Matthew 24:3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
This passage of scripture as spoken by Christ Himself predicts that many false Christs and false prophets will arise in the last days of earth's history, the days in which we are now living. The reason why they are being multiplied at such an alarming rate, is because of the desire of the masses to hear smooth words and presentations, which do not interfere with our sins, but rather confirm us in a wrong course of action. We should here note that satan is a master at providing "good" excuses for doing wrong, and therefore, the logical reasonings of finite men, which seek to pacify us in sin, is nothing else but the work of satanic agencies.
The problem of itching ears is not a new phenomena, but has always existed in those of us who prefer to hear lies that would not disturb our conscience. As a matter of fact there is an actual song that demonstrates this mindset, because the words go like this: "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies". This is the condition Paul warned us of as he wrote about the dire conditions which would obtain in a world steeped in spiritual darkness. Let's read:
2nd Timothy 4:3 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; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
One such "Fable" is the doctrine which teaches love to God without obedience to His word, by which individuals are taught to claim Christ as Lord and Savior, whilst at the same time living in blatant violation of His plainest commands. Any meaningful relationship with The Lord must of necessity include the vital component of obedience, or else such a relationship is just a sham, or is ill-advised at best. Christ repeatedly emphasized the issue of complying with His words, as He instructed His followers on how a meaningful relationship with God is formed, and grows on a continual basis. Let's read:
John 14:21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. 23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings"...
A teenager is instructed by his mother to make his bed and tidy his room every morning, before going off to school, but the child never obeys, yet every time he sees his mother, he gives her a big hug and says "I love you". This goes on from day to day, and as the parent hopes and looks for a change in the child's attitude toward the instructions given, she realizes that instead of complying, the son's room is becoming more and more untidy, with underwear strewn across the floor, and partially eaten food and chips sitting on his bed, yet, as soon as the mother opens his door, the first words that come out of his mouth are "I love you".
Question: What do we think will happen to the relationship between the parent and child after she has repeatedly instructed the child to obey, by tidying his room, and the boy blatantly refuses to comply? Answer: The relationship will begin to disintegrate, and if serious reform and change is not made by the child, the lines of communication will be broken down to the point where there will be a settled animosity between them both, on account of the child's non-compliant attitude.
The same is true of our relationship with God, for if we continue to disregard His instructions and laws, the relationship between ourselves and Him will also begin to disintegrate, and if we do not want to be deceived by the many false Christs and false prophets which have already arisen, the component of compliance must be rooted in our relationship with God, or else, an ongoing animosity will develop, which will end in final separation if the stated reforms are not made. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which demonstrates the right attitude to be cultivated towards God's word, so that the snares of false prophets can be avoided. Let's read:
Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!