A daily, Bible-based perspective of hope, encouragement and exhortation.
Home Archives About Us Free email subscription
Listen to these messages
Daily Encouragement on
Facebook
Twitter 
Wordpress
LinkedIn<Previous Message Next Message>
Wednesday, May 23, 2018
"The Peril Of Itching Ears"
Message summary: Itching ears are extremely perilous to our spiritual life and health.
Listen
to our
message on your
audio player."For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths"
They say you should never put anything in your ear smaller than your elbow but I've never managed to get my elbow anywhere near enough to scratch my ear! (Seriously, I confess to periodically using a Q-tip. Although the packaging warns against it I'm pretty sure I am not the only one on planet earth who uses them this way.)
Over 40 years ago the late creative songwriter Keith Green, whose message through songs has timeless meaning, penned the thought-provoking words to "Satan's Boast"; a song written as if it were by the devil himself. One line from the song goes like this: "I put some truth in every lie, to tickle itching ears." These words ring Scripturally true and are so easily observed in our age. Merely consider the many lies we are exposed to and the efforts to tickle itching ears.
Today let us examine this type of itching ears that affects many. It's always been around to some degree but in my lifetime I've seen it greatly increase. It's not a medical condition of the ears but rather a spiritual matter of the heart that our daily text is referring to:
Several weeks ago I went to an ordination service in Reading, PA and was once again stirred when this Scripture reading was presented. The faithful minister of the Gospel will heed this command realizing,
The specific reason for "itching ears" will likely vary from
generation to generation and from one region to the other. The "itching ears"
message is described in the text as the failure to "put up with sound doctrine" along with a quest to "suit their own desires" and to hear "what their itching ears want to hear". (The graphic to the left presents a wolf in sheep's clothing speaking to the gullible sheep.)This graphic below
Listeners: We must be on our guard against having itching ears. We need to open our hearts, minds, and ears to biblical teaching including that which may not be our preference or the cultural norms of our day, but rather stands the test of biblical authority. In being exposed to sound doctrine we must not seek out teachers and teachings that suit our own desires of what we want to hear. We need to listen with hunger and discernment and apply the practice of the Bereans "who received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true" (Acts 17:11). We need to pray for our pastor and other spiritual leaders that they will not succumb to the pattern of this world which is a great temptation. That means that sound preaching will include teaching that is faithful to the Scripture but may be and increasingly will be contrary to culture.
Preachers: We need to examine our heart and align it with biblical teaching. There is a great temptation to go along to get along but that is not our call. A neutral message or silence when God's Word speaks clearly on a matter is not faithfulness to truth. Like Paul, we need to be committed to sound doctrine while teaching the "whole counsel of God" (Acts 20:27). Our first priority must be, what does God want proclaimed, not what do people want to hear. Many years ago I heard this succinct definition of responsible ministry as "comforting the afflicted and afflicting the comfortable". According to verse 2 Timothy 4:2 faithful preaching includes not just exhorting but also reproof and rebuke.
Itching ears are extremely perilous to our spiritual life and health. Let us, "Apply our heart to instruction and our ears to words of knowledge" (Proverbs 23:12).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily prayer: Father,
as we follow in the ways of the Lord we will endure sound doctrine by
prayerfully fine tuning our thoughts and actions in accordance to
Biblical instruction. Otherwise we might turn our ears from the truth,
and turn aside to myths. We know that all Scripture is God-breathed and
is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in
righteousness so that we are equipped for every good work that honors
You and builds us up in the faith.2 Timothy 4:4, 2 Timothy 3:16,17
The strong emphatic instruction to Timothy that follows our daily passage is so instructive, especially to ministers: "But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5).
Today's
Suggested Music and
Supplemental Resources
* Itching ears photo here. I notice whoever has the copyright on the photo has an expired domain.
