ITCHING EARS VERSUS SPIRITUAL EARS

He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ (Rev 3:22)

because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

“Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—(Rev 3: 16-17)

Because of the many flattering , itchy ear preachers of our day , many a Christian has travelled along thinking , I am all right. But then a man of God comes along, preaching the word, and it is disturbing to the soul. Whenever the word of God hits us , it does disturb us. That should not disturb us, as it is quite normal. God has to sometimes jar us loose from the hold that this world has on me.

I do not think it is not insignificant that this is the last church that is mentioned before John is called up to heaven to see the things he saw, that are just ahead of us, His bride . It is the seventh church , the lukewarm Laodician church. The church of itching ear preachers and teachers.

Preachers often speak in third person pronouns, because it is psychologically less offensive to the individual, but the word of God is spoken to you. It is spoken to me, as well.

It Is amazing that a church can reach a point where it says, we are fine right the way we are. We do not need anything else. We are wise, we are good and we have much worthless treasure in the chest of our blessed Hope. We need not press on to our higher calling like Paul, suggested of himself. We are good , just the way we are

This last church addressed by Jesus is indicative of many Christians of our day. Always learning, but never able to come to the knowledge of the truth, Paul said about our time, having a form of godliness, but denying the power there of.

If The church is the Restrainer, ( 2Thess 2:7) which I believe it most certainly is, there seems to be very little restraint working in this world in our day. And that is what the message to the Philadelphia church was about, the sixth church Jesus spoke to. It had little strength, but it kept His word and did not deny His name. It will be kept from the hour of testing that will come upon the whole earth

Now that our blessed hope is so near, there are also so many scoffers following after their own worldly lusts. Lovers of themselves lovers of money, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. Seeking recognition , seeking popularity , seeking their own glory and not the glory of God. You can hear It in their words. I did this. I did that I am doing this. I am doing that, when there is only one thing that was done on this Earth that is worth mentioning, and it is the cross of Christ by which we have been purchased for God.

What does that mean to you, to me? The divided Corinthian church that was following after all, kinds of false prophets and false teachers, was reprimanded by the apostle Paul: do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1Cor 6:19-20)

In short, we do not belong to ourselves anymore, we are His. And what a blessed hope that is for me/you. Though we are freed men in Christ. We are bond servants of Him, and slaves to righteousness..

He is mine and I am His. This blessed hope that we have, is that we will see him face-to-face and we will be changed, to be like him glorious and finally perfected, when the trumpet sounds and He calls us home to Him.

Many Christians, are offended at some of the words of the Bible, and so they just leave them out, but the problem is a spiritual one, they prefer to not give up all that they have so that they might have all of Him, and they are deluded into thinking that they are fine right where they are.

Then, to justify themselves, they go to men for counsel, who speak to them what their itchy ears , want to hear, rather than the whole council of the word of God.

To these, Jesus says;

I counsel: you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see. “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent.

We cannot face both ways at the same time. Either we fix our eyes on Christ the author of and the finisher of our faith , or we are distracted by the world, and the word of God is choked out of our hearts and minds.

I must surrender to His ownership to enjoy the fullness of Him. He will not force himself on me , but he may make it difficult for me/ you until I/ you do surrender.

The itchy ear Christian refuses to be stirred by the whole counsel of the word of God, and the pastor or prophet or seer, that speaks its counsel is often rebuked as a legalistic heretic.

Jeremiah was hated by the children of Israel, because he did not say good things about them, but Jeremiah said: Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD,

Pauls message to Titus should be the message of every Preacher and teacher of the word, and every blood bought child of God, surrendered to Him, though it does not satisfy the itchy ear , but offends it , it satisfies the spiritual ear, and encourages it.

To be a hot Christian means to live a life fully surrendered to Him. To be a lukewarm Christian means to pretend and you are following the Lord.