Kingdom Seed Sowing
Or
An Evil End Time Alliance
Sunday Jan. 19, 2020
Scripture To Consider:
“Another parable Jesus put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed 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 the 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.”’” Matthew 13.24-30
Something To Consider:
As I sit in my office months before uploading this posting, on an early summer morning while writing this January 19th lesson of a lifetime, I can see out my window over my desk, six very full raised garden beds of vegetables. Of course, they have not always been full of corn, tomatoes, squash of several kinds, pepper plants of different varieties, okra, onions, cucumbers, lettuce, beans, and the hope of melons. But several months earlier they were merely seed and small plants sown in soil.
Jesus, in the parable of the sower, equated the Word or Scripture being heard to the seed sown in various soils of people’s hearts. Later Jesus, while explaining the parable of the tares, described the seed as the sons and daughters or children of the kingdom. Therefore, Jesus is declaring that kingdom seed sowing of the Word of God produces the fruit of true kingdom children of God.
Once the seed of Scripture is planted in good soil, the fruit of believing is not far behind. Good seed and good soil produce spirit born-again kingdom children. That is why Jesus sowed a lot of kingdom seed. What about us? Are we at all and in some way a part of the sowing of the Word of God? Are we praying for the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into the harvest?
Are we doing our part in the sowing of the spiritual seed of the Word of God by either being available to God to be sent or to be of financial benefit or spiritual encouragement and help to others in their being sent into the harvest field? Or are we allowing the cares of this life and the deceitfulness of riches to choke out the potential fruitfulness of our God ordained righteous acts? This is something important to consider!
Something Else To Consider:
And yet, here we are being introduced to the subtle sneaking in under the cover of the darkness of night, an enemy Jesus will reveal as the devil in future lessons. This enemy of God and of all that is good, constantly attempts to imitate that which is good. These listeners would clearly have understood this analogy to an occasional evil threat that was sometimes carried out by an enemy of an adjoining neighbor for whatever evil reason.
The enemy of God’s kingdom has never ceased to imitate or to do all that is in his power to counterfeit the truth of God’s Word. That is why we find in the book of Revelation an evil alliance formed to imitate the true trinity of God. There John reveals this evil alliance and another enemy’s evil action. This evil alliance involves Satan, the dragon, or Lucifer of old, the beast or Antichrist, and the false prophet.
Looking forward to Revelation chapter 19, the end of this evil alliance and the end to an enemy’s evil action is revealed. John exposes the end result to this evil false trinity-like alliance in verse 20 of Revelation chapter 19. “Then the beast [Antichrist] was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his [Antichrist’s] presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast [Antichrist] and those who worshipped his image.”
John continued his future reporting of the demise of the Antichrist and the false prophet by also stating for the record, “These two [Antichrist and the false prophet] were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.” Others, down through the centuries who have joined forces with Satan’s earthly rebellion and his evil alliance will in like manner be judged and punished. Jesus knows all of the others within this evil alliance as tares to be burned in the fire!
Something More To Consider:
Tares, also known as Zizania or darnel, were very similar looking to wheat in the early stages of growth, but later it was much easier to distinguish the vast difference between the two. The caution shown by Jesus in allowing the tares and the wheat to grow together showed and continues to show great wisdom and concern for the true wheat. At the future end time harvest they will be separated!
Spiritually speaking, the enemy continues to plant tares among God’s people. And many times, it is extremely difficult to tell them apart. They often look alike. They often also sound alike. They often even quote Scripture to more confuse the biblically unlearned. But they remain tares and an integral part of the end time evil alliance of this 21st century generation.
But to uproot the wheat of true believers with the tares of imposters planted and nurtured by the enemy of our souls would be most devastating. Therefore, we must be reminded of the words of Jesus; “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of the 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.’” In the end God will put an end to this evil alliance and evil action.
Did you notice that in the end, at the time of Christ sending His angels to gather His saints, that in the verse above spoken by Jesus, the evil and the good are together on earth? How does that coincide with a pre-tribulation rapture? According to Jesus, a pre-tribulation rapture cannot be verified by the words of Jesus, the way, the truth, and the life. I will believe Jesus, what about you?
Therefore, on what side of this end time alliance will we stand? On what side are we standing at this moment in our lives? Not what side do we profess with our lips and yet live totally opposed to in our hearts! Have we allowed a lack of spiritual interest to align ourselves with the end time evil alliance? Have we allowed the cares of this life and the evil deceitfulness of riches and a desire for earthly wealth to blind us to the truth of Christ’s teaching and the truth of God’s Word?
A Few Final Words:
The truth is, according to Jesus in Matthew 12.30; “He [or she] who is not with Me is against Me [and a part of the end time evil alliance], and he [or she] who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” Yes, the enemy has sown tares among the wheat, and we are fast approaching the greatest harvest ever imagined! But where in the bible is that final harvest declared?
John exposed the truth concerning the great final end time harvest of those aligned with Satan, Antichrist, and the false prophet in the 14th chapter of the book of Revelation. This revealing of truth is explained in verses 14-20 of Revelation chapter 14. The text is too long to close this lesson of a lifetime with, but the harvest of this end time evil alliance is led by none other than Jesus, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle.
The sowing of good spiritual seed is a must and much needed activity, and one that produces both excitement and anticipation of a soon coming and much welcomed harvest. Therefore, are we, as true end time enduring to the end followers of Christ, making sure we are a part of the kingdom seed sowing process that continues in every generation, but will soon come to an end?
We are told in our Scripture to consider today, “Another parable Jesus put forth to them, saying: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field.’” Let us therefore, go and do likewise!
Prayer:
Our Father in heaven, protect Your people from the evil influence and alliance of our mutual enemy and his tare-like imposters. In Him Always, Amen!
According to Jesus 