“3For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4 NKJV)
Among the thousands of “last days” signs that are floating around today, these Scripture verses, shown above, are actually validated by the very ones who ridicule prophecy. They stand before the crowds and sit in the pews each Sunday worshipping at the altar of Baal.
This country is inundated with false prophets in the pulpits who are fleecing multiplied thousands of people as I type. These religious hucksters are politically correct, but Biblically incorrect. Yet people keep falling for a lie because that’s what they want to hear.
What blows my mind is the number of so-called Christians who are being taken in by all the hot air being blown up their pant legs. They have allowed society’s perceptions to infiltrate the local church assembly. The “I’m okay, you’re okay” philosophy of apostates rings from the pulpits where once thundered the words “Repent and call upon the name of the Lord.” “All roads lead to Heaven,” has superseded “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6) Where do these asinine platitudes originate anyway? They come from those that the American people have made celebrities, whether from the pulpit or Hollywood. Have we not also made these celebrities gods? Yes we have, because we give them more clout than the authority of God’s Word.
“Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 1:25)
These false prophets and their disciples do not know God, but have made themselves gods from the corrupt thoughts of their own minds.
Because we have replaced God with false gods we now see the results that have become of it:
“26For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: 27And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” (Romans 1:26-27)
Not all, but many of the celebrities from Hollywood, can open their mouths and everyone just swoons over what they say. These in question live drug-induced, bed-hopping shameful lives, but are treated as gods simply because they are rich and famous. Look, I could clean up a pig, and clothe it with jewelry and fine silk, but it’s still a pig. As soon as it gets the chance it will return to the filthy mud it so enjoys. Sorry, but when I hear them speak, all I hear is “oink, oink.”
And then there are those “of the cloth,” so to speak, the teachers. What about them? Our lead verses above, 2 Timothy 4:3-4, really drive the nail home. These false prophets have placed themselves in charge of the spiritual welfare of others. They are the most dangerous, and they are becoming more and more plentiful and performing more and more sinful violations against the God they “say” they serve. The truth is they are not serving God, but the god of this world, Satan. They are prophets of Baal.
The verses above tell us that this list is growing because “they,” the people, the common man, want teachers who will simply tell them what they want to hear. Sounds a lot like the people of Moses’ day, don’t you think? I can hear Aaron backpedaling now when his brother Moses came down off the mountain.
“For they said to me, ‘Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” (Exodus 32:23 ESV)
Aaron at that time of his life was such a spineless leader he succumbed to the will of those who thought they knew more than God. I wonder how many leaders of today stand behind the pulpits of America, with no guts to stand up for the Truth. Only a few will say along with Joshua, “And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)
I am reminded of the prophet Elijah and King Ahab, that spineless whiner married to Jezebel.
“17And it came to pass, when Ahab saw Elijah, that Ahab said unto him, Art thou he that troubleth Israel? 18And he answered, I have not troubled Israel; but thou, and thy father’s house, in that ye have forsaken the commandments of the LORD, and thou hast followed Baalim.” (1 Kings 18:17-18)
This country is saturated with gutless leaders like Ahab who grovel at the political trough of liberal thinking. Sure, bend the knee before our enemies, but don’t hesitate to clean the poor man’s plow. Crawl in bed with the sickening elite of Hollywood, but toss out the Commandments of our God. Crave the dollar and the power it provides, while you milk the livelihood of your subjects. Cuddle up to the prophets of Baal and strike down the Truth of Elijah.
Elijah speaks today, but the majority desires teachers who will tickle their ears with pious platitudes to make them feel warm and fuzzy all over. The prophets of Baal come from the anti-God scientific community, from the political offices of greed and power, from the decadent gutter of Hollywood, and last but not least, the blind religious community preaching their saliva oozing feel good hell-bound message of false love. These religious proclaimers denounce the God they say they serve. They legitimize perverted sexual unions, even endorsing them into the pulpits and seminaries of America. “There are many roads to God,” is their cry, and thus denounce the authenticity of Jesus Christ as God. They cut up His Word, the Bible, in pieces until it is no longer recognizable, but this is what those who will not endure sound doctrine want.
The average church goer has been fed so much junk food from the pulpit they have come to love it. “No healthy staples for me. Pass the chips please. This is soooo good!” If the lack of sound doctrine were visually displayed by an ever widening posterior, most church goers would have to turn sideways to enter those hallowed doors. Their ears have been turned away from the Truth and turned aside to fables.
My friends, regardless of the laughter coming from the teachers and listeners from the junk food section, Jesus is coming soon. The false teachers and their followers of the first century missed the signs of His first coming. Some did recognize who He was, but refused to give up their power and sinful ways. The false teachers and their followers today are missing the signs of His soon return, first to reclaim His bride (Rapture) and lastly at the end of a period of hell on earth commonly called the Tribulation. How many today suspect the signs are true, but do not want to give up their power and sinful ways? How many, with itching ears, are listening to the teachings of today’s false prophets, and edging ever closer to the eternal cliff of damnation?
There are no signs for the Rapture of Christ’s church. It could occur at any second. Are you ready, or do you prefer to have your ears tickled with lies? If you are not prepared for His return, you are not going to be happy.
Grant Phillips