Kingdom of Heaven

Sold Out!

/ pastorpete51 / 3 Comments 
“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. 
Matthew 13:44 ESV


When I worked in a grocery store in days long before optical scanners and when no one imagined our store being open on Sundays, Saturday was the number one shopping day of the week. That meant that on Friday afternoons I was assigned to make sure that my aisles were stocked and ready for the morning mayhem when the housewives of West Plains Missouri could empty the shelves faster than I could restock! Then also meant that when the doors opened again on Monday, most of our shelves stood empty. We were sold out until I could drive to the warehouse for more merchandise.


That kind of “sold out” was an avalanche of circumstances that took a weekend to experience. The “sold out” that Jesus teaches us about is not something that happens in a single prayer at the altar or over a weekend retreat. That kind of sold out for the kingdom of God takes a lifetime. The only things of value that we have to give are our days and we must sell them one by one if we are to have the treasure hidden in a field. When we have no further claims in this world to hold and we sell our last day, then we will take full possession of Jesus Christ our only inheritance and our treasure. Then we will have the full field and we will be hidden with Him in The Kingdom of Heaven forever!

Heaven is a Place!

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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.

Matthew 13:44 ESV

Ottawa, Canada, Brisbane, Australia, Marseille, France and Jaigaon, India are on four different continents, speak three different languages and share at least two things in common. These all can be found on a map, and they are all capitalized. How strange it is that places on earth that are temporary are given the honor of capitalization while the place in Heaven where God rules is not.

Did you ever stop to think while you prayed, “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” that Heaven is far more real and permanent than where you live? Maybe we miss Heaven’s importance because it is a treasure, but one that God has hidden in the field of this world. Yet this is a place so valuable and true that we are urged to sell all we have to find it. Heaven is our greatest reward and Hope. Heaven is where flowers bloom forever and we will never grow old. Heaven is where God sings and sorrow flees, where angels fall down before Him, and Jesus is lifted up. Heaven is where orphans are adopted, the hungry are fed and tears are wiped away. Heaven is where blind eyes see God and that one day we will be changed to be like Jesus, where finally and forever we will be with Him. Heaven is more wonderful and real than any place on earth. So, let’s capitalize the place where God will forever rule in the hearts of everyone who loves Him!

Pearl of Greatest Price

/ pastorpete51 / 2 Comments

 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. Matthew 13:45-46 KJV

As a business man I have always been intrigued and drawn to this story. Though there are many different kinds of businesses all of us strive to make a profit. But Jesus isn’t talking about money and profit, He is saying that spiritually we have a lot from this merchant. This man had some values that Jesus wanted us to look at and follow.

First; he was looking for the most beautiful pearls. His customers were not interested in  the cheaper flawed pearls which he could easily find. So we need to ask ourselves: “Are we just looking for second best in spiritual things? Are we willing to settle for easy?”

The old saying, “You get what you pay for.” stands true also in spiritual matters. If we buy cheap we get flawed merchandise that will not last either in the here and now or in God’s kingdom. The difference between that story and our spiritual situation is that we do not have anything to pay the price necessary for eternal life. Only Jesus who is our pearl of greatest price can pay. So why settle for lesser things when Jesus is offering us God’s best. He is only asking that we invest all our hope and trust in Him. Then we will find that our Savior Jesus Christ; the true pearl of greatest price is our inheritance which is of infinite value in Heaven.

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