Ear Tickling

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires

2 Timothy 4:3

This verse tells us that in the last days, people will seek teachers who will teach what people want to hear, and pronounce doctrines to appease the congregation with whatever they say, instead of seeking to please God with what is preached.

This message will probably upset some of you, others, it will awaken.

What is being preached today? There is a buffet of preachers and churchs to pick from today. Thanks to the internet, video tapes, and the TV, it is easy to go and select the preachers you want to hear from. Many of them will gladly confirm various doctrines you hold- some of them are probably heresies - so that you can easily live your life with little-to-no conviction of false belief.

One type of preaching done is, that holiness, repentance, good works, salvation, and fear of God are not found in many messages preached in many churches. That the gospel presented is an easy going, do what you want, be lukewarm, it's ok, God is love, do not change, stay as you are, style messages.

Often, those who preach the above also preach that there is going to be revival, including the revival of prophecy, apostles, tongues (not to say these things are not true). A message that says America is coming under judgment soon, so you better repent, because the church is going to be judged for their lukewarmness.

People often think that their large congregation is a great indication of the movement of the Holy Spirit in what their congregation is doing, and that the preaching is great. However, I'm convinced by the Holy Spirit that this is not why some churches are doing so well.

Why are some "mega-churches" in existance? Churches where thousands attend, and often have football sized buildings, and require 3 sunday morning services to give everybody a chance to hear the teacher, evangelist, prophet, or apostle. Yet, outwardly, all seems well. Dozens if not hundreds of people come forward to receive Christ, multitudes are healed, and all this before resturants even open for lunch. It surely seems the Holy Spirit is running the show, right?

Wrong. While all looks good on the outside, and the congregation is filled with many who have a hunger and thirst and desire for things of God, and the preaching is great. Sadly though, this desire for the things of God, have caused many to thrust a teacher, an evangelist, a prophet, an apostle to greatness. How you say?

Because the "anointed man of God" preaches plenty of messages that people want to hear. Messages about the sinfulness of America, lukewarmness in the church, judgment of sin, revival, holiness, and fear of God. In many of these messages the "anointed man of God" who was thrust into preaching, slips in posion. People will gladly believe the rest of the stuff is true, just so they can listen to the stuff they love to hear preached, so they can hear messages that start with, "thus says the Lord".

Yes, there are people so spiritually hungry out there, that they will thrust another man into a position to preach, so they can hear these great messages they know we should be hearing, but overlook the unsound things preached, the empty messages preached. In the end, they don't grow spiritually, but die. The preacher then begins to bend, to preach messages he knows the people want to hear, because frankly, he has been seduced in wanting to hear them too. He has been conditioned to prophesy words that are not from God- often based off previous geniune words from God. He will often preach a message that is of God, but slip in things the congregation wants him to say.

Today we have two extremes of people, a people who love to hear the prophet say "peace, prosperity to you!", and another say, "woe to the infidels!" But, they always get jumpy when you say "woe to the prophet!" Nobody likes to hear "their" prophet, who is preaching the things they want to hear, rebuked, for it is different than they are accustomed to hearing, and wanting to hear. It does not sound good to them. I say in the Spirit, "How dare a prophet say, 'peace,' or say, 'woe,' when God has not spoken."

And when this man is rebuked for his error filled preaching, folks get defensive, and in order to have their ears tickled, they will flatter the prophet so that they may continue hearing what they desire to hear. They will bring in to account the great abundance of fruit produced of this individual...as if there is a merit-badge system to preaching. While fruit is great, the fruit you've previously produced does not matter the day you sin, it does not cancel the bad fruit produced. We see this said well:

"And you, son of man, say to your fellow citizens, 'The righteousness of a righteous man will not deliver him in the day of his transgression, and as for the wickedness of the wicked, he will not stumble because of it in the day when he turns from his wickedness; whereas a righteous man will not be able to live by his righteousness on the day when he commits sin.'

Ezekiel 33:12

God will not judge you based off your previous fruit, when you begin to produce a different fruit. He will judge you based off what type of fruit you are producing now. If you were producing bad fruit, and start producing good, God will not hold the bad against you. Likewise, if you were producing good fruit, and started to produce bad, God will not use your previous good fruit to justify your current fruit.

