Pearls of Great Price.........

Hello Brothers and Sisters...


Matthew 13:45-46

Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls:

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

 

This is a beautiful scripture describing our lives and the process thereof.  The kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man which is our LORD JESUS CHRIST.  It is HE who seeks after us, the goodly pearls.

 

How is a pearl formed?  Here is this oyster growing inside this heavy duty protective shell. 

Then something foreign invades this body whether it be a piece of dirt or a grain of sand.  This foreign particle can be likened to sin in our lives which invades our hearts, souls and minds. 

Then as the beautiful design of our Father takes hold in the physical as well as the spiritual the oyster begins to coat this foreign invader with what is called the mother of pearl.  Through a very long process and very slowly the protective coat grows thicker and thicker with this most beautiful garment.

 

GOD in His infinite wisdom has provided us with this garment.  The invasion of sin into the world and our own lives and all around us has separated us from the Good and Righteousness that is GOD, should we choose to partake of it.  It has invaded this earth so much now that the world is calling evil good and good evil.  The only set standard of Good is that of our Creator and Father.  The Good covenant put forth by His own finger for us to follow for our own good, The Ten Commandments.

 

Layer by layer throughout our lives this protective garment grows stronger should we choose to accept and follow the Good from which it is produced. Our work is to make this garment white and spotless just like a pearl and to help each other in this journey.  One thin layer at a time slowly surrounds us as we step forward into HIS Goodness and realize how beautiful and perfect all HIS creation is.

 

You see we are the pearls and a great price has been paid for us.  We didn't pay the price HE did for us out of love.  HE gave everything He had.....He left his place to come to this sinful place,  He created a very special body for Him to inhabit, He walked among his creation full of sin, He taught and healed in the face of abuse and rejection by His very own children.  He showed us despite ourselves the example of living the fulfillment of His Good Covenant for our own good.  He showed us His Glory of which some has been imparted unto to us to share.  That regardless of what man has taught us we can or cannot do,  We can live in His Goodness and the Freedom we attain in this Truth is eternal.

Who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had, and bought it.

When He had found ONE pearl He sold everything He had to buy it.  This is what our LORD JESUS has done for us.  You and I are that ONE pearl.  Thank you Father for your mercy and grace!!!

 

 

Jesus Christ our LORD bought us, the garment is His life and blood.  If we accept and live in it, a Beautiful Pearl of great price is born.

 

Be Blessed!!!

Do you sleep well?

Brothers and Sisters
 
 

Psalms 3:5   I laid me down and slept; I awaked; for the LORD sustained me.


David writes this when he was fleeing from his son Absalam.  He was fleeing for his life again for Absalam was looking to take over as king.  How could David sleep well?

David knew the LORD.  He knew the LORD and he knew it is only the LORD that sustains us.  There is no other in all the universe, in all creation, in all that man's mind can bring forth that can sustain life.

  Psalms 3:3   But thou, O LORD, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.

 Psalms 3:4   I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill Selah.
 

In fleeing from all the trouble and those rising up against him David knew it was the LORD's glory not his own that would sustain him.  He knew he had no glory of himself.

Interesting that he cried unto the LORD and he knew the LORD heard him out of his holy mountain which is Jerusalem.  Why would David state that the LORD heard him out of his holy mountain instead of saying the LORD heard him from heaven.  David knew the LORD would come out of Jerusalem.  There are examples of the people crying out to the LORD and HIM hearing them from heaven which would be logical.


 Neh 9:28 

But after they had rest, they did evil again before thee: therefore leftest thou them in the hand of their enemies, so that they had the dominion over them: yet when they returned, and cried unto thee, thou heardest them from heaven; and many times didst thou deliver them according to thy mercies;

 
David did not sacrifice innocent creatures as did the religious leaders of his time.  David knew that forgiveness for sin came directly from GOD and only from GOD.

David knew that when he sinned it was a sin against GOD and GOD only.


Psalms 51:1   Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

  Psalms 51:2   Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

  Psalms 51:3   For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

  Psalms 51:4   Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 

 
David knew that GOD wants from us real truth in our hearts and in return GOD will make us to understand.  David asks GOD to purge him with hyssop and he would be clean,

did you know that hyssop was used for purifying,  the Hebrews were instructed to use Hyssop dipped in the blood of the lamb to paint their doorposts the night the angel of death came to take all the firstborn in the Exodus. 

