have a great revival in your church at Christmas, because people are thinking about something else. But it is not hard to have revival in your heart.

I was a boy about 15 [1910]. Christmastime came in the ranch country in West Texas. All the rest of the family went to Decatur, Texas, to Grandpa Bella's (my stepmother's father). I was left alone. Someone had to feed the horses, milk the cows and take care of the little stock farm and the ranch while the others were gone. So I was left alone for a whole week. I got to reading the Bible. I found out what is true in Jeremiah 15:16, "Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart." Oh, I learned to enjoy the Bible. How sweet and good it was!

At Christmastime, why don't you have a little time of spiritual revival, a little extra time to pray, a little extra time to sing the choruses and happy anthems of Christmastime-"Joy to the World," etc.? You can have a wonderful time of blessing at Christmas. Have a revival in your heart. - John R. Rice {Christmas and Jesus, pg. 8]