So, congregations who are seeking to defend their minister based off previous fruit, in light of a new fruit, are in error. And why do they enter into this sin in error of judgment? Because they like to have their ears tickled. Instead of hearing what God has to say, they desire to hear what they think should be said. They have sought out to have their ears tickled, and have found a man who was willing to do it. Seek and you shall find indeed!

And what does this man preach, but something that appeals to the flesh? Things of the natural, not the supernatural. These men will build their church up through others who are want to prop them up, instead of the foundation of Christ. They will build their ministries up not on the power of the Holy Spirit, but by holding events that appeal to the flesh. Bake sells, day care, and yard sells will be their methods. Bribe instead of treasure. Candy instead of bread. Pepsi instead of wine.

They will demonstrate their gospel by making an appeal to the physical sciences, to mathematics, statistics, vain philosophies, smooth-sooth-saying words. The kingdom of God is not demonstrated in such things, or in rumors, or in words, it is demonstrated in power! The power is demonstrated in the strength of its walls, walls who protect the city from invaders, and wild animals. The walls of a city who are stacked one upon another. It is demonstrated in spiritual warriors who battle with the sword of God in one hand, and a plowshare in the other! Citizens who answer the call of a trumpet in the middle of the night, not ones who say, "Let the machine get it," as they lie with their idols!

For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.

1 Corinthians 4:20

Anointing is not an excuse

1 Now when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people assembled about Aaron and said to him, "Come, make us a god who will go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Tear off the gold rings which are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 Then all the people tore off the gold rings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." 5 Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the LORD." 6 So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Exodus 32:1-6

Don't think just because one is anointed of God, that can justify whatever they say or do. Was the high priest Aaron justified when the people came to him, to have him build their golden-calf god? Aaron was sought out because of the anointing of God in his life. He had a natural talent that the people could make use of, so he could build their god.

Notice in verse 1 after Aaron has been selected as the leader. Aaron who had been by the side of Moses, and was often Moses spokesman, what fruit he must have! Having helped lead a great number of people out to the mount, after having passed through the sea. Notice in verse 2 how Aaron tells them to take the precious gold rings off their ears. An appeal to the ear Aaron makes, even though it involves giving up things of many value. And he raises the calf and the people behold it, with one voice they say this is the god who delievered us from Egypt. Aaron goes on to say that there shall be a feast to this god. He does not just use the hebrew word which can mean any sort of god ('elohiym), instead, he invokes the very name of God, that is Jehovah.

All this, and he's anointed of God. What a worship service they were having! The next day everybody got up, brought their various offerings, and they all sat down as one people, to eat, to drink, to rise, to play. All in the name of Jehovah!

This is no different than today folks! Many, like Aaron, are forming Jehovah with the tools of their hands. The Jehovah that is created becomes the center of their focus, for their worship. And how the people love it! Droves of people will flock to this shepherd. They will build a massive coliseum, and outside it will say on a sign "church of Jehovah." The people will encourage this craftsman in his work, and he will constantly point to the caft he has built and say, "Jehovah".

This happens any time a minister preaches the gospel as the people want to hear it. To create a message that has mass appeal. To be nice, and comforting, so not as to offend anybody. Or to be dynamic, full or pride, attempting to cut down, instead of build up. Look at Aaron, he was just trying to give the people what they wanted. After all, who knows what has become of Moses? He's been gone for a while now, and who knows when, if ever, he's coming back. I believe these people were genuinely frightened, and just looking for somebody to lead them. They longed for the god who delievered them, but could not wait. They sought the man with the anointing, surely he could make the situation better.

If you are thinking, "but they are looking for Aaron to make them some god of gold, not Jehovah. There was rebellion in their heart". But I say to you, how is this any different than what is going on today? You run from church to church, looking for the man who can build the best god for you. There is rebellion in your heart too! Instead of remembering the God who delievered you, you look for one that will lead you where you want to go. You are willing to forsake your valuables, just so one can give you the god you want, the one that appeals to your senses.

I'll close with this word: Let the gold that hangs from your ear be what God makes you, let it not be what you make God.