Minggu, 21 Februari 2010

Once Saved, Will We Still Be Saved ?

We are now approaching the end of the times. And every religion are aware of it, no exception. If we go into the book store nowadays, we can see that even other religions outside of Christianity are eager to talk about doomsday which will soon arrive, 2012, which clearly frightening them that they tried to find a way, to make God accepting them when someday they have to face God’s judgment.

What about us, the children of God? Apparently there are many of us live relax and happily and not thinking the signs of end times, much less introspect their own spiritual state as well as adherents of other religions were. That's because their perception was wrong all along, that once we receive Jesus and become children of God, we were "very safe – and sure to go to heaven". That's the Calvinist way of teaching. On the other hand, Armenian saying that a child of God can only lose his salvation if he still lived in sin after he receive the Lord Jesus. Many arguments by using verses from the Word of God have been given by both adherents to defend their own doctrines.

The Calvinist is usually using this verse:

John 10:28 (New International Version)

“I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand”

However, as for Armenian, they are using:

Hebrews 10:26 (New International Version)

“If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left”


Hebrews 6:4-6 (New International Version)

4It is impossible for those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, who have shared in the Holy Spirit,

5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the coming age,

6if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, because to their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace.

Galatians 5:19-21 (King James Version)

5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Well, so which one is correct? Both use the verses of the Word of God as the base for interpretation. Very Confusing ! But as I told you in my writing early on this Blog (Preface), let’s just ask the Lord and examine them from the Bible. Surely one, the true answers will be declared.

Well the truth is, I found these “by accident” when God delivered to me His message for 2010 in late 2009, in the middle of big crusade (read over God’s Message for year 2010 from this Blog).

Matthew 13:24-30 (New King James Version)

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;

25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.

26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.

27 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?’

28 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?’

29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.

30 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.”

Matthew 13:36-43 (New King James Version)

The Parable of the Tares Explained


36 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.”


37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.

38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.

39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.

40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.

41 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,

42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.

43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

Yes !!! Paragraph 41 is THE KEY ! Apparently not all the children of God (= “out of His kingdom”) will be saved in Heaven ! Because not all Christian is righteous (Wheat), but there are also wicked ones (Tares), which is misleading the children of God who was with his evil deeds. Wicked Christian has a final destination: HELL ! So, it was obvious that, once a man saved it is not straight away he/she will go to heaven, unless the person is willing to be changed like Jesus.

Romans 11:22 (New King James Version)

22 Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in His goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off.

1 John 2:6 (New International Version)

“Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”


Matthew 3:8-10 (New King James Version)

8 Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

9 and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

10 And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

So, let us correct ourselves EVERY DAY - ANY TIME so we won’t be led by the false seeds of Tares in our mind, heart, feelings and attitudes of our acts which already flourish in our lives, that can be an obstacle for us to get Rapture : met Jesus in the clouds and together with Him into heaven for Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Jesus Bless You!

(http://deborah-theshofar.blogspot.com)

SEKALI SELAMAT APAKAH TETAP SELAMAT ?

Saat ini kita sedang berada di ujung Akhir Jaman. Dan semua agama juga menyadari hal itu, tanpa kecuali. Kalau kita pergi ke Toko Buku maka kita bisa melihat, bahwa agama-agama lainpun diluar agama Kristen, begitu bersemangat membahas tentang “kiamat” yang akan segera tiba yang, jelas-jelas menakutkan mereka sehingga mereka berusaha mencari jalan, untuk bisa membuat Tuhan berkenan kepada mereka dan menerima mereka, kelak di Surga saat mereka harus menghadapi PengadilanNya.

Bagaimana dengan kita, anak-anak Tuhan ? Ternyata masih banyak sekali yang hidup santai tidak memikirkan tanda-tanda akhir jaman apalagi mengintrospeksi keadaan rohani mereka sendiri seperti halnya dengan penganut agama-agama lain itu. Itu karena persepsi mereka yang salah selama ini, bahwa begitu kita terima Yesus menjadi anak-anak Tuhan itu, kita itu “sekali selamat – tetap selamat masuk Surga”. Itulah faham aliran Calvinist. Tetapi aliran Armenian mengatakan bahwa seorang anak Tuhan dapat saja kehilangan keselamatannya jika saja dia tetap hidup didalam dosa sesudah dia mengenal Tuhan Yesus. Banyak argumentasi dengan menggunakan ayat Firman Tuhan telah saling di”lemparkan oleh kedua penganutnya guna mempertahankan pendapat atau doktrin gereja mereka masing-masing.

