Prayer – Lord Jesus, we are all wondering just what heaven
will be like. You said You were going to prepare a place for us. Is it almost
ready? We are eagerly, yet somewhat patiently, waiting for You to call us home—to
our heavenly home. Will each person have their own dwelling place? What will we
do besides gather around the thrones, worshipping and sing praises? I
anticipate that some people will serve You as priests and kings—since that is what
You told us in Revelation 1:6 (He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his
Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen) and Revelation 5:10
(And you have caused them (24 elders) to become a Kingdom of priests for our
God. And they will reign on the earth.) Serving for You and with You in eternity
will be a joy—for now we’ll be content where we are, with what we have, serving
You however we feel called.
Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom
of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. ... Here is
another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard
seed planted in a field. ... Jesus also used this illustration: "The
Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though
she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough." ... "The Kingdom
of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his
excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to
buy the field. "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the
lookout for choice pearls. ... "Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a
fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind. ...
Then he added, "Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in
the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new
gems of truth as well as old." Matthew 13:24, 31, 33, 44-45, 47,
52
For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner
who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. Matthew
20:1
Meditate. Consider what Jesus was teaching.
Kingdom of Heaven. That phrase is only found in the New Testament. There are eight verses that have “the Kingdom of Heaven is like….” Lots of people—including one of my brothers—have experienced a brief glimpse of Heaven…and returned or been sent back to this earthy home—the dimension we live in for now. Jesus didn’t refer to different dimensions—but we can understand that God’s time is not our time so that it—as well as heaven—is in a different dimension. We can’t see it—but it is interesting that
 |
| The seeds fell... on the foot path... on rocky soil... among thorns and... on good soil. What kind of "soil" does God's Word find in your heart? |
Farmer
planting good seed
Mustard
seed
Yeast
in making bread
Treasure
Choice
pearl
Fishing
net full of fish
Gems of
truth
Landowner
Jesus used parables that spoke to different people in the circumstances
in which they lived. Do you connect personally with any of these situations? Do
you fish, garden, or bake? Are you always on the lookout for a bargain or
treasure? Then perhaps Jesus is speaking to you about the mysteries, just like
He did His followers—especially His disciples. What mysteries do you understand
about the Kingdom of Heaven? Can you share your ideas in the comment box below,
or with others challenging them to consider the Kingdom of Heaven? For you…what
is heaven like?
Verse of Salvation ~ After this, I heard what sounded
like a vast crowd in heaven shouting, "Praise the LORD! Salvation and
glory and power belong to our God. Revelation 19:1
November has come to a close. Soon Christmas will be here…and
the coming New Year. Are you making plans and setting realistic goals for next
year? Consider spiritual goals that you can attain.
Happy
Heavenly Birthday Sweet Vicki B.
© 2023 Text, photos, and illustrations by Mickey M. Hunacek. All
rights reserved.
All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless
otherwise noted.
New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007 by Tyndale
House Foundation.
Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream,
Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.
Books by Mickey M.
Hunacek
Available as e-books or paperbacks at Amazon.com
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