John R. Rice Quotes of the Week

 Psalm 119:63 says, "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts." Let us analyze that. Let us say that I am a companion of all those who are saved and those who go by the Bible. God and the Bible. Let's put it a little further- Christ and the Bible. "I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts."

That verse is very sweet to me ...because on the authority of that verse I decided not to be just a Baptist evangelist, though I am a Baptist, but to be an evangelist to all God's people. I determined I would say what John Wesley said, "The world is my parish," and that I would be for the man who is for Christ and the Bible. So I work with all people of God who are born-again and live like it and believe the Bible and who are willing to work with other Christians.
"I am a companion of all them that fear thee, and of them that keep thy precepts." - John R. Rice

 

I am told that not long ago a man on the streetcar rose and offered his seat to a woman, and she was so surprised she fainted! When she recovered consciousness she said, "Thank you!" and then he fainted! I say, the honor, the deference, the courtesy, the protectiveness that practically all men, good and bad, once offered to good women, has almost disappeared. - John R. Rice

 

I do not think it is always God's will to heal the sick. Sometimes a Christian ought to die and go to Heaven. I know sins sometime bring trouble on us and we need to wait on God till we get things right, in order to be healed. And sometimes God wants people to be willing to suffer, to be poor, to be weak, to have sorrow for Jesus instead of having perfect healing now. But one of these days when the trumpet sounds and the rapture comes, then, thank God, all our sores will be healed! The limps will be gone! Our gray hair, decayed teeth will be no more. And the inside wickedness and shame and heartbreak that comes from our failures will be perfectly healed one day. But we can have daily healing now in many, many things. So Christians ought to pray.
James 5:13-15 says, "Is any among you afflicted? Let him pray....Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick." If God gives the faith, God will give the healing. If it is not God's will to heal, God will not give the faith. - John R. Rice

What else then? Make it a life of trust and peace. Take every burden to the Lord. Has somebody wronged you? Forget it. Don't hold a grudge but forgive it and be happy.

Let's make this a time of winning souls. I would set out to seek the will of God and win souls this year. Oh, may God give you a good year with Christmas all the year. - John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 24]

Happiness is not something found as you seek for happiness. As Dr. Bob Jones, Sr., used to say, "Happiness is something you stumble over in the road of duty." You do right and God will make you happy. You be a blessing to others, and you will be happy also.

- John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 23-24]

In Springfield, Missouri, a young college girl came to me after I had preached on "Put Christ First in Everything," letting Him have the say, letting Him run the whole business. She said, "I will do that for everything but one thing. I want to select the man I marry myself."

I said, "You will make a mistake if you do--if you don't let Jesus help you and bring that thing right out so you are marrying in the will of God."

But she said, "I would like to have my own way about that."

She went away weeping, but later came back to say, "Yes, that is right. I am going to let Jesus have the first place in everything."

So why don't you claim that, "Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you"? And you can have every need supplied all the time. - John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 23-24]

Christian, why don't you make this a year of going to God and getting what you need and being happy? I would put Him first in the giving business. Remember in Matthew 6:33 He has just said not to worry about your food. He said, '. . .take no thought for tomorrow, what you shall wear.' He said, 'The birds of the air are cared for. Your Heavenly Father feeds them.' He said, 'Solomon in all his glory wasn't dressed up like a wild flower that God gas cared for. And aren't you worth more than flowers and worth more than birds?'

So He said in Matthew 6:33, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you."

Why don't you this year put Jesus first? Can you say, "I am going to put Him first so I won't be covetous. What money I have belongs to Him. What I possess, God possesses or any talent or gift or friend or loved one--whatever. I am going to let Jesus be in charge"? - John R. Rice [Christmas Now and All the Year, pg. 23]