Penganut aliran Calvinist biasanya memakai ayat ini :

Yoh.10:28

dan Aku memberikan hidup yang kekal kepada mereka

dan mereka pasti tidak akan binasa sampai selama-lamanya

dan seorangpun tidak akan merebut mereka dari tangan-Ku.

Tetapi aliran Armenian antara lain berpegang pada ayat-ayat berkut ini :

Ibr.10:26

Sebab jika kita sengaja berbuat dosa, sesudah memperoleh pengetahuan tentang kebenaran, maka tidak ada lagi korban untuk menghapus dosa itu.

Ibr.6:4-6

6:4 Sebab mereka yang pernah diterangi hatinya, yang pernah mengecap karunia sorgawi, dan yang pernah mendapat bagian dalam Roh Kudus,

6:5 dan yang mengecap firman yang baik dari Bapa dan karunia-karunia dunia yang akan datang,

6:6 namun yang murtad lagi, tidak mungkin dibaharui sekali lagi sedemikian, hingga mereka bertobat, sebab mereka menyalibkan lagi Anak Bapa bagi diri mereka dan menghina-Nya di muka umum.

Gal.5:19-21

5:19 Perbuatan daging telah nyata, yaitu: percabulan, kecemaran, hawa nafsu,

5:20 penyembahan berhala, sihir, perseteruan, perselisihan, iri hati, amarah, kepentingan diri sendiri, percideraan, roh pemecah,

5:21 kedengkian, kemabukan, pesta pora dan sebagainya. Terhadap semuanya itu kuperingatkan kamu--seperti yang telah kubuat dahulu--bahwa barangsiapa melakukan hal-hal yang demikian, ia tidak akan mendapat bagian dalam Kerajaan Bapa.

Nah, jadi faham aliran yang mana yang benar ? Keduanya menggunakan ayat-ayat Firman Tuhan sebagai dasar penafsirannya. Membingungkan ! Tapi seperti sudah saya sampaikan pada tulisan saya diawal Blog ini, bahwa marilah kita yang awam ini, “bodoh-bodohan” sajalah bertanya kepada Tuhan dan meneliti sendiri dari Alkitab. Pasti suatu hari akan dinyatakanNya jawabanNya yang benar. Nah kebenaran yang “telak” berikut ini saya temukan secara tidak sengaja setelah Tuhan menyampaikan pesanNya untuk 2010 kepada saya untuk disampaikan kepada sebanyak mungkin orang (Baca : PESAN TUHAN 2010), saat saya sedang berada ditengah-tengah sebuah KKR besar di penghujung tahun 2009 yang lalu.

Mat.13:24-30

13:24. Yesus membentangkan suatu perumpamaan lain lagi kepada mereka, kata-Nya: "Hal Kerajaan Sorga itu seumpama orang yang menaburkan benih yang baik di ladangnya.

13:25 Tetapi pada waktu semua orang tidur, datanglah musuhnya menaburkan benih lalang di antara gandum itu, lalu pergi.

13:26 Ketika gandum itu tumbuh dan mulai berbulir, nampak jugalah lalang itu.

13:27 Maka datanglah hamba-hamba tuan ladang itu kepadanya dan berkata: Tuan, bukankah benih baik, yang tuan taburkan di ladang tuan? Dari manakah lalang itu?

13:28 Jawab tuan itu: Seorang musuh yang melakukannya. Lalu berkatalah hamba-hamba itu kepadanya: Jadi maukah tuan supaya kami pergi mencabut lalang itu?

13:29 Tetapi ia berkata: Jangan, sebab mungkin gandum itu ikut tercabut pada waktu kamu mencabut lalang itu.

13:30 Biarkanlah keduanya tumbuh bersama sampai waktu menuai. Pada waktu itu aku akan berkata kepada para penuai: Kumpulkanlah dahulu lalang itu dan ikatlah berberkas-berkas untuk dibakar; kemudian kumpulkanlah gandum itu ke dalam lumbungku."

13:36 Maka Yesuspun meninggalkan orang banyak itu, lalu pulang. Murid-murid-Nya datang dan berkata kepada-Nya: "Jelaskanlah kepada kami perumpamaan tentang lalang di ladang itu."

13:37 Ia menjawab, kata-Nya: "Orang yang menaburkan benih baik ialah Anak Manusia;

13:38 ladang ialah dunia. Benih yang baik itu anak-anak Kerajaan dan lalang anak-anak si jahat.

