Category: Religion

ROPC Global live TV with colleagues

Religion

Rhapsody Online Prayer Conference live TV with friends? Rhapsody Online Prayer Conference is HERE again and it is beyond IMAGINATION!

The Rhapsody Online Prayer Conference is the right time of prayers for all Rhapsody partners globally! The ROPC Global is set to position, strengthen, align, equip and inspire to IMMEDIATE ACTION all Rhapsody Partners globally (and new ones) towards hitting our 2021 Goals.

With its strategic timing of the year, it presents to the Pastors, Partners, Members of our Ministry and the whole world the unique opportunity to pray and prepare for the new ministry year and what the Lord will do through Rhapsody of Realities in the earth in 2021.

ROPC Global is more than a Prayer Conference! As we look back at a glorious 20 years of impact and spreading, we look forward with great excitement on what more the Lord will have us do in the next 12 months.

ROPC Global will bring together all Rhapsody Partners within the ministry and beyond to Pray, Receive Inspiration and Direction with motivation to begin to ACT as we set our gaze on distributing more copies of Rhapsody of Realities globally.

Join the Global Rhapsody Online Prayer Conference, a 24-hour prayer event. STARTING TODAY: Friday 18th December through to Saturday 19th December 2020 at 6 PM GMT+1 / 1 PM EST. You will be refreshed and positioned to set new records for the Gospel.

For more information about The ‘Global Day of Prayer’ and how to participate in the power-packed prayer event with friends, colleagues, loved ones, and family members, please visit ROPC Global – Live TV Prayer Event.

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Third secret of Fatima discussions

Religion

Virgin Mary apparition discussions? Statistical data reveals an apocalyptic code that points to end-time events right now. The pattern was so strong and unusual that it appeared to be nothing short of miraculous. As can be seen from above, between the years 2015 and 2078, ‘Holy or Maundy Thursday’ ONLY falls on the 13th day of Easter April twice. This must be significant, especially if one recognizes the importance and prevalence of the number 13 in the last 15 years of professional American sports. The fact that 13 American professional sports teams named after either heavenly angels or Christian saints have won 30 major national championships in the last 15 consecutive years alone makes one realize that all of the aforesaid has something to do with God and Christianity. It only stands to reason that this must be so.

And if we examine other data information such as the one Dr. George Hart discovered from the timetraks for the Hiroshima bombing that occured on August 6, 1945, we realize here that a world war could indeed start much earlier than either 2027 or 2028, since he showed that a nuclear war could occur in 2021. So it appears from all of the foregoing data, that World War III may start even earlier than 2021, since a conventional war is ususally preceded by several years before nuclear bombing is resorted to, as in World War II. In the worst case scenario, if World War III were to occur in 2019 and it escalated to a all-out nuclear conflict between 2019 and 2021, and if an asteroid hits the earth by 2022, thereby causing a deluge of biblical proportions, then the likely dates of the Garabandal ‘Miracle’ would have to be between April 9, 2020 and April 14, 2022. This would have to be the case, since a warning from God would be pointless if the majority of the world’s population were annihilated by both a nuclear war and a subsequent asteroid strike. Nevertheless, could such dates have something the cycle of years? Let’s examine this further below.

The Divine Mercy of Jesus Christ, as revealed to Saint Faustina, would restore in full. (Entry 1448). Indeed, Jesus said to Saint Faustina the following: “Tell souls where they are to look for solace; that is, in the Tribunal of Mercy [the Sacrament of Reconciliation]. There the greatest miracles take place [and] are incessantly repeated. To avail oneself of this miracle, it is not necessary to go on a great pilgrimage or to carry out some external ceremony; it suffices to come with faith to the feet of My representative and to reveal to him one’s misery, and the miracle of Divine Mercy will be fully demonstrated. Were a soul like a decaying corpse so that from a human standpoint, there would be no [hope of] restoration and everything would already be lost, it is not so with God. The miracle of Divine Mercy restores the soul in full.” Find more info at here.

