And we should remember, too, that the only kind of men God has to use are imperfect men. Dr. J. B. Gambrell, famous Southern Baptist of a generation ago, used to say, "God can hit some mighty straight licks with some mighty crooked sticks." And I am glad that God in mercy puts His treasure in earthen vessels. I am glad that He calls people to preach and counts them worthy who are unworthy, as Paul said he was. - John R. Rice
Oh, there are blood and tears on the road to Heaven but they are not my blood nor yours. My sinful blood could never buy anything from God. My tears are from such a naturally corrupt heart that God may pity them, but they do not undo all the failures and heart corruption of which I am guilty. Thank God, the atoning blood of Jesus makes me fit for Heaven through the imputed righteousness of Christ charged to my account. - John R. Rice
It is still true that there is no way to do God's work aright without God's power, and His Holy Spirit power that New Testament Christians had is available for us today, too. - John R. Rice [page 257, Dr. Rice, Here Are More Questions...]
How we ought to long for our Saviour to come! Every one of us was taught to pray, "Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matt. 6:10.) This prayer does not ask for the rapture of the saints when Christ will call us out into the air to meet Him and take us away on out honeymoon in Heaven to eat the marriage supper, to stand before the judgment seat of Christ, to meet our loved ones and stay for a time in the Father's house of many mansions. No, this prayer asks rather the return of Christ to the earth to reign, when He will brings us back with Him, accompanied by all His holy angels. Then He will set up His kingdom on the earth and reign gloriously at Jerusalem. For this blessed kingdom, when the will of God will be done on earth like it is in Heaven, we are taught to pray. - John R. Rice [Jewish Persecution and Bible Prophecies, pg. 31, copyrighted in 1941]
Certainly no Christian should hate individuals. No Christian ought to take delight in killing. A good father does not take delight in punishing his child although he knows it is necessary and right. A godly physician does not enjoy the pain that he gives in an operation of removing cancer, but he knows that it is necessary and right. A good officer of the law does not take vengeance on a criminal when he arrests him and stops a crime. A preacher does not indicate hate in his heart when he preaches that sinners must be born again or go to Hell. And so no one needs to have hate in his heart to obey the plain command of God about being a soldier when he is called. - John R. Rice [War in Vietnam, pg. 18-19]
An old fellow said the other day at the noonday meetings, "I have been on the Lord's side fifty-eight years, and in that fifty-eight years I have never turned aside; I have never been backslidden. I have been right on the firing line all the time." I said to myself what perhaps I did not have the nerve to say aloud, but I felt like saying, "Hypocrite! liar! I don't believe a word of it! I don't believe anybody has been saved fifty-eight years, nor fifty-eight minutes, who never turned aside." - John R. Rice [The Scarlet Sin, pg. 205]
I will tell you what God wants you to do. God wants you to say, "Lord Jesus, I will not hide a thing from You. I am going to tell You everything I think and everything I want. If there is anything wrong with what I want, You fix my 'wanter': but I am going to take You into my confidence and take 'everything to God in prayer.' " That is what the Bible says specifically again and again-that you are to pray about "what things soever ye desire." It says, "Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." You see, God intends for Christians to ask for anything they want. - John R. Rice [Sweet Family Ties in Heaven and Hell, pg. 120]
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