13:39 Musuh yang menaburkan benih lalang ialah Iblis. Waktu menuai ialah akhir zaman dan para penuai itu malaikat.

13:40 Maka seperti lalang itu dikumpulkan dan dibakar dalam api, demikian juga pada akhir zaman.

13:41 Anak Manusia akan menyuruh malaikat-malaikat-Nya dan mereka akan mengumpulkan segala sesuatu yang menyesatkan dan semua orang yang melakukan kejahatan dari dalam Kerajaan-Nya.

13:42 Semuanya akan dicampakkan ke dalam dapur api; di sanalah akan terdapat ratapan dan kertakan gigi.

13:43 Pada waktu itulah orang-orang benar akan bercahaya seperti matahari dalam Kerajaan Bapa mereka. Siapa bertelinga, hendaklah ia mendengar!"

Ayat 41 itulah KUNCINYA ! Ternyata tidak semua anak-anak Tuhan (dalam kerajaanNya) pasti selamat masuk Surga !!! Karena tidak semua orang yang berada didalam kerajaanNya itu adalah orang-orang benar (GANDUM) semuanya tetapi juga ada orang-orang fasik (LALANG), yang menyesatkan anak-anak Tuhan yang benar itu dengan perbuatan jahatnya. Dan kesudahan para Lalang itu sudah amat jelas : NERAKA ! Jadi, jelas sekali bahwa, Sekali selamat itu BELUM TENTU Selamat masuk surga, kalau saja hidup anak-anak Tuhan itu tidak pernah mau berubah menjadi seperti Yesus !

Rm.11:22

Sebab itu perhatikanlah kemurahan Bapa dan juga kekerasan-Nya,

yaitu kekerasan atas orang-orang yang telah jatuh,

tetapi atas kamu kemurahan-Nya, yaitu jika kamu tetap dalam kemurahan-Nya;

jika tidak, kamupun akan dipotong juga.

1Yoh.2:6

Barangsiapa mengatakan, bahwa ia ada di dalam Dia,

ia wajib hidup sama seperti Kristus telah hidup.

Mat.3:8-10

3: 8 Jadi hasilkanlah buah yang sesuai dengan pertobatan.

3:9 Dan janganlah mengira, bahwa kamu dapat berkata dalam hatimu: Abraham adalah bapa kami! Karena aku berkata kepadamu: Tuhan dapat menjadikan anak-anak bagi Abraham dari batu-batu ini!

3:10 Kapak sudah tersedia pada akar pohon dan setiap pohon yang tidak menghasilkan buah yang baik, pasti ditebang dan dibuang ke dalam api.

Jadi, marilah kita koreksi diri kita benar-benar SETIAP HARI – SETIAP SAAT supaya kita tidak kecolongan dengan benih-benih lalang yang ada dalam pikiran, hati – perasaan dan sikap perbuatan kita yang terlanjur tumbuh subur di dalam hidup kita yang kelak dapat menjadi penghalang kita untuk layak mengalami Pengangkatan, bertemu dengan Yesus di awan-awan dan bersamaNya memasuki SurgaNya untuk resepsi Perjamuan Kawin Anak Domba.

Jesus Bless You !

(http://deborah-theshofar.blogspot.com)

Think Like Christ Do

TLCD

Thinking Like Christ Do


Before we decide to "save something in heart" / irritation, talk or act,
then
we need to CALM DOWN & WITHOUT THINKING FIRST OF EMOTION,
we think any consequences that we might encounter later,
if we make a decision of "this", or "so".
Then we choose and take a positive decision,
in accordance with the truth of the Word of God,
that bring peace for our own or someone else, so that our decisions will not be used by the devil to make us become followers.


1 Peter 5:8-9 (New King James Version)

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.


2 Corinthians 2:11 (New King James Version)

lest Satan should take advantage of us;

for we are not ignorant of his devices.

Berpikir Seperti Kristus

BSK

Berpikir Seperti Kristus


Sebelum kita putuskan untuk “menyimpan sesuatu dihati” / kesal,

bicara atau bertindak,

maka

kita harus TENANG & BERPIKIR DULU TANPA EMOSI,

apa saja akibat-akibat yang akan kita hadapi nantinya,

kalau kita mengambil keputusan buat “begini”, atau “begitu”.

