The Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven, but He didn’t go to the mountaintop. There are no people there. He went down into death, and now He brings believers up with Him in resurrection life.
Despite man's best efforts to exalt himself, there is only one God above all. And regardless of His preeminence, He humbled Himself to come to earth as a helpless baby.
You see, Abraham believed God, and he went far enough to let you and me know — God already knew — and to let the created universe know that he was willing to give his son. And so God counted it to him that he had done it.
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)
And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone. But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. (Matthew 14:22-24)
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (Luke 1:26-28)
John 19:34 reads: “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” Now what is the meaning of that?
Despite man's best efforts to exalt himself, there is only one God above all. And regardless of His preeminence, He humbled Himself to come to earth as a helpless baby.
We should exhibit caution and discernment in listening to the teaching of others, as they might be false teachers. The only authority is the Word of God and what it says.
Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers? (Malachi 2:10)
Evolution has never answered the question of how nothing becomes something. It always starts with a little amoeba or a garbage can or a little piece of seaweed or an animal up in a tree. Our minds must have something to start with, but the Bible starts with nothing. God created!
Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.(Zechariah 8:3)
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.(Revelation 15:4)
The Scripture does not say when He was born; the important thing is that He was born. The Scripture does not say when He was crucified; the important thing is that He died for our sins.
The music of Christmas is filling the air, and multiplied church programs honor Christ’s birth. [I witnessed] a most touching presentation involving a deaf choir “singing” with others.
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. (Matthew 1:23)
And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women. (Luke 1:26-28)
It's been degraded to the level of a bumper sticker which says, "Honk if you love Jesus!" If you love Jesus, you don't run around honking your horn. If you love Jesus you're going to live a life of obedience to Him.
The Word of God is contrary to what we hear so much of today about if become a Christian you’ll have joy in your life and everything’s going to be rosy and everything’s going to be so nice.
We are not worth loving, but God loves us all. The important thing is that He tells believers to take the gospel to the world. That is the way that you and I can show our concern and love.
Here is a remarkable miracle of our Lord. Surely there is no medicinal value in saliva, but the Lord uses this to increase the faith of this man. Why did He use this method? Couldn’t He have opened the eyes of this man as He did in other instances? Of course, He could have. He could have made this man see clearly at the very beginning. But there is a lesson for the man and a lesson here for us.
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (John 10:27-29)
As in the days of the judges, God still uses ordinary men who want to be used to accomplish His great purposes. God can use you if you want to be used, friends.
Are you tired of feeling alone in your struggles and like you're carrying all of the responsibilities on your own? You don't have to feel that way, because you have a partner who never stumbles or falls.
One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. (Psalm 27:4)
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5,6)
The gospel has not been preached until the meaning and significance of the blood of Christ Jesus has been explained, because the fact of salvation is that His blood was shed to gain it for you.
John 19:34 reads: “But one of the soldiers with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there out blood and water.” Now what is the meaning of that?
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.(Revelation 15:4)
The parents of many young people may be lovely Christian people but they did not really train their children in Christian precepts and values. They were so anxious and ambitious for them to get on in the world that they lost them.
In the peace offering, the emphasis is not upon the peace that He made by the blood of the cross, but upon the peace He is because of the blood of the cross.
Have you ever gone through a trail or tragedy and wondered if it was actually God's discipline? Or even wondered if He's washed His hands of you entirely?
That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. For verily, when we were with you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation; even as it came to pass, and ye know. (1 Thessalonians 3:3,4)
The Word of God is contrary to what we hear so much of today about if become a Christian you’ll have joy in your life and everything’s going to be rosy and everything’s going to be so nice.
Most folk think of David as the shepherd boy who slew Goliath. Also they remember the black side of his life, the great sin he committed with Bathsheba. What they don’t realize is that David was very much a human being like the rest of us.
The Lord Jesus Christ came down from heaven, but He didn’t go to the mountaintop. There are no people there. He went down into death, and now He brings believers up with Him in resurrection life.
This question and Dr. McGee's answer are from our newly revised and expanded paperback edition of Questions & Answers: Biblical Answers to Your Questions About Faith and Life.
