Matthew 13:24–30 NKJV
Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”
Jesus is stating that the wheat and the tares are to grow together until the harvest. How many Christians do we know that represent the tares? We will know them as they will be of the sons of the wicked one and will bear no fruit. They will lie and even proclaim themselves as Christians but are motivated by the World. Many wolves will appear and deceive the flock. We are warned about false teachers, healers, prophets and super Apostles who appear to weave their magic but are really false. We need to have our radars out at all times, discerning between good and evil and ensuring that people do not heed false doctrine. Pastoral care must be on alert and protect the sheep from people parading as the enemy, putting on a show but without substance. Clearly, the spirits underpinning people’s motivation need to be tested and dealt with.
Jesus is heeding us and comforting us that those who are tares will be dealt with. So how do we fare? What is our motivation? Are we wheat to go into Jesus’s barn in the harvest? This is talking about eternity - we need to be absolutely sure that the works we do are motivated by the Holy Ghost.
Satan is never more crafty than when he is in the Church. We need to repent, remember our baptism and declaration to the World that we are in Christ and motivated by Him to serve Him, lay down our life and crucify the flesh. Will we allow super apostles to tear apart and divide the Church? At the end of it all, Jesus is coming back for His perfect bride, his Church. Everything will be reconciled and we shall rule and reign with the LORD forever and ever. Watch out for deceivers - for they will be removed and the righteous and elect in Christ will rejoice.
Matthew 13:36–43 NKJV
Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
False ministers and their works will unfortunately be cast into the furnace of fire. There will be much decided upon on judgment day with some big surprises. Some will make it through by the skin of their teeth, others will reign supreme with Christ and some will not make it and fail to finish the race.
Do we exhibit true salvation? Are we truly born again and prepared for glory? What is our attitude to suffering? Will we love God despite the trials and tribulation? Do we shine our lights on all we meet and great? Brothers, we need to keep ourselves in check as otherwise we will fall into the wrong motivation. Lift up your head as Jesus lives! Get serious about your faith and shine your light for the World to see. The field is the World so work out what is genuine and who is not because you may be fooled by the craftiness of doctrine that is superfluous to the tares and the evil one.
Matthew 3:12 NKJV
His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
So it will be at the harvest when the wheat will be gathered into the barn but the chaff will be destroyed utterly with unquenchable fire. We need to prepare ourselves to fight this war for Christ and see His Kingdom come. People need to challenge false leadership because if that fails, they will fall into a multitude of sin.
Remember that Job was tested and so must we be. Throughout the ages, the enemy has been used to sift people to test whether they are genuinely willing to ensure hardship and persecution. There is no option - Christians will enter persecution in their walk with the LORD. We need to stand firm, use our armour and defeat the enemy’s challenge to test our character and our faith. There is great reward when we move through trials and overcome the evil one. For those who are forgiven much, love much and to those who are given much, more is required.
Job was a wealthy man and no one was more righteous at that time. Bad things can happen to good people because their faith comes under fire - to test their character and find out what is in them. Will we retract when persecution comes or will we relish it and rejoice for being worthy to undergo trials? So many people exit faith because they do not receive what they want or what they were believing for. Surely that is not the main thing - what we ought to be about is Jesus and Him crucified - willing to suffer and abide in Him so that we can know Him intimately and love Him intimately.
Matthew 24:14 NKJV
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.
Matthew 28:19 NKJV
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
Luke 24:47 NKJV
and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.
Romans 10:18 NKJV
But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed: “Their sound has gone out to all the earth, And their words to the ends of the world.”
Technology aids us to achieve this Great Commission and this must happen to all the World before the Father can justify the LORD’s return. Nobody knows the hour or the place or the exact events. The Jews failed to recognise the time of the LORD’s visitation. What is to say that many will not recognise the time of the LORD’s second coming? Will the Jews fall for the antichrist? Have we got our sight on Jesus? An evil generation still persists for more signs and wonders. Jesus said desire the best of the gifts, yet he offers a more excellent way - full of faith, hope and love.
