LEARNING DAILY

 

2 Timothy 4:2-3, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from truth, and be turned aside to fables.     Paul

 

I use this Scripture to introduce another aspect in trying to determine if we are in the end times Old Testament prophets and New Testament apostles wrote about.  Jesus gave signs of the end times and told John the Revelator in The Revelation 1:3 that “the time is near”.  

 

Throughout church history there have been people who have refused to love sound doctrine.  I believe I am safe to write that as the end draws closer the situation will grow worse.  I wonder what would happen if elaborate multimedia, the fast-paced music sung for worship, the technology used for the church service, and all the professionalism of the church service just disappeared.  My guess is people would stop going to church.  What would happen if churches stopped competing with each other for church attendance and church membership?  I just do not know what happened if coffee and donuts were no longer served.  I know that this is necessary for fellowship.  Jeff Kinney made this statement, “Simply put, we have become very good at doing church in our culture and have forgotten to simply be the church, specializing in the things that really matter.”

 

Apostasy – defined as a person who renounces a religious or political belief or principle; it is the abandoning a religious or political belief or principle.  One sign of the coming apostasy is departing from sound doctrine.  If you are following anything in the news today, it has to be apparent that people do not want Biblical teaching.  There will be greater pressure for biblical teaching/preaching to accommodate the thinking of the day’s culture (their own desires).  Sound doctrine will become more and more unpopular; churches will have to embrace this “tickling of the ears” in order to maintain their attendance.  I think there are already churches that are doing everything they can to always make people feel good when they leave.

 

These feel good, goose pimply churches will not be preaching repentance, sin, the judgments of God, demonstrations of power by the Holy Spirit and the need to live by holiness and separation from the world.  I cannot imagine them teaching about having a “hunger and thirst for righteousness” or “seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness”.  Be aware of those preachers, teachers, and “bloggers” who call evil good and call good evil.  Be aware of those who promote doctrines that are different from what the Bible teaches. 2 Timothy 3:13 speaks of, “evil men and imposters will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.”  If we are in these times, we can expect deception to grow worse.  The teaching of these people will only lead to ungodliness.  They are evil and imposters according to the apostle Paul.  The problem lies in the desire of many to “have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from truth, and be turned aside to fables.”  All of us have to understand how subtly this has happened over the years.  People with itching ears have sought out pastors who conform to their own self-seeking and worldly desires.  They prefer preachers that entertain, have great speaking ability and speak messages that reassure them they can remain a Christian while living unholy lives.

 

What can we do?  Pick up that Bible and guard sound doctrine.  All of us must renew our relationship to the True King – King Jesus!  He cares deeply for His Church, His Bride!  Pursue Him and know how He expects us to live.  Then live that way.  Keep growing in truth found in Scriptures.  2 Timothy 3:16-17 is good to close this page because it is encouraging and helpful.  “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

 

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