WHEAT AND TARES

MEMORY VERSE: Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles, Matthew 7:16

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Ruth 3-4, Acts 28, Jer 38, Luke 7

BIBLE STUDIES: Matthew 13:24- 30

In the early stage of development, wheat and tares look alike. They have the same height, color; respond to the same conditions in the same way. As they grow, it becomes even harder to tell the difference. If care is not taken tares could be taken for wheat and vice and versa. You only know which is which until they mature. At maturity, the wheat has fruits in its head while the tares are filled with little black seeds. Tares are weeds and like any other weeds they are harmful. In elementary agricultural science we learnt that weeds reduce crop yield because they compete for water, nutrients & lights with the real plant. They reduce the value of the land. They are harmful to human beings and animals. Also some harbor insects –pests & disease pathogens e.t.c. 

The field in the parable of the wheat and tares is the church of God. There is a need for the church to be spiritually awake. Because the church of God is asleep, the enemy has sown a lot of tares among the wheat. The enemy has sown a lot of satanic doctrines some of which are it is ok to smoke cigarette because cigarette only destroys the body not the spirit. 1 Cor 6:19-20 says our body belongs to God not us. Destroying the body with alcohol, cigarette, weed, cocaine and so on is demolishing God’s temple. The wheat are the genuine Christians, those who have been washed clean by the blood of the lamb and tares are the look alike. The tares are spiritual weed in the church. Some of them just come to church to look for a husband or a wife. They do not want to be saved but they want to marry a saved brother or sister. We have them everywhere in the church - evangelism team, choir, usher, prayer warrior e.t.c. The fact that a brother is in church does not mean he is a Christian. The fact that a sister is always leading praise and worship every Sunday does not mean she is a Christian. How do you tell the difference between the wheat and tares? By their fruits. 

When the servants of the householder wanted to go and gather the tares from the field, the householder told them not to bother because whilst gathering the tares they might uproot the wheat with them. Asides from the fact that the tares looked just like the wheat, the wheat grew too close to the tares which makes it very difficult to uproot the tares without destroying the wheat. A trained servant could be able to tell the difference between the two but whilst gathering tares, he might uproot the wheat also because of their closeness. This is why heaven minded believers must choose their friends carefully. The day the wicked is going to get punished for his actions, the righteous close to him might partake in it if care is not taken. Proverbs 13:20 says he that walks with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. The fools will get their reward but their companion would not be spared either. The companion of the fools might include one or two not so wise men.

PRAYER POINT: Father , every plant you have not planted in your church please uproot them.

MAKING IT UP

MEMORY VERSE: lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds, Colossians 3:9. 

BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: Num 29, Ps 73, Isa 21, 2 Pet 2

A lie is a lie no matter how you paint it. As far as it is void of the truth, it is a lie. There is nothing called half truth, it is either a lie or the truth. No matter how you phrase it or put it, as far as it is not the whole truth it is a lie. If there is a tiny bit of a lie in a story, the whole story is a lie. Galatians 5:9 says a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. One aspect of lying is making things up i.e. when something is not there and you say it is there, it is a lie. No liar will make heaven. Why? According to John 8:44 the devil is the father of lies or liars and no child of the devil will be permitted in heaven. Proverbs 12:22 says a lying lips are abomination to the Lord; but they that deal truly are His delight.

When we talk of making things up, it does not necessarily have to be telling a lie. There are many who without opening their mouth make things up. All they need to do with their pen is add two extra zeros and 500 becomes 50000. Another example is found in many CV’s today. People want to sell themselves to their prospective employers so they begin to come up with experiences they do not have or funny references. If it is not true then it is a lie! There are some who are still living a life of lies. An example of this is acting holy. Holiness is not an act but a lifestyle. You can fool men into believing anything but you cannot fool God who sees inside and out. To be pure outside you need to be inside first. This is why the holy word of God says that blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God, Matthew 5:8.

There are many who who make things up with their actions.There many today who dye their hair immediately they begin to notice grey hair coming out. Whether you believe it or not this is a form of lie. You give people an impression that your hair is dark when it is actually grey! One of the biggest lie in the church of God today is the use of make-up. As the name implies you are making things up i.e. you are making something that is not there appears as if it is there. This is all what ‘make up’ is all about; giving people false impression. As brothers you should not be attracted to ‘make-up’ but character, besides what is the point of engaging with someone who is not sincere with basic things like the length of her hair or her nails. It is better to know that a sister has pimples before marriage than to find out next morning after marriage when the ‘make-up’ is all gone. Sisters be wary of a brother who wants you make-up first before he falls in love with you. The reason why he wants you to make-up first is because he does not like the real you and honestly immediately that make-up goes off that brother will run away. Sisters be careful of a brother who loves to be told a lie because such brother do not value the truth and the chances are he will tell you a lie.

KEYWORD: A lie is a lie regardless of who is saying it and how it is presented.