Showing posts with label One Precious Pearl. Show all posts
Showing posts with label One Precious Pearl. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Lessons from an Old Oil Painting



~ The Greatest Bargain! ~ 

A chance purchase…

The following is an excerpt from a book.

There was a time when I collected prints of scenes from the Pacific Northwest. I remember the time that I was looking through a hardware store in a small town along the Columbia River. I always enjoy hardware stores, especially in small towns, and in this case the anticipation of a bargain was high due to the “going out of business” signs in the windows. It wasn’t long before I spotted something I had not anticipated. It was a large discarded painting in the back room—in the “Employees Only” area. It was extremely dirty and dusty but I thought I could make out that it was a painting of Crater Lake, Oregon. The painting had no future and was headed for the dump when the store closed for the last time.

I found the owner of the store and asked about it. He was surprised that I had spotted it and amazed that I showed an interest in it. He brought it out and we blew off some of the dust. I quickly discovered some prior do-it-yourself efforts to clean the painting—which were clearly unsuccessful. Apparently someone had used gasoline or other solvent, smearing the oils—the painting looked beyond repair. But since my wife and I had honeymooned at Crater Lake and we returned to that special spot regularly, to his delight I gave the store owner a few dollars and then left with an original oil painting. My intention was to restore the painting.

At home I briefly cleaned it the best I could and hung it in our basement, but it was clearly damaged goods. The painting hung in our basement for a number of years.

One day through a business contact I learned of a local oil painting restoration expert. His services turned out to be far more reasonable than I expected and the beauty of the original creation was brought back to life. The vibrant colors were amazing. It turned out to be a painting from the late 1800s by a well-known painter. Some years later we took it for a formal valuation and confirmed that the painting which had been headed to the trash was indeed valuable.

The painting now occupies a prominent spot in our dining room—it is on display for others to see and admire.

Just like that painting, many lives have been wasted and now exist in back rooms missing out on the purpose for which they were created. Many others appear very successful on the outside, but inside they are empty and missing the most important thing in life. Like the painting, they are covered with dirt from past experiences, circumstances, and wrong decisions.

When the surface is cleaned up and a deeper analysis is made, the evidence of past do-it-yourself improvement projects is evident. No lasting success was achieved; in fact, often they are worse off than before their “pulling up by bootstraps” efforts were completed.

I have some good news for you. Jesus Christ is the Master Restorer. He restores broken and cast-off lives. He brings clarity and brilliance to all who come to Him. Bringing your past to Jesus Christ and trusting Him for the future is the only effective answer. He has already paid for your restoration at the Cross. You only need to deliver yourself to the Master Restorer. When He restores, all your stains are removed and vibrancy is restored. Like my painting, you can be restored to what you were intended to be.

As you grow in your knowledge of Him, you take on His character. Like the painting, you can now fulfill the role for which you were created. Your life will have meaning and purpose, and like the painting, you will bring joy and pleasure to others. You will no longer be headed for the trash bin, rather now you have a secure home. Others looking on will admire what they see.

That painting is a picture of many individuals today. Because of Adam’s original sin all of mankind is doomed to sin, suffering, and death. The just and righteous Creator of the universe cannot overlook crime against His holy nature—the price must be paid!

The Good News is that your penalty has been paid by Jesus Christ.

The sin of man grieved the heart of God so much that He sent His only Son to die at Calvary to pay the penalty for your sin. However, there is a simple requirement in order for you to escape the ultimate judgment and corresponding eternal suffering. You must make a decision to accept the gift of salvation that the death of Jesus Christ provided for you.

But please do not take my word for it—take God at His Word. Consider the following quotations from the Word of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20 NKJV). “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because He has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).

Please now understand the significance of that word “whoever.” That last paragraph may be correctly read as follows: “For God so loved [your name] that He gave His one and only Son, so that if [your name] believes in Him [your name] shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn [your name], but that [your name] might be saved through Him. If [your name] believes in Him [your name] will not be condemned, but if [your name] does not believe [your name] stands condemned already because [your name] has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.”

