For every pure thing God has created, Satan has manufactured a counterfeit, even passing himself off as an angel of light. He is the master imitator.

Bible students do not often consider Christ's parables to contain intrigue, but His Parable of the Wheat and the Tares has its share!

In the Parables of the Wheat and the Tares, the Mustard Seed, and the Leaven, Jesus was speaking to the physical nation, which the parables clearly reflect.

Matthew 13 contains more parables than any other chapter in the Gospels. They are related in theme and organized to teach Christians specific lessons.

Most commentators see this parable as a positive message of the growth of the church. However, deeper study shows that they have it exactly backward!

In Matthew 13, the hidden treasure the man finds provides the spiritual solution to the leaven - corruption - the woman hides in the three measures of meal.

The Parable of the Wheat and the Tares warns of false brethren within the fellowship. Jesus Christ exemplified how to interact with them in a godly manner.

The 'kingdom of heaven' is commonly interpreted to describe the church, but in the first four parables of Matthew 13, it has a clearer application: Israel.

The Bible, in both parables and prophecies, interprets itself and remains consistent in its use of symbols. We cannot arbitrarily attach meaning to symbols.

Christ's judgments are made according to what each person has been given. We need to internalize this practice of evaluating, especially regarding a brother.

Jesus' parables of the Pearl of Great Price, the Dragnet, and the Householder resolve the problems raised in their corresponding earlier parables.

The penultimate parable of Matthew 13 uses the illustration with which Christ's disciples were very familiar: fishing in the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus is aware of all that transpires within His church—regardless of how out-of-control things may seem—and He will always act in the way that is best.

Dominion theology holds that the church's responsibility is to spread God's Kingdom around the world, but it misunderstands the Parable of Leaven.

God's hand was definitely involved in the scattering of the church. We should respond by growing and preparing ourselves for His Kingdom.

The primary lesson of the Parable of the Wheat and Tares is relatively easy to see. However, an interesting detail appears in it that is easily overlooked.

If we ask God for protection from demonic influence, we cannot sit back passively; Satan always counterattacks. Evil must be displaced with good.

Members, co-workers, and subscribers can all be tallied, yet who save God can track the increase of faith or the building of character of members of a church?

Satan's biggest targets for disinformation are God's called-out ones. How can the true disciples be identified?

We should not expect brethren to be perfect; we all sin. God has not given His People the prerogative to judge another member as a tare.

God alone chooses the servants through whom He works His will. Sometimes the rationale God uses for selecting His vessels defies worldly wisdom.

Even though God desires brethren to dwell in peace and unity, at times HE ordains and causes disruption and division. How do we explain this apparent paradox?

True shepherds have genuine concern for the flock, as opposed to hirelings who only devour or take advantage of the flock.

Because none of us know when Christ will return, we must ask God for patience for the changes that work to build our future in the Kingdom of God.

The process of being taken over by sin usually takes place over a lengthy period of time as we allow Satan's deceptive words to corrode our attitudes.

By studying eating in the experiences of those in the Bible, we plumb a deep well of instruction from which we can draw vital lessons to help us through life.