Bible Reading: 2 Kings 14; 2 Timothy 4; Hosea 7; Psalms 120 – 122
2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
In chapter 3 of 2 Timothy the Bible informs us that in the last days perilous times are coming. In chapter 4 those perilous times creep over into the church. There is coming a time when people will not endure sound doctrine. They will not listen when the Bible is preached. But they will still be religious and go to church. Their solution to the problem will be to heap to themselves teachers who will teach what they want to hear. The Bible says this will come from the lusts of the heart. They have itching ears that don’t want to hear truth. They will instead find someone to tell them fables (made up stories) that will make them feel good.
We can see this happening in our day. There are many churches that will not hear what the Bible has to say. They have a ‘hireling’ for a preacher who tells the sinning saints what they want to hear. It will not take long before there are no saints at all in that ‘church’ and it will be a completely apostate group. How sad! How do we guard against this in our lives? We must know the Word of God and let preachers preach who truly proclaim God’s truth. That is what Paul told Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
When the Word of God is preached it does things in the hearers! It reproves and rebukes sometimes. It exhorts or challenges the saints to get up and be about the business of loving and serving Jesus.
Jeremiah 23:29 Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The Word burns, breaks, pierces and divides when it is preached. We need men who will preach the Word and not fables! We need to hear the Word preached and let God use it to break, burn and cut down deep within us. We need sound doctrine and the only place to get that is from the Word of God!
John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
In Christ,
Rody