“For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). The fact that Jesus Christ overcame death proves He was God. Over 500 eyewitnesses saw the resurrected Christ at one time. There were also numerous other appearances in His resurrected state including appearances to those who knew Him very well. He not only has power over death but also the power to give you a never-ending life of great joy and happiness in the world to come.

“Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God” (John 1:12-13). However, this world may be at 11:59 p.m. on the dial of the “earth’s history” clock, and when the hour strikes midnight it will be too late.

“The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire” (2 Peter 3:9-10).

God has promised that if you come to Him in faith He will save you for all time and provide you with a deep inner assurance of the reality of your salvation. “I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:13, emphasis added). Once you have accepted the free gift of having your sins paid for by the death of Jesus Christ, the way to confidence and assurance of your future is to regularly read the Word of God and to pray to God.

As you follow God you will gain complete confidence in your future. If you have made the decision to accept the death of Jesus Christ on your behalf, welcome to the kingdom of God! I am so happy to have you as my new brother or sister.

~ from “ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church, pgs 121-125 (ISBN: 9780741462329)
Learn more about this important book at Amazon, the Publisher, or the Author’s website.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:
(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.
(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.
(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 
(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Wednesday, August 3, 2016

Quote: Pearls in the O.T.



~ How Many Times Are Pearls Mentioned in the Old Testament? ~ 

In Biblical times pearls were considered very valuable. 

The following is an excerpt from a book.

In Eastern lands the most costly gems were reserved for royalty.  Only the king was allowed to wear the finest.  In this parable we will find that the one pearl of great price is purchased for the One who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The word pearl is used sparingly in the Bible and is not even mentioned in the Hebrew Old Testament.  The Old Testament exception in English translations is when the word is found in the Authorized Version (King James) where we read “of coral, or of pearls” (Job 28:18).  The context is a listing of items of value including gems and gold.  These precious items are contrasted to wisdom, which is seen to be of even greater value.  The conclusion is that the fear of the Lord is wisdom and to depart from evil shows understanding (Job 28:28).  Many newer translations more accurately render this passage using another word in place of pearl (such as crystal, quartz, or jasper).

~ from “ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church, pgs 21-22 (ISBN: 9780741462329)
Learn more about this important book at Amazon, the Publisher, or the Author’s website.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:
(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.
(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.
(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 
(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Quote: Prevalent But Not Seen



~ Hidden Until Complete ~ 

How about you?  Have you seen it? 

The following is an excerpt from a book.

My wife is fond of saying, with a twinkle in her eye, “Isn’t it funny how you always find something in the last place you look for it!” For sure, when an item is found, the search is halted.

The pearl remains hidden until complete. Man does not see the pearl until it is finished growing, because once it is removed from the oyster it stops growing. By definition it is complete at that point. Notice also that the pearl must be removed from the place of its formation in order to become a lovely ornament.

The world does not recognize the Church of Jesus Christ or the kingdom of heaven today. The Church is all around, yet the natural man does not recognize the Church for what it is. In Ephesians 3:9 we find the Church has been a mystery since the beginning of the world: “This mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.” In Colossians 1:26 Paul speaks of the Church as “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.” The mystery of the Church is now made known to His saints, but the world does not see it. The world at large is spiritually blind, blinded by Satan, and has not seen Christ’s Church.

It is true that there is both a visible and an invisible church. While the Church universal is unseen, local church buildings are seen and to some extent local churches are visible to the world at large (the local churches are not buildings but the individual believers that make up the local church gathering). However, the clear teaching of Scripture is that the Church universal is unseen by the world at large.

Earth has never seen the one precious pearl. The nations have no real concept of it. Natural unregenerate man does not see the Church. But Christ has seen the Church from eternity. Our Lord and Savior waits patiently for the accomplishment. As is true of the pearl, the Church is hidden from man until complete.

There is coming a day when the one precious pearl will be on display as adornment for Christ. Jesus Christ will return to earth and then His bride, the Church, will be with Him forever in eternity future. The Church will be removed from earth, the place of its formation, and will be for the adornment of our Savior in heaven.

~ from “ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church, pgs 111-112  (ISBN: 9780741462329)
Learn more about this important book at Amazon, the Publisher, or the Author’s website.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:
(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.
(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.
(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 
(4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .