The tares among the wheat here

[cherubim]

21 minutes ago, Wayne222 said:

It says love even your enemies. 

The way I have interpreted it, and I don't know if my way is even right, but scripture states to love our enemies, but to what it extent we don't know. The false Christians who started their own church did a lot of damage to people's faith, the pastor told us.  So when everyone was busy loving them, maybe they should have been exposing them.  

[Wayne222]

Just now, cherubim said:

The way I have interpreted it, and I don't know if my way is even right, but scripture states to love our enemies, but to what it extent we don't know. The false Christians who started their own church did a lot of damage to people's faith, the pastor told us.  So when everyone was busy loving them, maybe they should have been exposing them.  

Yes if course. If they were doing harm to others they should have been warned.

[cherubim]

1 minute ago, Wayne222 said:

well that's true too. Satan does plant the tares. But I really don't think we should judge who is or who's not. We cannot read a heart of someone.  We should treat anyone with the grace of God. Be a light to all. 

I don't know if that's a healthy stance to take.  My views are always evolving as I'm given more light, but this is how I see it now.  If you were in church, and knew someone who lived next door to you was involved in evil practices and they played up to and hoodwinked the pastor to teach the children's sunday school class, wouldn't you feel it your duty to tell the pastor what you know.

People are so afraid to be seen as judgmental, that positive harm can sometimes happen.

[kwikphilly]

Blessings

  In this Christian Ministry,as in any other is where you will find  the enemy,where else would he go? ....to a satan worshipping club,he already has them!! Its not always the tares we have to pray Discernment for.....they are not so difficult to see and those pop up& get pulled out or as Shiloh says"they come & they go"

The enemy is subtle,insidious and relentless.....he roams about like a lion ,seeking who you MAY devour....his favorite prey,the Christian.....I'm not talking about the "people" who come against us here,I'm talking about the one enemy,the one that makes every attempt to steal,kill & destroy by putting thoughts in the Brother & Sister who is completely unaware and being used constantly but does not recognize principalities,  powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places.(the devils playground-the mind/thoughts)   Its pretty easy to recognize the enemy in others,how about ourselves?

   When somebody says something less than loving,kind,gentle.....how do you respond? Do you "re-act" or do you reply? Who do you think gave you that  quick,snippy remark in your mind to come back with,the one that was really below the belt?And out the mouth it plopped!!!!   Resist the devil & he will fee ...take captive every thought,renew the mind......

       Just thought I might add that.......Ephesians 6

Quote

¹¹ Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

¹² For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

¹³ Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

¹⁵ And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

¹⁶ Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.

¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:

¹⁸ Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

¹⁹ And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,

²⁰ For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

                                                                                                                                                          With love-in Christ,Kwik

[cherubim]

8 minutes ago, warrior12 said:

You are to stand for righteousness, whatever that may entail.  If someone accuses you for your stance , you outline what the word has declared.  The world, the flesh and  the devil are foes we face everyday and they come in a myriad of faces and situations. The Bible says, that when we are brought into situations that seems impossible, that we are to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and lead us in those situations.   Hope you have been there and seen the Spirit at work .  Sometimes, the results may not be the outcome that you wanted, but a lesson is always there to be had.   As you said, it's tough, but regardless, the Christian must press on with diligence.  Loving your brother and neighbor is a Biblical command  that if everyone is honest, does not come automatic, but as we grow in our Christian walk and grasp the meaning of forgiveness, only then its application becomes easier.  

Might add too, that we are to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.

Matthew 10  King James Version (KJV)

¹⁶ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.

Yes - I hold to that verse at times- I had forgotten it.  I think that was given because we are walking around in a land mine of people controlled by the evil one.  I can usually discern someone in person pretty quickly.  It's harder on a forum.  I've been in the presence of evil people before.  One time my husband & I were in the city, and walked into a store that had knick knacks or something in the window.  When we walked in, I can't explain it, but I felt really uncomfortable.  A black cat walked around the counter, and I glanced up at this wall in the back, with all these mannequin legs, heads, and arms sticking out of the wall in this long hallway.  I looked around and saw several ungodly objects.   I got my husband and walked out.