Setelah itu baru kita pilih dan ambil keputusan yang POSITIF,

yang sesuai dengan kebenaran Firman Tuhan - nya,

yg membawa damai sejahtera buat kita sendiri maupun orang lain, sehingga keputusan kita itu nantinya tidak bisa dimanfaatkan oleh iblis untuk membuat kita jadi pengikutnya.


1Ptr.5:8-9

Sadarlah dan berjaga-jagalah !

Lawanmu, si Iblis, berjalan keliling sama seperti singa yang mengaum-aum dan mencari orang yang dapat ditelannya. Lawanlah dia dengan iman yang teguh, sebab kamu tahu, bahwa semua saudaramu di seluruh dunia menanggung penderitaan yang sama.


2Kor.2:11

Supaya Iblis jangan beroleh keuntungan atas kita,

sebab kita tahu apa maksudnya.

God's Message for year 2010

December 2009. Throughout the month I was looking forward for God’s answer to my question about His message for upcoming 2010, which I have to say (at least) to the community of God's children entrusted to me. Suddenly, the answer came when I was in the midst of a Crusade towards the end of December 2009, where I was so depressed; my spirit feels heavy, due to the "atmosphere" as I realized that the crusade were filled with the spirit of Babylon without them knowing it. And in that certain condition, I tried to be "online" with the Lord, asking Him whether He can "enjoy" with all their offerings which are full of idolatry, while Satan is also clearly "happy" enjoying its “portion” and feel success to make God mad. And the Lord said, "Wheat and Tares shall grow together until the time they will be harvested!” God's answer was very startling me because in those days I was also digging the truth about when the rapture will happen, and the word "harvest" reminds me of:

Revelation 14:14-20 (New King James Version)

Reaping the Earth’s Harvest

14And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. Reaping the Grapes of Wrath
17And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

When I was "online" with God, I'm judging neither churches nor pastors! The definition of “judge” is to accuse someone else to have done something negative without any clear basis of comparison, but only according to personal perceptions of those who judge it! But in fact at that time I was obviously comparing the situation with the truth of the Word of God. Behind most of our holy days, pagan was actually their origins who had adjusted themselves through the progress of time compared to the Old Testament settings, that children of God are not aware of the cunning of Satan (the spirit of Babylon) and that children of God consider that the origins of such customs do not matter to God and that He allows mankind to determine its own ways and days of worshipping Him. They assume that God will accept any form of religious practice so long as the worshipers mean it to honor Him. Stay tune with this blog because I will explain what The Lord have revealed to me regarding those cunning of Satan, in my writings later.

So based on Revelation 14:14-20 above, the message from God to me about the time wheat and the tares, were talking about the end times - the harvest time of wheat is where the Lord Jesus himself will reap (pick up his bride in the clouds - rapture) while for the tares, they will be harvested by the Angels and destroyed in the War of Armageddon, when the Lord Jesus came back to earth for the second time with His saints to destroy the antichrists.

However, what does God means by “Wheat and Tares”?


Matthew 13:24-30 (New King James Version)

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares

24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field;
25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way.
26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared.
27 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?’
28 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?’
29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.
30 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.”

Matthew 13:36-43 (New King James Version)

The Parable of the Tares Explained

36 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.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man.
38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.
39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age.
41 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,
42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!

So God's message for 2010 was in fact from Mat.13: 30 “Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.” The Harvest time is about time we have read above, but now, who is the Lord mean by the wheat and tares of My Kingdom? Anyway, we have never seen any of “the sons of the wicked one” among our congregation, haven’t you? And the Lord explained to me:

WHEAT are the children of God that his/her destiny is 100% Fear of the Lord, that they are fully aware of their salvation that was really an amazing grace, so they would STRIVE FULLY to reply to the love of Jesus for the rest of their lives, by seriously trying to find His will to please His heart, i.e. by being faithful doers of His Word, they will even defend Jesus before the devil and of course, before the “the sons of the wicked one” (the Tares)!

Galatians 2:19-20 (King James Version)

19For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
20I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ live in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

Romans 14:8 (King James Version)

For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.


Those verses explain the total commitment of Wheat for Jesus. But many children of God say that we do not need to defend the Lord Jesus because the Lord Jesus can defend himself. But the Bible says,


Numbers 25:11-13 (King James Version)

11Phinehas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron the priest, hath turned my wrath away from the children of Israel, while he was zealous for my sake among them, that I consumed not the children of Israel in my jealousy.
12Wherefore say, Behold, I give unto him my covenant of peace:
13And he shall have it, and his seed after him, even the covenant of an everlasting priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and made atonement for the children of Israel.

