parables

Pulling out Those Pesky Thorns!

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them.             Matthew 13:7 ESV

Thorns come with a wide variety of nasty consequences to their recipients. From the big ones that roses hide beneath their blossoms to the tiniest that coat the stems of stinging nettles, they are designed to cause pain. Why would any farmer choose to plant in such a place? Oh that is because without his knowing the thorn’s seeds are carried by the wind and rain and bed themselves down in the same nicely plowed field as the wheat or corn.

KIMG0347

The message for us is that we not only need for things to be taken out of our field, like rocks and roots, but we need to watch out for what comes in. It is not only about having good soil; it is also about guarding against bad seeds. Living for Jesus isn’t complicated. Wrong motivations, temptations and sin are constantly working to try and make our lives seem more complex than they really need to be. So how do we pull out those thorns from our lives? Paul’s message to his friend Timothy makes it simple. Focus on the things that matter to God and He will take care of the harvest!

The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.  1 Timothy 1:5 ESV

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.

1564496999153_verse_image.jpg

He Watches Sparrows

/ pastorpete51 / 1 Comment

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. Matthew 10:29

bird sparrow

Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels.com

In Jesus’ day sparrows were common and held value only for what brief use anyone might have of them. Sometimes I have wondered, why Jesus tells us that God watches sparrows. After all God is everywhere and He also watches eagles, lions and even alligators (We have 1.3 million of them in Florida)! But unlike animals with talons, claws and teeth, sparrows have no offensive weapons. Instead their only hope is that in the moment of danger they will fly to safety. 

Have you ever felt like a sparrow? Apparently many of Jesus’ listeners did. They had been oppressed by Romans, exploited by their own religious leaders and despised by the rich. But when Jesus came they hung on His every word because He was someone who loved to spend time with them and who invited them to come to Him. Have you ever considered that God also loves spending time with you so much that He sent His own Son with the invitation to share eternity with Him. That is an invitation without an expiration date because the God who watches sparrows also He watches you and me.