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-====== Purpose ... ======
+====== Great Value ... ======
-Monday, Sept 3, 2018.
+Monday, Sept 3, 2018. What is of great value to you? Recently I had a discussion with my bank advisor,
+and the people suggested various investments for my savings. How can you make the most of what you have?
+What do you want with your money? When do you need it? There are many questions to answer, and you
+need to be smart, or you loose a lot which is of value ...
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-** ... **
+** The treasure, the pearl ... **
+When you have friends, or when you are in love with someone, you realize that all what might be of
+value to you is nothing compared to that particular friend or person. You are happy to give a lot of
+treasures, just to be with him or her, just to spend time with her, to speak, to enjoy, to exchange
+about life, about work, about sorrows or the joy of life!
+What is of value? The bible tells us that God himself is fantastic, even better that the best experience
+we have with friends or with human love. God and his kingdom is a great treasure, it is a great pearl,
+it is beyond measure in terms of our human riches and values!
+In the Gospel of Matthew Jesus tells two parables about this treasure, have a look into chapter 13:
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+“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
-</color> ()
+“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, 46 who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.
+</color> (Matthew 13, 44-45)
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-**  ...**
+** My own steps ...**
+What are my own steps when it comes to God? Let us discuss two scenarios. First, assume someone does
+not know God. But he or she might have a faint idea that God might be interesting or fantastic. What would
+you do? You would go and start to find our more! You would search God. You would try to discuss God
+with people who could know more. This approach is reasonable and constructive!
+Search for believing Christians! Search for Christians who live with Jesus, and then start to discuss
+the questions with them. There are various churches in each and every town, where you find believers.
+Go and search, and God himself has promised that he will give you answers, that he can be found!
+But let us also talk about the second scenario: assume you get to know God. Assume you start to realize
+that God is there, indeed. Assume you start to realize how fantastic God is, how holy, full of eager
+justice, full of mercy, of compassion, of love and truth and light! Then, you start to discover the
+treasure which is in him.
+Go and give all the other treasures to get to him, to buy his treasure. It is part of the story of
+God, that he is the source of life. We cannot hold anything against him. We cannot buy our one life,
+except by realizing that all comes from him, and all belongs to him. We will give all we have, to be
+free to fully meet him. Here, with him, true freedom comes! His kingdom is a pearl so valuable, that
+even the largest kingdoms of our planet are mere dust in comparison, just a second of time in eternity.
+When we start to meet him we realize great value, far beyond our wildest dreams.
 (Roland Potthast)
 [[http://www.jesusnetwork.eu/en/topics_collection_ix|... further texts]]