Matthew 7: 15 – 23

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? ¹⁷ Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. ²² Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

In the kingdom of God, there are both wheat and tares, the good and the bad, the genuine and the fake. Those who are truly of God and those who are not.  The wheat are the genuine children and ministers of God and the tares are the fake children and ministers of God.  They Bible teaches that both sets will co-exist and co-operate together in the kingdom.

Lamentations 3: 22 – 23

²²Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

What is God’s mercy? His mercy is His tender-hearted loving compassion, goodness and kindness to you and I. His mercy is His divine forbearance, His patience in action when it comes to you and I.

Luke 22: 31 – 34 and 54 - 62

³¹ And the Lord said, “Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren.” ³³ But he said to Him, “Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death.” ³⁴ Then He said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster shall not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me.”

⁵⁴ Having arrested Him, they led Him and brought Him into the high priest’s house. But Peter followed at a distance. ⁵⁵ Now when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat among them. ⁵⁶ And a certain servant girl, seeing him as he sat by the fire, looked intently at him and said, “This man was also with Him.” ⁵⁷ But he denied Him, saying, “Woman, I do not know Him.” ⁵⁸ And after a little while another saw him and said, “You also are of them.” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” ⁵⁹ Then after about an hour had passed, another confidently affirmed, saying, “Surely this fellow also was with Him, for he is a Galilean.” ⁶⁰ But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are saying!” Immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster crowed. ⁶¹ And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny Me three times.” ⁶² So Peter went out and wept bitterly.

In our passages of scripture this week we see Peter denying Jesus 3 times after he had said he wouldn’t. This teaches us that we should beware lest we fall from grace to grass. We must never think that we cannot fall into temptation and sin, but must constantly pray that the Lord deliver us from falling when we are tempted. We must realise that we are not beyond temptation and falling into sin. You see none of us is immune to Satan’s advances. He specialises in targeting believers. That is why the Bible tells us to be sober and vigilant because our adversary devil is as a roaring lion going about seeking whom to devour. The Bible then says we must resist him by being steadfast in the faith.