THE DEAL OF A LIFETIME… THE HINGE OF FORGIVENESS…
ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS YOU CAN GIVE.
By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
I have a 4 inch hinge that I bought at Ace Hardware. I open with the HINGE, and we discuss what a hinge is designed to do… Later in the lesson, I have a glass 2 OYSTER SHELL. I have placed sand in one. I have placed a glass pearl (marble) in it. Still later, I have a bag of pearls that I give each person to consider what their priorities and purpose are and what we need to change.
Tell me today one of the greatest presents you have ever received?
Me: MY FIRST GUITAR, Kalamazoo, Michigan; Epiphone my dad paid for over 4 years. I still play music. (4th grade). I have played in 28 states and several foreign countries, I owe my dad a great debt.
I was in the 5th grade in Clermont County, Ohio. It was a great surprise when my brother and I got up and saw two red WESTERN FLYER bicycles. Wow, they even had a headlight. We could never afford the batteries, but it had a headlight. We washed and took great care of those bikes. My second favorite present came when I was in the 7th in Roane County, Tennessee. It was a real SPEEDOMETER to go on my bike. I could tell how fast I was going!!!
SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW … WE WILL FIND THE THINGS THAT MAKE US HAPPY…
Everyone is searching for something… THE TINMAN needs a heart. THE LION needs courage. THE SCARECROW needs a brain. Seems DOROTHY never appreciated HOME very much, and her journey lead her to DESIRE TO GO HOME. The wizard was just a little man. THE JOURNEY CAUSED TINMAN, LION, AND SCARECROW AS WELL AS DOROTHY to find THE ANSWER IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. You must find the area of need and claim the answer.
SEVERAL WORDS COME INTO PLAY WHEN WE DISCUSS AN ITEM.
1. PRICE…
2. WORTH… Hidden Treasure suggest IT WAS THERE ALL THE TIME, we were UNAWARE!
3. VALUE…
Matthew 13:44 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field.
HIDDEN TREASURE… DO WE UNDERSTAND WE MIGHT HAVE TO MOVE A TON OF DIRT TO GET TO ONE OUNCE OF GOLD OR TO GET A SPARKLING DIAMOND? WE ARE NOT SEARCHING FOR DIRT, WE ARE SEARCHING FOR DIAMONDS OR GOLD? Some of us are DIRT DIGGERS… we seem to love dirt? BE A GOLD DIGGER… Several diamonds and several ounces of gold are worth more than tons of dirt moving… The treasure is there, we must find it.
This parable of the HIDDEN TREASURE speaks of a person that had the good fortune to find a TREASURE THAT HAS BEEN HIDDEN. To lay order to the claim the person had to SELL ALL THAT HE HAD TO LAY CLAIM TO THE HIDDEN TREASURE.
JESUS TEACHES US THAT THE GOSPEL IS FULL OF HIDDEN TREASURES… The Bible is a gold mine, few ever stake the CLAIM --- TO CLAIM WHAT God has planned for us… THE TREASURE IS THERE, move the dirt, find the gold.
THE DEAL OF A LIFE TIME... IN THE DAYS OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE PEARLS WERE A GREAT LUXURY… Consider this in Bible days PEARLS were very rare. Pearls had a greater value in Biblical times than they have today.
Matthew 13:45 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: 46 Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.
HIDDEN TREASURE… DO WE UNDERSTAND WE MIGHT HAVE TO MOVE A TON OF DIRT TO GET TO ONE OUNCE OF GOLD OR TO FIND A SPARKLING DIAMOND? WE ARE NOT SEARCHING FOR DIRT, WE ARE SEARCHING FOR DIAMONDS OR GOLD? Some of us are DIRT DIGGERS… we seem to love dirt? BE A GOLD DIGGER… Several diamonds and several ounces of gold are worth more than tons of dirt moving…
THE PEARL OF GREAT PRICE IS BIRTHED BY GREAT SUFFERING… THE OYSTER IS DOING WELL WHEN AN IRRITATION INVADES THE OYSTER SHELL. ( I have a glass oyster shell, and I place sand in it.)
This irritation can bring death to this fragile little oyster. We like this irritant to know aggravation, trials, storms, suffering, frustration, vexation, dirt, grief, anger or bitterness. This irritant slips into the shell. THIS IRRITANT WILL EITHER KILL THE OYSTER OR THE OYSTER WILL QUICKLY START PRODUCING A SUBSTANCE THAT WILL COVER THIS UNINVITED GUEST WITH LAYER AFTER LAYER OF NACRE (nay-ker) COVERS THE INVADER. This layer is called a MANTLE…
Remember when Elijah passes his MANTLE to Elisha?
We know that diamonds, emeralds, or gems must be cut, sanded and polished to reveal their beauty …
NOT SO FOR A PEARL… The great pearl is perfect when it is taken out of the shell.
WHERE DID GOD HAVE OYSTERS BIG ENOUGH TO MAKE 12 GATES? ONE PEARL FOR EACH GATE? WOW…
Revelation 21:21 And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.
THERE IS A HIDDEN LESSON IN THE GATES OF PEARL. Each one that walks and enters heaven will walk through a GATE OF PEARL. Suggesting that GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE SURVIVED AND EVEN THRIVED THROUGH THE TRIBULATIONS, TRIALS, SUFFERINGS, TEARS, HEARTACHES, FRUSTRATIONS, DIRT, VEXATIONS, ANGER, BITTERNESS, AND GRIEF.
WHAT KILLS AND DESTROYS SOME, WILL MAKE OTHERS STRONGER AND BETTER NOT BITTER. IT IS UP TO YOU.
LET US COME TO THE CONCLUSION OF THIS MATTER, WHAT HINGES DOES THE GATES OF PEARL SWING ON? THAT IS EASY FORGIVENESS…
The hinges of the PEARL GATES OF HEAVEN depend on FORGIVENESS… LET ME TELL YOU ABOUT JANUARY 1968… I LIVED IN TENNESSE. I was 16. My dad was my pastor. I did something I knew was wrong, I sinned. I broke God’s heart. I asked God to forgive me that day. Sunday, I lay down my guitar and went to the altar and asked Jesus forgive me… Every time I remembered I ask Jesus to forgive me… In 1970, I was a freshman at LMU, and I remembered January, 1968… In 1970, I had a dream… Jesus had my book of life… OH, NO…. I said, Jesus forgive me. Jesus opened my book and started flipping through the pages. I saw 1955, later 1959, he started slowing up and he got to 1968. I started crying. O, Jesus I am so sorry, I sinned. Jesus stroked his beard and I knew I was in trouble. Jesus said: I DON’T SEE ANYTHING.
I KNEW I DID THAT SIN. I pulled the book down, January 1,2,3… they were are white, no sin recorded against me. Wow, I said: JESUS, WHY NOT TAKE THAT OUT OF MY MIND? He said: If I did, you would do that again. I was FORGIVEN!
THE GATES OF HEAVEN DEPEND ON THE GREATEST GIFT, GOD GAVE HIS SON, … HIS SON GIVES FORGIVENESS
Matthew 5:23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
Matthew 6:12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Matthew 6:14 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: 15 But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
Luke 6:37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Ephesians 4:31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
FORGIVENESS IS THE HINGE THAT THE GATES OF PEARL SWING ON… FORGIVENESS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST GIFTS YOU CAN GIVE TO OTHERS AND TO YOURSELF. FORGIVENESS IS THE MANTLE PIECE OF THE GOSPEL. Forgiveness can be difficult… we tend to THROW UP THE PAST, and HOLD GRUDGES… We lick our lips about pains from the past. We get hurt and offended.
It is never right to DEMAND AN APOLOGY IN ORDER FOR US TO FORGIVE… We demand a pound of flesh for a pound of hurt?
COME TO A GREAT UNDERSTANDING, IF YOU PLAN ON GOING THROUGH THOSE GATES OF PEARL YOU HAVE TO BE FORGIVEN AND YOU HAVE TO FORGIVE… WHAT A GREAT GIFT, THE DEAL OF A LIFE TIME. IT IS TO LEARN TO FORGIVE QUICKLY… HOW OFTEN SHALL WE FORGIVE?
Matthew 18:21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
490 A DAY! WHAT MAKES A PEARL? An imperfection? Some dirt in the oyster shell… It coats the dirt, and makes a pearl. FORGIVENESS KNOWS WE ARE NOT PERFECT…Yes, forgiveness is about God, but NEVER FORGET FORGIVENESS IS ABOUT HOW WE FORGIVE EACH OTHER.
Conclusion: WISDOM SAYS: Psalm 90:12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. The deal of a life time is to learn to love to forgive.
His servant, Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com
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