Staring in June 25 of 1981, in the small village of Medjugorje in what is now known as Croatia in the former Yugoslavia, six young children, named Vicka, Ivanka, Jakov and Marija, claimed to have seen apparitions of the Virgin Mary. The apparitions were seen by all of the children everyday for many years. The Virgin Mary declared to the children that once her daily apparitions cease, there will no longer be anymore marian apparitions on earth, for it would no longer be necessary. The Virgin further declared that Medjugorje would be the fulfillment of Fatima and that her heart would be victorious.

This apocalyptic code suggests that some of the end-time events have already started and will intensify as the months and years pass, with more events to come soon, culminating in a cataclysmic deluge and worldwide devastation caused by the arrival of a planetary sized comet, to be followed immediately thereafter, by the second coming of Jesus Christ. Suggestions for survival have been provided at the end of the blogsite. Find more information on armageddon revelations.

The Prodigal Son video and FREE coloring pages for children

Religion

The Prodigal Son video and FREE coloring pages for children? The parable of the Prodigal Son, or Lost Son, is found in the New Testament of the Bible in Luke 15:11-32. It is the third of three parables in that chapter directed at a mixed audience of tax collectors, sinners, Pharisees (religious leaders), and teachers of the law. All three parables are on the topic of lost things being found: a lost sheep, a lost coin, and a lost son. Likewise, all three parables point to the heavenly joy over every sinner who repents from sin and turns to Jesus.

The first parable was about a lost sheep (Luke 15:4-7). In this story, the shepherd had 100 sheep. When one became lost, he left the 99 to search for the errant sheep. After finding it and bringing it home, he rejoiced with his friends and neighbors.

In the Gospel of Luke 15:11-32, we are told of a wealthy man who had two sons. The younger son gets up one morning and decides to leave home and go about himself. He asks for and gets his inheritance from his father and he heads off to a strange land. Since he had so much money and possessions, he begins to lavish his substance on vanities – without thinking of his future. He had wine, women, and other pleasures whenever he wanted. Eventually, his profuse and wasteful expenditure costs him all his inherited fortune.

What isn’t commonly understood: God wants us to repent Many people read right over the response God wants us to have to this parable. Throughout the Bible we see that God desires for us to repent and be reconciled to Him. He “commands all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30), and in Luke 15 this point is emphasized through a progression of three parables, the third being the one about the prodigal son.

After being hit by difficult living conditions – owing to his foolishness – he decides to humble himself and return home to his father. Instead of being rejected by his father, he gets a warm welcome with gifts and celebration. This gets his big brother crossed and starts a quarrel with his father. His father placates him and reassures him that all that he has belongs to him. Come along with me as we, together, learn the rich lessons in this parable. I divided it into four parts for a much easier understanding. Please do well to open your Bible and read the entire story (Luke 15:11-32). See even more details with the The Prodigal Son video on YouTube.

Unless we see ourselves as unworthy, we cannot possibly fall upon the grace of God. Unless we realize that we are spiritually destitute, we will never be saved. It is only the needy who reach out for help or saving. “Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). We are the prodigal son. The prodigal son, or lost son, was an abuser of grace. Grace is most often defined as unmerited or unearned favor. He had a loving father, a good home, provision, a future, and an inheritance, but he traded it all in for temporal pleasures. We are the prodigal son. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray,each of us has turned to our own way…” (Isaiah 53:6).

High profile preschools Gainesville FL with spiritual discussions

Religion

Best preschools Gainesville FL with spiritual talks? By not pigeonholing children to be interested in just one thing, or only the things that we ourselves are most interested in, we allow them to develop a greater understanding for the wide remit of interests and passions that exist and learn that there are no ‘wrong’ or ‘right’ things to enjoy or ways to be happy. Coaching can help children learn what really makes them feel happy. It’s about working hard, trying their best, and overcoming hurdles when they arise. Coaching is a set of techniques and tools to help shape attributes and good habits, in fun positive ways. This, in turn, can help young children learn that life is ultimately about the journey, not the rewards.

