The Deal Of A Life Time: Forgiveness... The Pearl!

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…