HEALTH FOR ALL NATIONS
  • About
    • What is Health
    • Mission Statement
    • Our History
    • Beliefs and Values
    • Organizational Structure
  • People
    • Leadership Team >
      • Mike Soderling
      • Daniel W. O’Neill
      • Rebecca L. Meyer
      • Arnold Gorske
      • Grace Tazelaar
      • Greg Seager
      • Bruce Dahlman
    • Global Collaborators >
      • Dr Ravi I. Jayakaran
      • Apolos Landa Tucto
      • Dr. E. Anthony Allen
      • Rufino L. Macagba
      • Vinod Shah
      • Dr Annelies Wilder-Smith
      • Peter Yorgin
  • Initiatives
    • Unstuck Peer Consultations
    • Christian Journal for Global Health >
      • Journal
      • Donate
    • Best Practices in Global Health Missions >
      • Best Practice Documents
      • Consensus Papers
      • Potential Best Practices Topics
      • Primary Author/Facilitator
    • Christian Global Health in Perspective
    • Lausanne Health for All Nations Issue Network
  • Resources
    • All Creation Groans
    • Understanding Health
    • History of Health >
      • Health, the Bible, and the Church Book Access >
        • Quest for Health
    • History of Christianity
    • Integrated Mission
    • Medical Mission Prep
    • Missions in the 21st Century
    • Cultural Transformation
    • Unity in Our Diversity
    • Annotated Bibliography
    • Ralph Winter
    • Conferences
    • Links
  • Contact
  • Donate
    • Health for All Nations
    • Christian Journal for Global Health
    • Best Practices in Global Health Missions

Blog

THE PARABLE OF THE HIDDEN TREASURE: WEEK 25 IN “THE KINGDOM OF GOD: WHAT IS IT” BY DR DAN FOUNTAIN

6/19/2017

0 Comments

 
Picture
Reading is very brief for today: Matthew 13:44. The parable of the hidden treasure. “The kingdom of heaven is like something precious buried in a field, which a man found and hid again; then in his joy he goes and sells all he has and buys that field.”
This is an interesting parable for its brevity and for what it does not explain. Dr Fountain states it relates to a man who was looking for something he did not have, (implied) otherwise why was he searching, and when he found this treasure hid it again and liquidated his assets in order to purchase the field. It would seem this must have been something that could not be easily removed or he could have simply taken it with him when he found it. But he had to do something in order to complete the purchase of what he believed was an inestimable treasure.

Dr Fountain posits that this man was not satisfied with his present life and worldview. (or at least with the outworking of his worldview) That he was looking for something better to fulfill his life. The hidden treasure is eternal life, a deep, personal relationship with God that lasts forever. The field thus represents the Kingdom of God, a way of life radically different from the man’s old way of life. And this man knows that he cannot get the treasure without leaving his old kingdom, ‘buying’ the new kingdom, and living under the rule of God. We cannot fully possess this marvelous treasure without giving up our old, self-centered way of life. Most people in the world believe the most important person in the world is one’s own self. But the Kingdom of God is completely different. In this kingdom our life is God-centered, not self-centered. He is to rule over all aspects of our lives, affecting all our decisions. We must renounce our old self-centered way of life, accept the rule of God over everything, and enter into a daily walk with Jesus. Too often our evangelistic message has been “Accept this treasure and you will be saved. It is transportable, and you can take it into your old way of life.” But we too often do not each people that salvation means an entirely new way of life. What is the result? Confused Christians, a weak church and idolatry in the Kingdom just as in the days of the Kingdom of Israel.
​
Questions:
  1. Why is this treasure of eternal life so valuable?
  2. Is it possible to receive eternal life without submitting to the rule of God? What did Jesus say about this?
  3. In practical terms, how are you allowing God to rule over your life?
  4. What will it require to have a strong church that can bring transformation to the world? Why hasn’t this happened yet?
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Author

    This is the blog for the Best Practices in Global Health Mission division of the Center for the Study of Health in Mission. It is a space for all who are interested in sharing opinions, ideas and best practices having to do with Christ centered health related ministry.

    Archives

    April 2020
    March 2020
    March 2018
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    August 2016
    June 2016
    February 2016
    July 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    September 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    August 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture



​
​
​© 2023 Health for All Nations
All Rights Reserved
In Partnership with Frontier Ventures
​and the Ralph D. Winter Launch Lab

Picture
Donate

​ABOUT

The mission of Health for All Nations is to engage the global Christian community in the exploration and application of biblical revelation, scientific evidence, and cumulative experience as they relate to health and wholeness. Our mission includes assisting the global Christian church in fulfilling its mandate to promote health and healing among the nations.
​

Learn More
RESOURCES
  • Health, the Bible and the Church book access
  • Quest for Health
  • Understanding Health
  • History of Health
  • History of Christianity
  • Integrated Mission
  • Medical Mission Prep.
  • Missions in the 21st Century
  • Cultural Transformation
  • Unity in Our Diversity
  • Annotated Bibliography
  • Ralph Winter
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • About
    • What is Health
    • Mission Statement
    • Our History
    • Beliefs and Values
    • Organizational Structure
  • People
    • Leadership Team >
      • Mike Soderling
      • Daniel W. O’Neill
      • Rebecca L. Meyer
      • Arnold Gorske
      • Grace Tazelaar
      • Greg Seager
      • Bruce Dahlman
    • Global Collaborators >
      • Dr Ravi I. Jayakaran
      • Apolos Landa Tucto
      • Dr. E. Anthony Allen
      • Rufino L. Macagba
      • Vinod Shah
      • Dr Annelies Wilder-Smith
      • Peter Yorgin
  • Initiatives
    • Unstuck Peer Consultations
    • Christian Journal for Global Health >
      • Journal
      • Donate
    • Best Practices in Global Health Missions >
      • Best Practice Documents
      • Consensus Papers
      • Potential Best Practices Topics
      • Primary Author/Facilitator
    • Christian Global Health in Perspective
    • Lausanne Health for All Nations Issue Network
  • Resources
    • All Creation Groans
    • Understanding Health
    • History of Health >
      • Health, the Bible, and the Church Book Access >
        • Quest for Health
    • History of Christianity
    • Integrated Mission
    • Medical Mission Prep
    • Missions in the 21st Century
    • Cultural Transformation
    • Unity in Our Diversity
    • Annotated Bibliography
    • Ralph Winter
    • Conferences
    • Links
  • Contact
  • Donate
    • Health for All Nations
    • Christian Journal for Global Health
    • Best Practices in Global Health Missions