We have been gifted with every gift under the sun to reach a lost, depraved and perverse generation. What can we do to get the Word of God to all the nations of the Earth? Do our ministers preach repentance and walking away from sin? From a local context, we then need to reach our state or our nation and to the ends of the Earth. We can use YouTube, social media and even blogs and websites. Are you ready to take your reputation to another level in order to pursue the Great Commission?
Colossians 1:3–6 NKJV
We give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth;
Believer’s Bible Commentary
“Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord.” And, “Their works follow them.” Everything done for Christ and in His name for others will be richly rewarded—every kindness, sacrificial gift, prayer, tear, word of testimony.
How good is the grace of the LORD? The greatest way to know God is using prayer. We have a living hope - much to look forward to - Heaven and every promise written through the oracles of scripture and so much more. Our Heavenly abode will consist of a home far beyond our wildest dreams full of things to do and the capacity to enthrall worship to our great Friend and King Jesus Christ. We will live and dine in ultimate Royalty of the Great Redeemer. Our inheritance is assured - what will we do in response to what God has done for us? Sure, we are not saved by good works but we certainly are rewarded for them.
Prayer needs to consider others, especially those to whom are of the faith and love the saints. Our fruit will dictate our destiny. What better birth is there but the born again experience. Heaven certainly comes to Earth and we can reign with Him in eternity.
Revelation 14:15 NKJV
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”
There will come a time when the harvest will come in. When that happens we will reap in the harvest of the Earth. Possibly the harvest of the earth takes place at the second advent. Christ will descend on a white cloud, having on His head a golden crown and in His hand a sharp sickle. Is the harvest of the earth ripe? We are getting closer to the time.
2 Peter 2:1–2 NKJV
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed.
This is a stern warning and requires a hearty discussion. What exactly are these heresies? Is there not one truth? Is there only one Christ? If we deny the LORD, He will most certainly deny us before Him and the Father, meaning they will pay for the error of their judgment and bring on themselves a swift destruction.
We have the full canon of scripture as well as technology that can answer every question under Heaven. We are in the information age but as always is the case - technology can be used for good or for evil.
Ultimately, we need to resist following destructive patterns of thinking. We need to search each doctrine with the light of scripture. Everything must be considered fundamentally and in context with scripture as a whole. Only then can we think of what is right to both us and the Holy Spirit. We can be free when we consider all the canon of scripture and abide in His love. Not every group will agree scripturally but being aware of other people’s doctrine can be helpful especially when there is adequate debate regarding the possibility that is outlined.
Revelation 19:20 NKJV
Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Revelation 20:10 NKJV
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
Some will believe the lie that the beast and false prophet are Godly when they are really a mascaraed of the devil. He will persist in his last pledge to gain the allegiance of the people on Earth. However, the true church will not be that naïve. The false prophets are everywhere today and they will pursue false healings and signs, deceiving people and providing his mark to those who worship him. Immense pressure will be piled onto true believers to bear the mark but they will not budge some even to the point of death. When the time comes, much courage needs to be exhibited by believers to resist the devil and his plot to deceive the whole world.
Daniel 12:3 NKJV
Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever.
There has to be consideration to warn people of the times to come. There are many not saved and going to hell in this generation. People need to arise in faith with a vision to steer people away from sin to righteousness. We will be like the firmament in all its brightness, ruling and reigning forever and ever. By pulling people up and challenging them, we show our love towards them and save them from a multitude of sin. There is great delight when someone repents, believes, are baptised and gains the Holy Spirit. When born again, the angels and all of Heaven rejoices knowing that salvation has come. There is a great party and celebration as God prepares the path for that believer. The Father knows those who are searching and are lost and He fore-ordains them to a glorious life and eternity. Praise the LORD!
Matthew 13:9 NKJV
He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Amen!!