The above three verses are an excerpt from the book of Numbers chapter 25 that records the fall of Israel for the second time against the sin of idolatry (Baalpeor) after the tragedy of the Golden Calf, that God is very angry and commanded Moses to hang the leaders of Israel who have done adultery by marrying women of Moab and Midian which made them part of Baalpeor’s worshiper. And Moses ordered the judges to kill every congregation that worship Baalpeor. While Phinehas, grandson of Aaron the Priest (not Phinehas the son of Eli the High Priest) caught Zimri son of Salu, a prince of a chief house among the Simeonites who came brought a Midianite woman that Phinehas run after them and killed them both with a spear so that the plague from God's wrath upon the people of Israel stopped, after killing 24 thousand people of Israel! And it had been stopped because Phinehas had fought to defend the holiness of the name of his Lord. Phinehas is an example of Wheat!

In the New Testament, Jesus gave Matthew 5:16 as our basic guideline in order to glorify Him always:

Matthew 5:16 (King James Version)

Let your light so shines before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.


A simple example can be derived from the life of a married couple. The husband is in a respectable position in society while his wife is a woman who was very humble and simple, as well as how she dresses every day. But at a time when she has to accompany her husband in community activities, such as in business gatherings, she would need to be looked well in stunning dress so the husband would proud of her, without them knowing who she was in daily. The question is, why would she dress up in such a way? Happy of being adored by everyone? No, because no one knows her as she had never got involved in the business! She was dressed in order to preserve the honor of her husband's name in public so that her husband would not get ashamed, but proud of her! In that situation, that good wife would release all her personal preferences for the sake of a husband who is loved and respected!

Well that's what we should do as the wheat in the application of Matthew 5:16. Jesus is our Bridegroom, our husband! We must let go all of our preferences, desires of our own hearts, our flesh, in order to make him proud, because everything we do should glorify His name and finally,


Romans 11:36 (New King James Version)

For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen.


TARES are the children of God as well, and look no different than wheat. The characteristics are not expressly mentioned in the Bible except as “the sons of the wicked one” but we can find the analogy through:




Jude 1:3-5 says:

3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints.
4For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord.
5Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.

Verse 4 above tells us that inside the Church there are intruders, “certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago.” Who are they? They are the “the sons of the wicked one”, of course! We may call them “the wicked” as the Old Testament used to call.

So in conclusion, Tares = “the sons of the wicked one” = the wicked.

And how the Bible determines “the wicked”? The Old Testament mentioned about “the wicked” for hundreds that we may conclude it’s criteria from them. But for sure we can find their basic characteristics, just from Jude 1:4b;

The wicked are those who:

1. change the grace of our God into a license for immorality
2. Deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord

The first characteristic is very clear for us and examples which stating very clearly their wickedness is statements they usually say, something like:

 "Come on, we don’t need to get too fanatic, otherwise, how will we able to win souls?!"
 "We do not need to obey the law anymore! We're now in the period of God’s Grace – everything is based on Love now, so do not be too fanatic lah! "

 "We are no longer under bondage of sin, so stop telling me that is sin - that one is also sin! God is omniscient, loving, merciful and forgiving, right???”


Those three statements above were common to our hearing! That’s the statements of the wicked ones! Now, what about the second characteristic?

I think we would never found one in our church where people “deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord”, wouldn’t we? Everybody is claiming that they do everything with the sincerity of their hearts to the Lord Jesus. But the Word of God clearly said so! That means in fact there are children of God who “deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord”! The Lord explained to me the meaning of such phrase, i.e. from Jeremiah 17: 5:

This is what the LORD says:
"Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.

Well, we can find lots of children of God who rely on their own strength in our church. Am I right?

1) How many children of God that are in financial difficulties, preferring to go to their fellow church friends, (including asking the deacon aid from the church) Instead of praying and fully expect God's help only to be in His time? That is what is meant by who trusts in man.

2) How many children of God rely on their money, wealth, and positions to get what they wants (a ministry, a position in the church, etc.), rather than waiting for His time, the Lord himself to fulfill their wish, in line with their spiritual maturity? That is what is meant by who depends on flesh for his strength.

3) How many children of God have never asked the Lord before they decide to do something, whether God approve or not, but instead, become a "spiritual gangsters" and force God to bless all of what they have been decided? More extreme, in time of urgency, they would prefer to go for a paranormal or for idols (“Gunung Kawi” for instance in Indonesia) to get instant answer or solution. That is what meant by whose heart turns away from the LORD.