Some schools offer a wider range of study than others. If it is important for your child to learn a second language in his primary grades, choose an elementary school that includes foreign language as a core part of the curriculum. If you want your child to get a background in the arts or get an education with a religious slant, look for schools that offer these components. Test scores may not tell everything about the effectiveness of a school, but they are an important component in determining how well the students at that school are performing academically. A report at the Washington Post also recommends checking ratings for local schools, if they are available, such as the high school ratings at the Washington Post High School Challenge. For upcoming high school students, we recommend also analyzing a school based upon their graduates’ success in college and the professional fields.

Educational research has shown that working in small groups fosters closer relationships between students and teachers, and also that a smaller student-to-teacher ratio leads to greater success in college. But numbers can be misleading. In their published student-teacher ratios, some schools count every adult and coach as a teacher. If you want to forecast the amount of attention your child will get from classroom teachers, multiply the number of sections a teacher has in a day by the average class size. That will give you a sense of how much individualized contact a teacher is likely to have with each child.

“The staff and teachers have been so kind and loving to my son! He was at home with a Nanny until he was one, I’m so happy about his transition. It’s been easy on this Mommy’s heart!“ The Academy Preschool is a Christian Preschool aimed at partnering with parents to raise up loving, confident and godly children. If you’re looking for the best preschool in Gainesville Florida, Please contact us for more information. Discover more details on preschools gainesville fl.

The Academy preschool offers a well-educated staff including multiple bilingual teachers. We provide an instructional Bible class multiple times per week as well as chapel, which is hosted by The Family Church the first of every month. We have a Fun & Fitness class for ages 3 & up, that is led by a professional All-American athlete. We also participate in an accelerated class of soccer shots. We are excited to announce that we are opening soon a science Discovery room.

The Persistent Widow explained

Religion

New Testament : The Persistent Widow? The parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge (Luke 18:1–8) is part of a series of illustrative lessons Jesus Christ used to teach His disciples about prayer. Luke introduces this lesson as a parable meant to show the disciples “that they should always pray and never give up” (verse 1, NLT).

Faithful, never-ceasing, persistent prayer is the permanent calling of every true disciple of Christ who is dedicated to living for the Kingdom of God. Like the persistent widow, we are needy, dependent sinners who trust in our gracious, loving, and merciful God alone to supply what we need.

Probably all of us have thought that we know better than those in charge. Watch out! Thinking like this is not wrong in itself, but it is something that lodged itself in the mind of Helel (the name of the “covering cherub” before he became Satan): “I know better than the one in charge,” and in this case, it was God. We can begin to see how his pride was beginning to exalt itself against God. It was moving to break the relationship between them. It was coming between Helel and God so that their relationship could not continue. Helel could not continue to serve God.

Before I finish up with the story, I just want to let you guys know that we’re really glad that you’re here. Please do stick around to the end of the video. If you’d like to receive a free coloring page of the illustration that you’re seeing drawn in this video. Also, if you guys have been enjoying this video so far, please do consider liking this video as well as subscribing to our channel. It would mean a bunch to us. All right, let’s get back to the story a long time ago, God told me that he wanted me to share about him with everyone that I met. Initially, I was really afraid to do this and I didn’t know how, but I trusted God and I stepped out and I decided that I was going to share with everyone that I saw about Jesus. I started sharing day after day after day, but I didn’t find anyone that was interested in the message, but God told me to keep going and not give up. About six months later, I finally found someone that was interested in Jesus and they chose to accept Jesus into their life and make him their there, you know, that was one of the greatest days of my life. When we continue to be persistent in what God has for us, as well as spending time in prayer, God will do amazing things in our life, but it’s not easy to get there. Persistence. Isn’t an easier fun thing, but it’s something that has a great reward. Discover more details with the The Persistent Widow video on YouTube.