Earlier this week I mentioned a series our church is going through titled "The One Story" with a panoramic survey view of the Bible emphasizing that it is indeed one story. David, a reader from England sent me a link to this video series "A Bible overview – ‘The Big Journey’ from Genesis to Revelation" which seems to take the same approach. Also this one, "God’s Big Picture by Vaughan Roberts – 10 short videos taking you through the whole Bible"
Not Satire: I benefit on keeping up with the current events from a website called "CHRISTIAN DAILY REPORTER" which selects various news stories of interest, especially in regard to the faith and culture wars. They often have a link to some crazy notion using the title "Not Satire". Well, last night I read an article that would fit well in this category that I will link to here since even the title may be offensive to many. I was in the Boy Scouts back in the sixties and what a remarkable slide into decadence this once noble organization has been in.
"Satan's Boast" AKA "No One Believes in Me Anymore" Video Keith Green
Remember, this song is written from the devil's perspective
Oh, my job keeps getting easier
As time keeps slipping away
I can imitate your brightest light
And make your night look just like day
I put some truth in every lie
To tickle itching ears
You know I'm drawing people just like flies
'cause they like what they hear
I'm gaining power by the hour
They're falling by the score
You know, it's getting very simple now
Since no one believe in me anymore
Oh, heaven's just a state of mind
My books read on your shelf
And have you heard that God is dead
I made that one up myself
They dabble in magic spells
They get their fortunes read
You know they heard the truth
But turned away and followed me instead
I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no ones watching for my tricks
Since no one believes in me anymore
Everyone likes a winner
With my help, you're guaranteed to win
And hey man, you ain't no sinner
You've got the truth within
And as your life slips by
You believe the lie that you did it on your own
But don't worry
I'll be there to help you share our dark eternal home
Oh, my job keeps getting easier
As day slips into day
The magazines, the newspapers
Print every word I say
This world is just my spinning top
It's all like childs-play
You know, I dream that it will never stop
But I know it's not that way
Still my work goes on and on
Always stronger than before
I'm gonna make it dark before the dawn
Since no one believes in me anymore
Well now I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no one's watching for my tricks
Since no one believes in me anymore
Well I'm gaining power by the hour
They're falling by the score
You know, it's getting very easy now
Since no one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
As time keeps slipping away
I can imitate your brightest light
And make your night look just like day
I put some truth in every lie
To tickle itching ears
You know I'm drawing people just like flies
'cause they like what they hear
I'm gaining power by the hour
They're falling by the score
You know, it's getting very simple now
Since no one believe in me anymore
Oh, heaven's just a state of mind
My books read on your shelf
And have you heard that God is dead
I made that one up myself
They dabble in magic spells
They get their fortunes read
You know they heard the truth
But turned away and followed me instead
I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no ones watching for my tricks
Since no one believes in me anymore
Everyone likes a winner
With my help, you're guaranteed to win
And hey man, you ain't no sinner
You've got the truth within
And as your life slips by
You believe the lie that you did it on your own
But don't worry
I'll be there to help you share our dark eternal home
Oh, my job keeps getting easier
As day slips into day
The magazines, the newspapers
Print every word I say
This world is just my spinning top
It's all like childs-play
You know, I dream that it will never stop
But I know it's not that way
Still my work goes on and on
Always stronger than before
I'm gonna make it dark before the dawn
Since no one believes in me anymore
Well now I used to have to sneak around
But now they just open their doors
You know, no one's watching for my tricks
Since no one believes in me anymore
Well I'm gaining power by the hour
They're falling by the score
You know, it's getting very easy now
Since no one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
No one believes in me anymore
Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne
To receive the "Daily Encouragement" each Monday-Friday through email see this page to subscribe to our email list. You can also subscribe to the Wordpress rss feed or through a Wordpress email subscription. (See the email subscription on the right side after opening this page.)
Permissions: Please feel free to pass on, reproduce and distribute any material on Daily Encouragement Net, in part or in whole, in any format, provided that you do not alter the wording in any way or charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction. It is our desire to spread this material, not protect or restrict it. We do request that you keep the contact, copyright and subscription information intact.
Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
© Copyright 2018 Stephen C. & Brooksyne Weber - All Rights Reserved
Daily Encouragement Net - 495 Kraybill Church Road - Mount Joy, PA 17552 USA