So, from Jude 1:4b and Jeremiah 17: 5 we can find the characteristics of the wicked as:

1. who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality (love of the flesh, love of sin)
2. deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord for they prefer to trusts in man, to depend on flesh for his strength and their heart turns away from the LORD

Then if we take a passage from Psalms 10:3-11 we will discover more characteristics of the wicked:


Psalm 10:3-11 (Amplified Bible)

3For the wicked man boasts (sings the praises) of his own heart's desire, and the one greedy for gain curses and spurns, yes, renounces and despises the Lord.

4The wicked one in the pride of his countenance will not seek, inquire for, and yearn for God; all his thoughts are that there is no God [so He never punishes].

5His ways are grievous [or persist] at all times; your judgments [Lord] are far above and on high out of his sight [so he never thinks about them]; as for all his foes, he sniffs and sneers at them.

6He thinks in his heart, I shall not be moved; for throughout all generations I shall not come to want or be in adversity.

7His mouth is full of cursing, deceit, oppression (fraud); under his tongue are trouble and sin (mischief and iniquity).

8He sits in ambush in the villages; in hiding places he slays the innocent; he watches stealthily for the poor (the helpless and unfortunate).

9He lurks in secret places like a lion in his thicket; he lies in wait that he may seize the poor (the helpless and the unfortunate); he seizes the poor when he draws him into his net.

10[The prey] is crushed, sinks down; and the helpless falls by his mighty [claws].

11[The foe] thinks in his heart, God has quite forgotten; He has hidden His face; He will never see [my deed].


So TARES or the wicked, are God's children who:

1. change the grace of our God into a license for immorality (love of the flesh, love of sin)
2.
Deny Jesus Christ our only sovereign and Lord for they prefer to trusts in man, to depend on flesh for his strength and their heart turns away from the LORD
3. Spiritually proud to himself (verse 3a)
4. Like to trivialize and harass God (verse 3b) – refer point 2
5. Do not have the spirit of the Fear of the Lord, and even no God for him (verse 4)
6. Very proud to his success that he does not need God, he also underestimates the opponents (verse 5)
7. Feel he can not be shaken by any problems as well as his offspring (verse 6)
8. Do not believe in curses descendants (verse 6b). Stay tune with this Blog, I will explain about curse of descent later, when I write about The End Time.
9. Mouth which very easy to curse others, no self-control at all (verse 7)
10. Is very cruel that he can design behind the scene’s murder (spiritually) over his foes (verse 8), for example, he can terminate (kill) someone’s ministry in the church that against him, through offering funds to the Pastor in return.
11. Have lots of evil plans inside to colonize and exploit the poor for his maximum benefit, both in business and spiritual affairs (verses 9-10)
12. He thinks that God will not care of what he did (verse 11).

That's the twelfth TARES characteristics. The life of the Wheat is so eternal driven while Tares are so fleshly driven ! Very contradictive to the characteristics of wheat. But surprisingly, wheat and tares has a very similar appearance.









So what clearly distinguishes them is only the GRAINS, the fruit of the Wheat which have never been produced by Tares.

Let us now go back to the Gospel of Matthew, because there is two interesting verses for us to be discussed:


Matthew 13:28-29 (New King James Version)

28 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?’
29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them.


In my opinion, if I'm the owner of the field, I would prefer to pull all the Tares that since they started to grow so that the Tares can not take the nutrients from the soil that better maximally utilized by the wheat to grow better and produce more grains. My thoughts turned out to be equal to the minds of the disciples. Why Jesus had different ideas than we are? And God gave the answer....

That at the time when Wheat plants are still young; their shape looks like very similar with the young Tares. It’s very hard to differentiate. And when Jesus talked about that parable, Jesus was talking about the early days of repentance of God's children! Everybody is in “love at the first sight” with Jesus, everybody is "on fire" with Jesus: no sign of Tares seeds sown by Satan had grown in their thoughts, heart and desires (= “his soul”) - so how can we pull out the Tares safely?! We can’t even distinguish which n one is wheat and which one is tares. But later, after walking some time, while they both absorb nutrients from the “spiritual soil”, the result will show up: Wheat will produce heavy grains, while tares would only produce light, fake,” grains" that can be flown away anywhere as the wind shall blows them out that they will start to grow up there and causing damage also to the other parts of His Kingdom.