The purpose of the parable is to encourage Christians to persevere in their faith against all odds. But it also has two applications for those who work in positions of leadership. First, the juxtaposition of a corrupt judge with a just God implies that God’s will is at work even in a corrupt world. The judge’s job is to do justice, and by God, he will do justice by the time the widow is finished with him. Elsewhere, the Bible teaches that the civil authorities serve by God’s authorization, whether they acknowledge it or not (John 19:11; Romans 13:1; 1 Peter 2:13). So there is hope that even in the midst of systemic injustice, justice may be done. A Christian leader’s job is to work toward that hope at all times. We cannot right every wrong in the world in our lifetimes. But we must never give up hope, and never stop working for the greater good[1]in the midst of the imperfect systems where our work occurs. Legislators, for example, seldom have a choice of voting for a good bill versus a bad bill. Usually the best they can do is to vote for bills that do more good than bad. But they must continually look for opportunities to bring bills to a vote that do even less harm and even more good.

Everything you need to know about The Parable of the Wedding Feast

Religion

The Parable of the Wedding Feast? In Jewish society, the parents of the betrothed generally drew up the marriage contract. The bride and groom would meet, perhaps for the first time, when this contract was signed. The couple was considered married at this point, but they would separate until the actual time of the ceremony. The bride would remain with her parents, and the groom would leave to prepare their home. This could take quite a while. When the home was all was ready, the groom would return for his bride without notice. The marriage ceremony would then take place, and the wedding banquet would follow.

During the feast the king noticed a man “who was not wearing wedding clothes” (verse 11). When asked how he came to be there without the furnished attire, the man had no answer and was promptly ejected from the feast “outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (verses 12-13). Jesus then ends the parable with this statement: “For many are invited, but few are chosen” (verse 14).

Nothing is hidden from God. If you are maintaining a façade of righteousness, He knows. If you are trying to hold onto the world and maintain your salvation, it won’t work. You cannot serve two masters (Matthew 6:24). Accept God’s free gift of salvation today. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’” “The wages of sin is death,” the Bible warns (Romans 6:23). Nothing will save us except the blood of Jesus.

The king is God the Father, and the son who is being honored at the banquet is Jesus Christ, who “came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him” (John 1:11). Israel held the invitation to the kingdom, but when the time actually came for the kingdom to appear (see Matthew 3:1), they refused to believe it. Many prophets, including John the Baptist, had been murdered (Matthew 14:10). The king’s reprisal against the murderers can be interpreted as a prophecy of Jerusalem’s destruction in A.D. 70 at the hands of the Romans (cf. Luke 21:5). More broadly, the king’s vengeance speaks of the desolation mentioned in the book of Revelation. God is patient, but He will not tolerate wickedness forever (Obadiah 1:15). His judgment will come upon those who reject His offer of salvation. Considering what that salvation cost Jesus, is not this judgment well deserved (see Hebrews 10:29-31)?

Note that it is not because the invited guests could not come to the wedding feast, but that they would not come (see Luke 13:34). Everyone had an excuse. How tragic, and how indicative of human nature, to be offered the blessings of God and to refuse them because of the draw of mundane things!

The wedding invitation is extended to anyone and everyone, total strangers, both good and bad. This refers to the gospel being taken to the Gentiles. This portion of the parable is a foreshadowing of the Jews’ rejection of the gospel in Acts 13. Paul and Barnabas were in Pisidian Antioch, where the Jewish leaders strongly opposed them. The apostle’s words echo the king’s estimation that those invited to the wedding “did not deserve to come”: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46). The gospel message, Jesus taught, would be made available to everyone.

For his crime against the king, the improperly attired guest is thrown out into the darkness. For their crimes against God, there will be many who will be consigned to “outer darkness”—existence without God for eternity. Christ concludes the parable with the sad fact that “many are invited, but few are chosen.” In other words, many people hear the call of God, but only a few heed it.

“Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: “My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’” Although rejected, God continued to woo His people. He warned and disciplined them. Still, they refused to repent. God would not give up on them. “But they paid no attention and went off — one to his field, another to his business. The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.”

To summarize the point of the Parable of the Wedding Feast, God sent His Son into the world, and the very people who should have celebrated His coming rejected Him, bringing judgment upon themselves. As a result, the kingdom of heaven was opened up to anyone who will set aside his own righteousness and by faith accept the righteousness God provides in Christ. Those who spurn the gift of salvation and cling instead to their own “good” works will spend eternity in hell. The self-righteous Pharisees who heard this parable did not miss Jesus’ point. In the very next verse, “the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words” (Matthew 22:15). The Parable of the Wedding Feast is also a warning to us, to make sure we are relying on God’s provision of salvation, not on our own good works or religious service. Discover additional information with the The Parable of the Wedding Feast video on YouTube.

Just as the king provided wedding garments for his guests, God provides salvation for mankind. Our wedding garment is the righteousness of Christ, and unless we have it, we will miss the wedding feast. When the religions of the world are stripped down to their basic tenets, we either find man working his way toward God, or we find the cross of Christ. The cross is the only way to salvation (John 14:6).

The Parable Of The Lost Coin and other spiritual videos

Religion

Let’s talk about The Parable Of The Lost Coin? In the illustration, the sinner is likened to a valuable coin which has been lost. The woman does not take a lax attitude towards her lost possession. No. First she lights a lamp, necessarily expending oil, so that she can see clearly. Next, instead of simply glancing here and there, she uses a broom or some utensil to sweep her house so that she can reach places that might otherwise be inaccessible to her. Above all, she searches carefully. There is no hint of indifference, only diligence. This coin was valuable; she must find it at all costs.

The parable of the lost coin is the story about a woman who loses one of her ten silver coins. She looks through her entire house and rejoices when she finds the coin. After finding this coin, the lady makes it seem like that one coin has become more valuable than all of the other nine coins.

The significance of this story for me was the recurring theme in these parables of judgment. After the woman has found the one coin she lost, it becomes more valuable than all of the other nine coins even though they are of equal value in terms of money. This is similar to the idea that if one were to be a sinner and become lost from God, they would be preferred in the kingdom if they change their ways than nine people who do not repent but claim to be good. A person who has sinned but has begun repentance is much more valued by God then a person who sins and repents but claims not to.

Have you guys ever lost something? I know that I lose things all the time and so does my mom. I remember when I was a little kid, my mom used to lose her glasses every day. Most of the time they’d fall under the bed, sometimes she would put them into a drawer, but I remember there were some times where they would be right on her head the whole time and she never knew. Now when we lose something that has a lot of value, we search for it and we’ll look everywhere for it. And that’s what today’s story is. Today’s story is called the parable of the lost coin. So there was a lady who owned 10 coins. Discover extra details with the The Parable Of The Lost Coin video on YouTube.

This parable teaches us that God is a loving and forgiving person. Although someone may have been lost, they can still be found and repent and be let into the kingdom of heaven. God values those people far more than those who refuse to admit that they have sinned and claim to be followers of him. We learn from this parable that because God is such a loving and forgiving person, it is never too late to clean up our act. There is always an opportunity to repent and become a better person through the eyes of God.

In context, Jesus has just asked a rhetorical question about a shepherd losing his sheep. This question is rhetorical because his listeners would all understand the obvious answer. Likewise, when Jesus tells this parable of the lost coin, he asks it as a rhetorical question because the answer is obvious to his audience. Jesus says, “Or what woman having ten silver coins, if she loses one of them, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it? When she has found it, she calls together her friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found the coin that I had lost.'” (Luke 15:8-9)

The Parable of the Friend at Night

Religion

The Parable of the Friend at Night explained? The characters in the story are a villager who is in bed with his family at midnight and a neighbor with a need. Hospitality was a strictly observed custom in the Middle East, and a man caught without bread for a visitor would be in a shameful and desperately needy position. Only such a need would drive a man to his neighbor’s house at midnight. And only such a need would drive the man to this level of persistence. The Greek word translated “boldness” in the NIV and “persistence” in the NASB implies impudence and audacity. This is what Jesus is saying should be our attitude as we approach the throne of grace—a confident boldness that persists in pursuing God until He grants us mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16).

