Over the last 34 years, the church has grown in a glorious way and all of us who are a part of this work have experienced the joy and satisfaction of seeing the barns of God filled with the fruits of the seeds that were planted with great sacrifice and pain.

However, throughout the years, tares have grown among the wheat. We have noticed how the Universal Church follows in the exact footsteps of Jesus: with victories, wonders, persecutions, trials, and with the true and false followers of Jesus.

The wheat and the tares have always been present among those who consider themselves of God. But how can we tell them apart, when they look so much alike? In a field that extends throughout the world, where we have Church visitors, members, Assistants, pastors and bishops, how do we know who is who?

Symptoms of the Tares

1 – One of the tares’ most common characteristics is hypocrisy. He is not truthful or authentic, and the words that come out of his mouth do not match what is in his heart.

“Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” Matthew 23.28

2 – Humbleness: this word does not exist in the tares’ dictionary. Notice that when you hold the tares in your hand, it does not bend with the heaviness of its seed because it does not have any. Tares always considered themselves better than others. Whenever someone else does something, it’s meaningless. Tares are proud and always look down on others. His arrogance is peculiar; just take a look at the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector, Luke 18.9-14.

3 – It is common for tares to try everything to harm the wheat, to the point of torturing him with insults and name-calling that is intentionally meant to destroy him, but always in a sneaky and disguised way. He remains calm on the outside, but poisonous on the inside. Like Judas, who lived alongside Jesus and His disciples for three years and none of them, except our Lord of course, realized his true identity as a traitor and hypocrite.

Fruits of the Wheat

1 – On the other hand, the characteristic that stands out the most about the wheat is his authenticity. He always remains true, sincere, a man of one word, “yes, yes, no, no,” his life is an open book, and is transparent about everything. After all, the Spirit of God dwells in him, his light shines before men, and he glorifies the heavenly Father with his good works, which shine his light upon all those around him. Matthew 5.14-16

2 – The wheat’s fruits are what distinguish it from the tares, because the weight of its fruit causes it to bend. The more fruits of the Spirit the wheat finds in himself, the more he recognizes the greatness of God in his life and humbles himself every day. He thinks of himself as a scalpel in the hands of a surgeon.

And have you notices that in every successful surgery, the patient always thanks the surgeon and not the knife, the tweezers or the scissors that he used. Isn’t that right? The same way, the wheat understands that he must remain sharp and sterile in order to be used by his Creator.

3 – With the Lord Jesus as his example, the wheat was, is and always will be persecuted by those who are outside and inside, because he firmly follows in the footsteps of the Lord, who foreseen this in John 15.18-21. Going back to the tares, they turn green with envy as they see the fruits of the wheat filling the granaries of the kingdom of our God. This is where he becomes the devil’s ally by harassing and attempting to harm the wheat.

Are you the wheat or the tares? Who planted you in the field of faith? Think about it.

God bless you all.
Bishop Sergio Correa