So, as to those people, who were obviously involved in black arts, we should not be hateful to them, and I suppose prayer for their salvation would be in order.  But if they went to a school board meeting and tried to get a false religion taught to the classroom, I think as Christians, we should oppose it.  I see many Christians tripped up at this point, myself included.  I have a friend who doesn't take action on anything.  They just coast along and never speak up.  I don't think God meant us to do that.  

I'm still working out what I think God wants of us.  I see a lot of confusion among Christians on different issues.

 

[warrior12]

5 minutes ago, cherubim said:

Yes - I hold to that verse at times- I had forgotten it.  I think that was given because we are walking around in a land mine of people controlled by the evil one.  I can usually discern someone in person pretty quickly.  It's harder on a forum.  I've been in the presence of evil people before.  One time my husband & I were in the city, and walked into a store that had knick knacks or something in the window.  When we walked in, I can't explain it, but I felt really uncomfortable.  A black cat walked around the counter, and I glanced up at this wall in the back, with all these mannequin legs, heads, and arms sticking out of the wall in this long hallway.  I looked around and saw several ungodly objects.   I got my husband and walked out.

So, as to those people, who were obviously involved in black arts, we should not be hateful to them, and I suppose prayer for their salvation would be in order.  But if they went to a school board meeting and tried to get a false religion taught to the classroom, I think as Christians, we should oppose it.  I see many Christians tripped up at this point, myself included.  I have a friend who doesn't take action on anything.  They just coast along and never speak up.  I don't think God meant us to do that.  

I'm still working out what I think God wants of us.  I see a lot of confusion among Christians on different issues.

 

Yeh, spiritual discernment is a gift and it is to be used wisely.   The Lord knows that we would be tried and tested and we would need his strength to get us through.  We are to participate in our community affairs and as citizens of democratic constitution, we are to exercise our rights.  Spiritual matters are mainly not seen and often difficult to explain to others like to mentioned above. You try to convey things that you have gone through and many would label you.  That's why, i don't even mention episodes that can be shown as examples on forums like these.  They can be easily misconstrued and with writing that is the case in many situations.  verbally, you can correct or rephrase statements quickly to  the listener, but writing is another story.  Anyway, from the apostles days, there was tares amongst the wheat and i guess it will always be so.   When you have been through the battles and has the scars, you can reflect and know for sure, what it's all about.  Remember also, Paul said that those who would live Godly would be persecuted, how every Christian interprets that in his walk is to his own personal understanding.  Have a great day.

[cherubim]

7 minutes ago, kwikphilly said:

Blessings

  In this Christian Ministry,as in any other is where you will find  the enemy,where else would he go? ....to a satan worshipping club,he already has them!! Its not always the tares we have to pray Discernment for.....they are not so difficult to see and those pop up& get pulled out or as Shiloh says"they come & they go"

The enemy is subtle,insidious and relentless.....he roams about like a lion ,seeking who you MAY devour....his favorite prey,the Christian.....I'm not talking about the "people" who come against us here,I'm talking about the one enemy,the one that makes every attempt to steal,kill & destroy by putting thoughts in the Brother & Sister who is completely unaware and being used constantly but does not recognize principalities,  powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, spiritual wickedness in high places.(the devils playground-the mind/thoughts)   Its pretty easy to recognize the enemy in others,how about ourselves?

   When somebody says something less than loving,kind,gentle.....how do you respond? Do you "re-act" or do you reply? Who do you think gave you that  quick,snippy remark in your mind to come back with,the one that was really below the belt?And out the mouth it plopped!!!!   Resist the devil & he will fee ...take captive every thought,renew the mind......

       Just thought I might add that.......Ephesians 6

                                                                                                                                                          With love-in Christ,Kwik

Great point!!! I guess it would be his place of choice.  You have a good point, we should look within to search our heart to "see if there be any wicked way in me..."   I guess looking within would be the wisest first course of action.  I have seen satan use even Christians, and has probably used me at times.  I wonder how he gains access to our thoughts - I've never read any good books about it, although I have read a number of spiritual warfare books.  I know we are to take every thought captive.  