Perhaps the key term for understanding the meaning of this parable is the word translated persistence in the NKJV. The Greek word is anaídeia, and its meaning is strongly debated by scholars of Biblical Greek. In fact, this debate is reflected in the translation and notes of some of the modern versions. For example, the NASB translates the Greek term anaídeia as persistence, but then it includes a footnote that reads “Lit shamelessness.” On the other hand, the ESV translates to word as impudence, but then includes a footnote that reads “Or, persistence.” So, which is it? Does the word mean something like shamelessness or impudence?

As I have already indicated, this is a pretty long question, but it is pretty easily understood nonetheless. The question demands an answer something like, “Of course my friend would not refuse to help me in such a situation!” Jesus is simply asking us to think about how a friend would indeed get up in the middle of the night in order to help us with a need. And He assumes that we all have friends who would not refuse us but would help us out. After all, isn’t this what friends do? Discover more information with the The Parable of the Friend at Night video on YouTube.

Jesus is not comparing the reluctant friend with the heavenly Father; He is contrasting the two. Jesus is not saying that the heavenly Father is like the reluctant friend who needs to be persuaded many times before he would help. He is saying that if even a reluctant friend will give out of a person’s persistence, how much more will the heavenly Father give out of our persistence. In verse 13, Jesus says that if we, who are evil, know how to give good things, how much more the heavenly Father. Again, He is contrasting the two.

Gainesville, Florida Christian churches and holy lessons

Religion

Gainesville Non-Denominational churches and holy education? We exist to help all people discover family in Christ by reaching those far from God and making disciples who build God’s kingdom. Discovering family in Christ means knowing God as Father and His followers as brothers and sisters. It means having a relationship with the Creator of the universe that gives you a purpose on earth. It means finding your place among the people who have committed their lives to share God’s love.

Therefore, in the Parable of the Unforgiving / Unmerciful / Unjust Servant, Jesus is teaching His disciples, and us by extension, that forgiveness should be in like proportion to the amount forgiven. The first servant had been forgiven all, and he then should have forgiven all. In like manner, a child of God by faith through Christ has had all sins forgiven. Therefore, when someone offends or sins against us we should be willing to forgive him from a heart of gratitude for the grace to which we ourselves are debtors.

Jesus presents a final quiz on the matter at the end of the parable of the persistent widow and unjust judge. He asks, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?” (Luke 18:8, NLT). Just as Paul stresses in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, continual devotion to prayer should be a way of life. The Lord wants to know if He will find any faithful prayer warriors left on the earth when He returns. Will we be among God’s people still praying at Christ’s second coming, “Your Kingdom come, your will be done” (Matthew 6:10)?

The Parable Of The Lost Coin? During this time period, most homes only had one room with a lower floor and a slightly raised upper level. Many families would keep one or two livestock (which would be all they owned) in the home with them, in order to prevent theft. The upper level was used for meals, cooking, and sleeping, while the lower level is where the animals were kept; thus, houses were very dirty having all kinds of debris on the floor.

The Parable of the Sower meaning? Next, there is the crowded heart. That is the seed that falls on ground where weeds choke out its growth. Slowly and surely, these people, busy with the cares and riches of the world, just lose interest in the things of God. Finally, there is the fruitful heart that receives the Word. The seed falls on good ground and the plants produce a rich harvest. We are the ones who determine what kind of soil our hearts will be. We decide whether we will have a hard heart, a shallow heart, a crowded heart, or a receptive heart. This is exactly what James meant when he said, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21).