Thus, what is the final difference between wheat and tares along their spiritual growth
? FOCUS OF THEIR LIFE! Wheat focus 100% on the Lord Jesus, while tares focus on Jesus for only 20%, while the rest 80% of his focus goes to human, his strength, and his flesh ! How does the Bible explain the differences between the two?


Matthew 7:20 (New International Version)

Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.


Titus 2:12 (Amplified Bible)

It has trained us to reject and renounce all ungodliness (irreligion) and worldly (passionate) desires, to live discreet (temperate, self-controlled), upright, devout (spiritually whole) lives in this present world,


The wheat and tares, both are absorbing the same nutrients from the “spiritual soil” of the Word of God which leads us to renounce religiousness and to fight on desires (the flesh) of the world.

Wheat & tares are both given the same free will as they receive Jesus as their Lord and Savior, but RESPONSE to the Lord’s training over their spiritual lives were different each other, so the end result will be different as well. That is the growth period of wheat and tares that may produce different end result before the time they will be harvested.

Examples of training from God:


Proverbs 27:17 (King James Version)

Iron sharpened iron; so a man sharpened the countenance of his friend.


1) When God allows a fellow Christian brother to hurt your feelings, by gossiping behind you, can you accept the situation, and forgive your brother?
2) When your senior pastors are talking negatively about you to other workers, can you forgive your pastor?
3) When your ministry at the local church is being “killed” by a “Jezebel”, can you forgive his evil deeds and handed over your sorrows to God, instead of judging and settle it by yourself?


The Bible says in :

1 John 3:7-10 (New King James Version)

7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.
9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God.
10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.


Verse 10b means: if you cannot forgive those who do evil to you, it is clear that you are really the tares!

So I understand now why Jesus says ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them” and also why Jesus had different ideas with us as we are generally impatient and want things to be done as quickly as possible. And His reasons are:

1). In the early time of receiving Jesus, all children of God do not look different, because they are both just given “one mina” (Luke 19: 12-27) i.e. their salvation in Jesus – the recovery of their free will, to be invested until He comes back, and at that time they are still have the same spirit, the same fire for Jesus.

2). each children of God have different yearning for learning, for exploring the truth of the Word of God. Some can be very excited because they wanted to know the Father's heart and find out what His will for themselves, the other some do it just as routine, as a filial duty to God alone, whilst the other some that is "slowly but sure" in learning and exploring but they are really enjoy in digging the Bible so that the Lord allowed him to find a lot of His secrets.

3). A different level of commitment of every children of God in listening to the word of God and apply it to their lives, and it is really depending on how "thick" their flesh was maintained.

4). how much they love Jesus and what factor driving their life actually: the spirit or the flesh?

5). the intimate relationship of every children of God with the Lord Jesus through their prayer - praise & worship, especially their “private” communication with Jesus, whether they keep on online with Him for 24-7-365 or only spurious?

6). A different level of their readiness to pay the price to obey the Word of God

7). As a result, the growth in faith and spiritual fruit of every children of God is also different, there will be some of them that will be “wiped out” because they may not be able to bear examination - the trials, there will be some that growing very fast but not mature in faith and focus but there are some other that “slowly but sure” but is very steady in faith and maturity. Remember the parable of a sower, that from the seed he had sowen, some seed fell by the wayside, some fell on stony places, some fell among thorns, and others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Because of those differences, Lord Jesus let the Tares seeds stay to gain the opportunity to absorb the good nutrients from the “spiritual soil” of the Word of God, in the hope that someday, maybe he can repent and be transformed into Wheat ! However, the wheat will also be selected, whether he's the type of superior wheat or "sodden" wheat. That's His amazing grace ....... and all the response to His grace, as well as His decision to every response will only appear in His time:


Matthew 3:10 (New International Version)

The ax is already at the root of the trees and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Example of the grace of Jesus was like this, a young non-Christian attended a Youth service as Valentine's Day arrived, and his motivation is really just for "looking for a soul mate" (He was Tares). Apparently there, he was so touched by the drama being played, when Jesus had to carry the cross and eventually died crucified for all human sins. He accepted the challenge to receive Jesus as Lord and Savior (He became the wheat seed).

Spiritual growth journey then took him to be a Pastor and the "memory" of his conversion make him allows the celebration of Valentine's Day at his church as their program to win souls, "because I also had won by Jesus in the Valentine Service". Valentine's Day celebration in the end, became an idol for his life ...... and for the church - while in fact he knows, and also understood very well that the celebration of Valentine's idea is completely unbiblical, even pagan background or simply on the basis of a Myth or Legend course and that God is very jealous and anger of all things regarding pagan traditions!