I think it's very hard to determine when it's wise to act and wise to not act.  When speaking with another believer, you don't know where they're at spiritually.  They may be leagues ahead of you in knowledge and wisdom, or leagues behind.  

I have a sister who told me with authority, that Christ already came back.  She's a preterist.  I never talk to her, but the last time I spoke with her, she had a well-laid-out argument, complete with bible verses, that Christ already came back.  I didn't believe in what she did, but told her that maybe God gave her knowledge in that area, that he hasn't given me yet.  

I think the evil on is so subtle though, that he makes use of Christian's desire to be good, loving people.  A lawyer we knew, made nasty cracks about other people's kids in the town we used to live in. I let it go, but finally told him it was known that his son was dealing drugs in the town.  He hurled that "Christian" club at me, accusing me of being "unchristian."  Yet not once did he face up to his pompous pointing the finger at everyone else's kid in the town. 

[cherubim]

5 minutes ago, warrior12 said:

Yeh, spiritual discernment is a gift and it is to be used wisely.   The Lord knows that we would be tried and tested and we would need his strength to get us through.  We are to participate in our community affairs and as citizens of democratic constitution, we are to exercise our rights.  Spiritual matters are mainly not seen and often difficult to explain to others like to mentioned above. You try to convey things that you have gone through and many would label you.  That's why, i don't even mention episodes that can be shown as examples on forums like these.  They can be easily misconstrued and with writing that is the case in many situations.  verbally, you can correct or rephrase statements quickly to  the listener, but writing is another story.  Anyway, from the apostles days, there was tares amongst the wheat and i guess it will always be so.   When you have been through the battles and has the scars, you can reflect and know for sure, what it's all about.  Remember also, Paul said that those who would live Godly would be persecuted, how every Christian interprets that in his walk is to his own personal understanding.  Have a great day.

You too.  I appreciated bouncing off of you.  I don't get out anymore, so I need the iron that sharpens iron.

[missmuffet]

The enemy is among us and he will be among us until the end of the seven year tribulation. He spreads false teachers and false believers among us. 2 Corinthians 13:5 is a good verse for everyone to examine their relationship with Christ. We all need to have good discernment on Worthy. To know God's word so well that we can see a counterfeit immediately. When Christ raptures the Church He will take His wheat with Him. He knows who they are.

[JoshuasonFlower]

1 hour ago, Wayne222 said:

It says love even your enemies. 

It does say that. And often that is overlooked by members in Christ's flock.

Tares in the parables of Christ were in actual life what is called darnel seed, also called ryegrass. It looks like wheat but it does not produce the same. In Jesus parable of the sower in Matthew 13, he speaks of one who came into the field and sewed the dreaded darnel grass that does not bear wheat for the labor as would the actual wheat. It is false though it appears like wheat.

The one who sneaks into the field to sew the ryegrass is comparison to the world and the message therein is the enemy of the farmer. That which would have his crop yield him nothing for the bounty of a full crop of wheat. But rather would have instead that the farmer lose his ability to sustain himself at the harvest with the blindness in the winowing of ryegrass.

That sower of the darnel seed is the enemy of the church. Hoping to seed fracture into the congregation.

I witnessed this in my former church. I knew then it was changing and the sewing that was going on was to corrupt the flock dedicated to truth and light. Because the human tare assuming the guise of bountiful wheat will then cause in its germination in the field for as long as it is allowed to in human terms call the wheat's identity into question. By its flourishing the ryegrass over populating the wheat then makes the wheat appear to be the interloper. The weed.

I should add, this parable is that which embodies the wisdom in Matthew 7. "You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"

That which seeks to sew discord into the peace of Christ are examples of this. They're found to flourish on the Internet due to the anonymity factor. However, just because we read each other rather than speak face to face does not mean we are not able to discern that which is the sower of the weed. The fruits are then discerned word for word, seed by seed, that is hoped to take root and distance the members of the church from one another. Making an unhealthy slight crop that would otherwise be lush furrows of wheat.
 

Edited April 15, 2017 by JoshuasonFlower