The fast way to find Christian churches in Gainesville FL? If you are searching for a church JOIN FOR FREE to find the right church for you. Churches in Alachua County Florida and zip code 32601 are included with reviews of Baptist churches, Methodist churches, Catholic churches, Pentecostal and Assembly of God churches, Lutheran churches and other Protestant and Catholic Christian churches. Find more details at Churches in Gainesville FL.

Some interpretations of this parable use it as justification for the “deathbed conversion,” where repentance and confirmation of salvation occur directly before death. The workers represent people who convert to Christianity: the early workers are Christians born in the faith, who have spent most of their lives in the church, while the last workers are Christians who convert either on their deathbed or close to Jesus’ second coming. The denarius, then, represents salvation. All those who come to Christ, no matter when, will receive the same gift of salvation.

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure meaning

Religion

The Parable of the Hidden Treasure explained? Jesus had just finished explaining to the disciples the meaning of the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, and these two short parables are a continuance of His discussion of the “kingdom of heaven.” He expressed truths about the kingdom in three pairs of parables in Matthew 13: the seed and the sower (vv. 3-23) and the weeds in the field (vv. 24-30); the mustard seed (vv. 31-32) and the leaven (v. 33); and the hidden treasure (v. 44) and the pearl of great price (vv. 45-46).

The man sold everything he had to buy the field. In the same way, when we seek God, we realize that there’s no earthly riches that are worth our place in His kingdom. When we find our place with God, we gladly sacrifice anything we have, even life, to secure our place with Him for eternity. The man paid everything he had to purchase the field, but the treasure came free. When we seek Jesus, He asks us to give everything to Him and when we choose Jesus, we choose His will over our own, giving everything over to Him. He gives His grace, love, and forgiveness to us freely, although the cost of following Him may be high.

The similarities of these two short parables make it clear they teach the same lesson—the kingdom of heaven is of inestimable value. Both parables involve a man who sold all he had to possess the kingdom. The treasure and the pearl represent Jesus Christ and the salvation He offers. And while we cannot pay for salvation by selling all our worldly goods, once we have found the prize, we are willing to give up everything to possess it. But what is attained in exchange is so much more valuable that it is comparable to trading an ounce of trash for a ton of diamonds (Philippians 3:7-9).

In both parables, the treasures are hidden, indicating that spiritual truth is missed by many and cannot be found by intelligence or power or worldly wisdom. Matthew 13:11-17 and 1 Corinthians 2:7-8, 14 make it clear that the mysteries of the kingdom are hidden from some who are unable to hear, see, and comprehend these truths. The disobedient reap the natural consequences of their unbelief—spiritual blindness. Those whose eyes are opened by the Spirit do discern spiritual truth, and they, like the men in the parable, understand its great value.

Notice that the merchant stopped seeking pearls when he found the pearl of great price. Eternal life, the incorruptible inheritance, and the love of God through Christ constitute the pearl which, once found, makes further searching unnecessary. Christ fulfills our greatest needs, satisfies our longings, makes us whole and clean before God, calms and quiets our hearts, and gives us hope for the future. The “great price,” of course, is that which was paid by Christ for our redemption. He emptied Himself of His glory, came to earth in the form of a lowly man and shed His precious blood on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins. See extra details on the The Parable of the Hidden Treasure video on YouTube.

But since we don’t pay money to follow Jesus, what is the application? We have to remember that there is a cost associated with following Jesus. For us to truly be under Jesus’ rule, we will constantly make sacrifices. Every day we’re faced with opportunities for obedience. Sometimes that means being willing to surrender perfectly good things out of love for the Lord. The kingdom of heaven might cost us relationships, jobs, security, and maybe even our lives. In these two parables, Jesus wants to encourage us that there isn’t anything that we can give up that is more valuable than His kingdom. Every single sacrifice we make that empowers us to better submit to the lordship of Christ is absolutely worth it. We just need to pray for the faith to receive this truth, and the discipline to live it out.