Ezekiel 5:11-14 (New International Version)

11 Therefore as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you with pity or spare you.
12 A third of your people will die of the plague or perish by famine inside you; a third will fall by the sword outside your walls; and a third I will scatter to the winds and pursue with drawn sword.
13 "Then my anger will cease and my wrath against them will subside, and I will be avenged. And when I have spent my wrath upon them, they will know that I the LORD have spoken in my zeal.
14 "I will make you a ruin and a reproach among the nations around you, in the sight of all who pass by.

Psalm 73:27 (New King James Version)

For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry.



Well at first he was a Tares seed, and then converted to Wheat seed but what about his spiritual growth after? Become Tares (again)! He should not focus on the service of the celebration of Valentine's, but to the drama of the Bible which is the call of Jesus for his life.

HE HAS PUT A WRONG FOCUS! And he had made the Lord very jealous! Actually, if there is no idolatry of “valentine’s day” in his life, he would have realized the mistake of the Youth Ministry which had won him, because there is this verse:


Genesis 50:20 (New International Version)

You (Satan-masked by Valentine idolatry) intended to harm me (so that I will be bond by Valentine Idolatry n others), but God intended it for good (that I have been repented at that false Youth Service and even now become a Pastor) to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives (i.e. my congregation which are holy and free from any idolatry).


1 Corinthians 13:9-10 (New International Version)

9For we know in part and we prophesy in part,
10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears.

A humbleness is also required (to the Word of God) as the fruit of the Spirit to be produced, and does not consider himself to be the most understood one (that Valentine “Service” which is not biblical can still won many souls for Jesus – in fact he did not realized that he has been bond by idolatry) but he has to realize that he is not perfect at all and Jesus can use any other servant to reveal the work of Satan that has deceit His children through many pagan background on most of our celebrations.

Started as Tares seed then became Wheat seed then growing up to be …….. Young Tares again! Can he still be transformed back to be Wheat? Yes of course!


Hebrews 3:13-15 (New International Version)

13But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
14We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.
15As has just been said: "Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion."

Until Lord Jesus had to take us back to the Father's house one day (when we die) or raise us in Rapture time, ALWAYS THERE IS STILL TIME to repent and transformed (back) into wheat.

But the question is how long the time left is for us? No one knows, right? Therefore, as Hebrews 3:15 mentioned above, we should not harden our hearts when the truth of His Word reveals to us, especially those truth that reveals Satan’s deceitfulness. The regret is always come at the end but it useless and we don’t want that!


Revelation 3:1-3 (New International Version)

To the Church in Sardis
1"To the angel of the church in Sardis write: These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.
2Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
3Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

Brother in Christ let yourself be transformed (back to be wheat) by the truth of God’s word, dispose all idolatry from your heart, from your life and just FOCUS 100% TO JESUS alone! Let ourselves dare to live differently with the world around us, be TRUE WHEAT in the midst of TARES! Romans 12:1-2.


Romans 12:1-2 (New International Version)

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.


By the way, how can we let Jesus transform our way thinking? By trying to think just as Jesus did! Think Like Christ Did – TLCD. Think like Christ Did is the way we train and subdue our minds to the Word of God alone, so there should be no other "truth" especially idols in our minds! And The Mind of Christ is the final results from that TLCD training and exercise!


1 Corinthians 2:16 (New International Version)

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

Well, as stated in Romans 12:2, our mind that have been transformed (= the Mind of Christ, Wheat’s Mind) will enable us TO PERFORM DIFFERENTLY with others in the world that are tares. That’s why we all have been instructed “to 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, teaching them to observe all things that Jesus have commanded us”, haven’t we? (Mat.28:19-20). Have you got the Mind of Christ?


REFLECTION:

Compare the characteristics of wheat and tares, then compare with the current state of your spiritual condition. Do you have the seeds of TARES (wicked characteristic) in your life today? Make a list / notes so that you are always reminded to keep fighting to remove the seeds of tares out of your life before the devil can eventually take over your spiritual life! Do reflection and self correction! Remember Jesus is coming back and the Rapture will take place very soon – don’t let ourselves left behind because we haven’t done that Titus 2:12 and Ro.12:1-2 above!

2 Corinthians 2:11 (Amplified Bible)

To keep Satan from getting the advantage over us; for we are not ignorant of his wiles and intentions.

Jesus Bless You All

(http://deborah-theshofar.blogspot.com)