In this age of grace, it is not the believer's responsibility to harvest but to be sowers of seed — going out into the world and sowing the Word of God.
So often we are rather brisk and even crude in our witnessing. Because we find it difficult, generally when we do it we are very amateurish. We do it so abruptly and in such a way that often it offends people. We need to be led by the Spirit of God.
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13,14)
He opens two alternatives to any man who is living in difficult days. You and I will have to do one of the two. You will have to make up your mind which you are going to do. Men in difficult days will either faint or they will pray. Either there will be days of fear or days of faith.
We hear a lot about the need for revival, but have you ever wondered why it hasn't happened? Or why you don't see a spiritual revival in your own life?
When the first delegation of Jews returned to the [Promised Land], they met discouragement. It is at times like this that you let down. It has happened to many Christians.
As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God? (Psalm 42:1,2)
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? (Isaiah 58:4,5)
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15,16)
No prophet emphasizes the glory and the holiness of God more than Ezekiel. He saw the glory of God — that was the great vision he had at the beginning of his book. He never forgot it. And we should not forget it either.
The gospel has not been preached until the meaning and significance of the blood of Christ Jesus has been explained, because the fact of salvation is that His blood was shed to gain it for you.
The question is: Do you have Christ? Is He your Savior? Are you trusting Him in such a way that no one on earth or in heaven can shake your confidence in Him? To be saved means you trust Christ and have Him as your Savior. He's our lifeboat. He's our lifeline. He's our only hope. We are lost without Him, but if we have Him, we have life.
This betrayal of Christ in the name of Christianity is one reason for the moral and spiritual malaise with which this country is afflicted. The melancholy fact is that the churches no longer influence the development of national character.
There is a suffering that is connected with the cross of Christ that you and I cannot comprehend. He didn’t suffer at the hands of men only. That was bad enough, but He suffered beyond that. Our sins were put upon Him. “Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4).
And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:24,25)
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. (Proverbs 4:18,19)
Since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus, and of the love which ye have to all the saints, for the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, whereof ye heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel. (Colossians 1:4,5)
Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.(Jude 1)
Unbelief is sin. I am willing to make this confession: I wish that I believed Him more. He is worthy to be believed; I ought to believe Him fully, but the problem is with me. And I suspect that the problem is with you, also.
The story of twin brothers Esau and Jacob illustrates a great truth for believers about our old and new natures: the flesh is always at war against the spirit.
Your business is not to try to get someone else's office or job. We have too much insane vanity among Christians wanting to be chairman of a board or to do something publicly.
And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook.... And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land. (1 Kings 17:2-4,7)
"Poor Paul, it's too bad these Romans put you in jail." "They didn't put me in jail." "Oh, we know what you mean. Those hateful religious rulers brought a charge against you."
In chapter 12 of Ezekiel, the prophet proclaims that judgment is imminent, but the people will not believe. The important thing to note is the proclamation of the Word of God; Ezekiel is giving the Word of God.
The Lord Jesus Christ speaks to this church in the midst of crass materialism, degraded animalism, base paganism, and dark heathenism. Note this carefully, because I consider this message to be one of the most important of all.
If the structure of the Book of Revelation is followed, it will prevent you from going off into fanaticism and sensationalism. It ought not to terrify you. Actually, it ought to be a comfort to you.
Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.(Zechariah 8:3)
And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go and take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth.
Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.(Revelation 15:4)
And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: and he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth.
And the Lord said unto Moses, Go on before the people, and take with thee of the elders of Israel; and thy rod, wherewith thou smotest the river, take in thine hand, and go. Behold, I will stand before thee there upon the rock in Horeb; and thou shalt smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. (Exodus 17:5, 6)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; as it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.(Mark 1:1-3)
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand. (John 10:27-29)
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34,35)
The impression you get from some girls today is that they start out as soon as they’re able, and they chase the boys until finally they run one down and marry him.
And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. And as he reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee. (Acts 24:24,25)
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. (1 Chronicles 29:11)
Gleaned primarily from Dr. McGee’s answers to listeners’ questions, this collection is full of practical advice based on God’s Word for Christians in every walk of life. (Paperback book, 132 pp.)