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The gifts of the Spirit are not meant to be a substitute for our own faith in the Lord. We are not to depend so completely on some individual with a spiritual gift that we neglect our own spiritual growth and maturity. We can receive anything we need from the Lord without a gift of the Spirit operating through another individual, if we know how to believe. Dependence on the Lord directly is superior to dependence on the Lord indirectly through someone operating in one of the spiritual gifts.
What if there were no gifts of the Spirit and the Lord established that the only way we could receive from Him was through our own faith? There would be some individuals who would get born...
This is the fulfillment of Zechariah's prophecy in Zechariah 9:9. Notice how specific Zechariah's prophecy is and how exactly it was fulfilled. Zechariah prophesied Jesus not only riding an ass, but also a colt (unbroken), the foal of an ass. Zechariah also mentioned the people rejoicing greatly and shouting which certainly came to pass on this day.
All four gospels include a triumphal entry, but only Matthew records a donkey with a colt. A simple explanation to a so-called "contradiction" is that Jesus rode the colt while the other donkey went along. No doubt, He rode each animal part of the way.
Not only was it a miracle that Jesus knew about the ass and its colt, but also where they would...
The spikenard was a fragrant plant, and its roots were used in Jesus' day to make an aromatic, costly perfume and ointment. The plant, itself, grows in the Himalaya mountains at an elevation of 11,000 to 17,000 feet. For centuries, it was used by Hindus as a medicine and perfume and was an actively traded commodity. Its great cost stemmed from that it had to be transported over 6,000 miles to reach Palestine, and depending on quality, it sold for as much as 400 denarii per pound (or $750 an ounce, is the modern purchasing equivalent). That made it more valuable than gold. This ointment was worth at least two and one-half times more than the thirty pieces of...
What was it that this wicked servant didn't have that caused his master to take back the money he had given him? It wasn't the tangible money that he had been given. He had kept that laid up in a napkin and he still possessed it. What he was missing and what the other servant had that caused the lord to give this pound to him was faithfulness. Those who are faithful with what God has given them will be given more, and those who are wasteful will have what God has given them taken away and given to another.
Christians will one day stand before the Lord for the purpose of receiving rewards, and all our actions will be revealed, whether they were our own doings or directed by the Spirit of God. Those who were not governed by...
The Greek word for "usury" means primarily "a bringing forth, birth, or offsprings." It is used metaphorically for the profit received by a lender.
The Law of Moses attempted to protect both borrower and lender. In Israel, borrowing and lending was not for big, commercial enterprises but rather to help the poor and needy who lacked everyday necessities. In lending, the lender had the opportunity to help the poor in need. It was an act of love in which the lender actually lifted a burden by helping his fellow Israelite through a crisis, but was forbidden to charge usury. To relieve the burden of the poor, debts were released every seven years and property restored during the year of Jubilee.
In the New Testament, the practice of lending money at...
