Rice, John R. The Fullness of the Spirit

Excerpt:
"Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. And ye are witnesses of these things. And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." -- Luke 24:46-49

Before Pentecost Jesus told His disciples, 'Do not start any revivals yet. Do not begin to preach yet. Do not try to win souls yet. You are not ready. You tarry in Jerusalem until you be endued with power from on high!'

Now the above Scripture is all the more remarkable when you consider that Jesus had taught these men for three and a half years. No preacher ever got as good seminary training as these apostles got under the personal teaching of Jesus. Remember also that Jesus had already risen from the dead, and for forty days had been teaching them concerning the kingdom of God.

Remember, too, that the day He rose from the dead, He breathed on them and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost" (John 20:22), and they did receive the Holy Spirit to dwell in their bodies. You recall that Jesus had promised them in John 14:17 that the Holy Ghost "dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Then when Jesus rose from the dead, He breathed on the disciples and said, "Receive ye the Holy Ghost," and they did. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit began the day Jesus was glorified, the day He was raised from the dead. Yet Jesus said to these people who were saved, who were taught in the Scriptures, who were happy, whose faith was restored, these people who had the Holy Spirit dwelling in their bodies, '"tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high." He said, 'I have a job for you to do. I want repentance and remission of sins preached in My Name in all the world. You are the ones to go to all nations. You are My witnesses of these things. But tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.'

About the Author:
John Richard Rice (December 11, 1895 - December 29, 1980) was a Baptist evangelist and pastor and the founding editor of The Sword of the Lord, an influential fundamentalist newspaper.

John R. Rice was born in Cooke County, Texas in 1895, the son of William H. and Sallie Elizabeth La Prade Rice, and the oldest of three brothers. Will Rice was a small businessman, a lay preacher, and a one-term state legislator "well respected in the community." (Will Rice was also a Mason, an Odd Fellow, and "an ardent Klansman"—all of which memberships his son later believed were "mistakes.")The death of John R. Rice's mother when he was six years old left a lasting mark on the man.

At twelve Rice made a profession of faith and joined his parents' Southern Baptist Church. After being educated in public schools, he earned a teaching certificate and taught in a local primary school himself. In 1916 Rice entered Decatur Baptist College, (now Dallas Baptist University) Decatur, Texas--riding his cow pony 120 miles to get there. In 1918, he was drafted into the Army, but after his discharge the following year, he attended Baylor University, from which he graduated in 1920. Rice was attending graduate school at the University of Chicago and volunteering at the Pacific Garden Mission when he was called to the full-time ministry and returned to Texas. He married Lloys McClure Cooke, whom he had met at Decatur, and shortly thereafter he entered Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.