 
Psalms 51:6   Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

  Psalms 51:7   Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.


David knew that only GOD can heal our brokenness before Him.  Only GOD can renew our spirits with joy and gladness.

  Psalms 51:8   Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

  Psalms 51:9   Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

  Psalms 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

  Psalms 51:11   Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

  Psalms 51:12   Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

 
So you see Scripture is perfect and GOD foretold long before HE physically came to this earth, HIS perfect plan of salvation for those who would hear and honor.  Jesus Christ our LORD God is GOD.  HE is the power of our GOD sent forth since the beginning.

 
Take heed my brothers and sisters!!!

 Be Blessed!!!

Our Father's Garden...

Hello Brothers and Sisters

Genesis 2:8 And the LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden; and there he put the man whom he had formed.
Genesis 2:9 And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

The Lord's most prized possession...being formed by His power and given everything he would need to live eternally in this special place, this place called a garden. One has to believe that this “garden” is much deeper in meaning than soil. Oh yes, it is the soil from which the Lord brought us upon this earth, taught us to follow His will and the very place He was laid in body after His crucifixion. The garden is very important indeed, to our Father of course and in turn important for us to treasure and understand.

Jeremiah 29:5 Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

The Lord instructs us many times through out His word to plant gardens, to be fruitful and to enjoy the goodness He alone made from this earth. He also asks us to be like the garden by doing right by Him and His will which will bring forth good fruits and will bring us closer to Him and each other.

Isaiah 1:28 And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the LORD shall be consumed.
1:29 For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired, and ye shall be confounded for the gardens that ye have chosen.

The Lord also warns against choosing any garden that is not of Him, any wayward walk is where we lay forever without Him.

Luke 13:18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it?
13:19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it.

Wow, just wow… first, to dwell in the Lord describing the breadth of His kingdom and the ways in which He made it, and that He shared that with us...thank you Father. Secondly, again He tells us how important this garden is to Him in that He uses it to describe HIS kingdom?! We are so truly blessed to be His and to be grown from this special place.

John 19:40 Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.
19:41 Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden; and in the garden a new sepulchre, wherein was never man yet laid.
19:42 There laid they Jesus therefore because of the Jews' preparation day; for the sepulchre was nigh at hand.

Our Lord's very body was slain and laid to rest in a garden, HIS garden I say, because it is all His. All the earth, all the heavens and all of existence belongs to Him alone, it IS Him, amen!

Clearly our Father holds dear this very sacred place, this “garden” of His. The earth is His garden, the heavens are His garden, we are His garden! He has built this garden from beginning to end and will continue to nurture and tend to all that grow in Him.
How blessed are those that grow from the hand of the Almighty, receive His pruning and who flourish eternally in His everlasting glory.

           Grow your gardens well! Xoxo

Waiting on the Lord...

Hello Brothers and Sisters

Those four words hold all the meaning in the world of you believe them, if you live them and if you trust them.
What does it truly mean to wait on the Lord and why is that simple statement so verily important? It could be interpreted in many ways I suppose; literal span of time waiting for the Lord's return, maybe applying it to our daily life obstacles eg fulfilling our desires, hopes and dreams or even overcoming illness. How about the spiritual facet, having a patience and trust in the Lord and His will.

Psalms 27:14 - Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Psalms 37:34 - Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see [it].

Psalms 40:1 - (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David.) I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

Those four words are placed so perfectly in His word to tend to all of the matters listed above. My personal belief is that waiting on the Lord truly breaks down to having faith in the Lord, His will and His word. It is literal time. It is hearing His call and plans for our lives daily. His desire to take care of us as well as building patience, trust, and a desire for His will to be fulfilled not our own.
Waiting on the Lord= Faith on/in the Lord.

One of my favorite verses that tends to waiting on the Lord through faith is that spoken by Paul in Galatians 2:20.

Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Wow....  What a powerful declaration of faith. What a profound realization of the Lord's living AND dying through Jesus Christ for our souls. What a joy in knowing that by the gift of Jesus and by His blood alone we are one with Him. He lives daily in us and we exist only through Him!
That to me is waiting on the Lord. That to me is faith. To walk daily as Christ is in me. His will be done. His plans at work, not my own. It is all He wants for us, to believe. To trust Him in all ways and to have faith in His plan for us.

God Bless !!!