“Hear then the parable of the sower. “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is the one on whom seed was sown beside the road. “The one on whom seed was sown on the rocky places, this is the man who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no firm root in himself, but is only temporary, and when affliction or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he falls away. “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
Here we have the explanation of the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13:18-22. In verse 22, the word ‘world’ is incorrectly translated in most translations and should read ‘Age’. “The worry of the Age and and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.
WHY IS KINGDOM ORDER NOT PRACTICED BY THE MAJORITY?
I have often said, “there is only one kind of church found in the New Testament.” Therefore I am constantly asking myself “why doesn’t every minister follow the teachings of Christ in the church?” Scripture gives us the recipe for the church Jesus built and all ingredients given by Jesus must necessarily be in the church or it isn’t really a church in the Biblical definition. Now I am finally beginning to understand the reason which should have been obvious, but wasn’t. When reading this scripture in proper context, I find this: It is the character of this age to choke the working of the Word of God. The spirit of the age is hostile to the Gospel.
When the Gospel is preached, it often seems to lodge in the hearts of men and women. They hear it, they seem to receive it, they make a response to it. And yet it is often only a superficial response. There is no fruit. As the care of the Age presses in on them, they are not willing to pay the price of following Christ. The Word of God is choked and is unfruitful. This Age is hostile to the Gospel, and men often yield in conformity to this Age rather than surrender to the claims of the Gospel. THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN THIS AGE AND THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM.
“And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, in whose case the god of this world (age) has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor. 4:3-4) Even the apostle Paul recognized this as the cause. Even Paul recognized satan as the god of this Age. It can be disheartening to discover we are dealing with some of the same problems the early church faced. The mind blinding spirit has but one purpose, to keep us from seeing the light of the Gospel of the glory of Christ.
We can see in 2 Cor 4:4 the manifestation of satanic influence. It is not found in the fact that the “god of this age” has dragged good men and women down into the gutter of sin. In their case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ.
Here is the root of evil: blindness, darkness, unbelief. The biblical understanding of sin makes ethical and moral evil secondary to religious evil. In Romans 1:8 Paul refers to the “ungodliness and wickedness of men”. All forms of wickedness grow out of the root of ungodliness. Sin is primarily religious and secondary ethical. Man is God’s creature and his primary responsibility is towards God. (Rom 1:21), which are now imparted in Christ. DARKNESS IS THE ASSERTION OF INDEPENDENCE RATHER THAN GOD DEPENDENCE.
And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “aWe are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains. (John 9:39-41)
The primary manifestation of satanic influence and of the evil of this Age is religious; it is blindness with reference to the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Satan’s basic desire is to keep men from Christ. His primary concern is not to corrupt morals nor to make atheists nor to produce enemies of religion. Indeed religion which rests upon the assumption of human adequacy and sufficiency is an enemy of the light. This is the character of the Age of this world: darkness. This is why you cannot build a church with man’s concepts and ideas from the flesh. A true church cannot be built with the progressive thinking of man.
The Kingdom of God does not belong to this Age, for satan is called the god of This Age. This does not mean that God has been dethroned or that He has lost control of the universe. It is true that “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His Kingdom rules over all” (Ps 103:19). Even when evil is strongest on the earth, God is still the “King of the ages” (Rev 15:3). It is to our understanding of the Kingdom of God to recognize the biblical teaching that This Age is in rebellion against God’s rule.
The New Testament sets The Age to come in direct opposition to this Age.
Now I know the answer to my long asked question of why many church leaders do not follow the biblical teachings of Christ and His Apostles: They are not Spiritually minded. Tradition and flesh rule in the gospel of man and the gospel of man seems to rule in many churches.
As I have previously said, the great revival has begun and it is not of outward signs that seem to attract man, but is a deep inner working of the Spirit in the hearts of man…… it is like the Coronavirus, you can’t see it but it can kill you. This ‘revival’ cannot yet be seen but it will produce life in the Spirit and godly character in the hearts of man.
THIS REVIVAL WILL CHANGE THE CHURCH BACK INTO THE IMAGE OF CHRIST. THE OLD RELIGIOUS CHURCH IS PASSING AWAY AND LIFE IS BEING RESTORED TO THE CHURCH
“He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.” (Eph 1:9-12)
In His Covenant Love,
Apostle Richard Wright
Eagles Wings Ministries,
Portland Oregon
DISCLAIMER: I do not capitalize the name satan as I do not recognize it as being worthy of recognition.