"What About People Pleasers?" - Inspirational Weekend

In my photograph above, these sociable Lesser Flamingos seem content to cozy up together and go about their business rubbing shoulders, so to speak, in their daily lives with much familiarity. 

Many humans are just like these flamingos;  they cannot be alone for any length of time and prefer to be out and about and in the company of others of like mind.   That is not really such a bad thing, unless the company they keep are bad associations.   

Another thing to consider is the fact that quiet and solitude can be a great blessing, especially if you spend a good part of that quiet time in prayer, worship, and Bible reading and studying.  

We have a choice:  please the good Lord by having quality time with Him and other Christians, or pleasing friends and family that may not be true believers in Jesus Christ as the Savior, and thereby "going along with them" in questionable conduct.  True, we need to spend time with unbelievers in order to witness to them about Jesus and the Gospel, but not at the expense of our own standing with God by becoming ungodly along with them.

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."   -  Galatians 1:10

The desire to be popular and to win praise from others affects everyone, almost, to some extent; that goes for adults as well as for teenagers.  So to become popular and to fit in, many persons become "people pleasers".   

Those who try to be popular with the world, will lose his popularity with the Lord.  He will make friends, but he will lose the one Friend Who is above all others.  He will win approval from men, but he will not hear the "Well done" from the Lord.  Remember, "No one can serve two masters"  (Matthew 6:24).  It is vain to try to keep in favor with both God and with the world.   "Pleasing men and serving Christ are incompatible."

The above meerkats are also a sociable bunch.   There is nothing wrong with Christians being sociable; we need to be that way in order to win souls to Christ.  The Holy Spirit does the "winning", but we do the witnessing and the proclaiming of the Gospel so with Scriptures we are able to spread the Word as we ought.  

"The soul that cannot entirely trust God, whether man be pleased or displeased, can never long be true to Him, for while you are eyeing men you are losing God and stabbing religion at the very heart."           -  T. Manton

George Macdonald said:  "When  one has learned to seek the honor that cometh from God only, he will take the withholding of the honor that cometh by man very lightly indeed."

The above quote by Macdonald is the cure for all inclinations of men-pleasing.  Seek approval first from the one true God, Yahweh.  Then you will not need the applause from men by striving to please them.  We are the servants of God/Jesus and we should not forget that fact.

"How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?"     -  Jesus at John 5:44 (KJV)

"Needing God plus something else is the trouble with us."   -  A.W. Tozer

"Modern Christians feel too much at home in the world."  -  A.W. Tozer

In the King James Version of the Bible, James 4:4 tells us:  "Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God?  whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God."

James 4:4 is speaking of spiritual adultery and about those who love the world rather than God.  

This article is rather blunt in its truth, but we all need the truth and not sugar-coated or watered down doctrine.  Even pastors can be guilty in this area.   I find it true what Martin Luther said in the following quote:

"To this day you will find many who seek to please men in order that they may live in peace and security.  They teach whatever is agreeable to men, no matter whether it is contrary to God's Word or their own conscience.  But we who endeavor to please God and not men, stir up hell itself.  We must suffer reproach, slanders, death."

The apostle Paul no doubt felt, "The question is not of gaining over men, but of standing right with God, and that even at the expense of an absolute breach with men."

Bondage to man or to Christ -   we each have to choose.  

"All the paths of the Lord are mercy and steadfast love, even truth and faithfulness are they for those who keep His covenant and His testimonies."     -  Psalm 25:10

"If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you."    -  Jesus at John 15:19

Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend..... and life!

"Will Unsaved Loved Ones Have A Second Chance To be Saved During The 7 Year Tribulation" (Video On Current Events) - Inspirational Weekend

My above photograph depicts a quiet, woodland place of rest and peace; a small glimpse of refuge in the "paradise" of Hawaii.  Although beautiful and breathtaking scenery is to be found there, Hawaii is far from a true paradise, of course, because of sin and fallen men.   Believers long for the time when they will be in their true home  - heaven - with the good Lord. 

Hang in there !  The return of Jesus is imminent....right at the very door, and it will happen soon according to how Bible prophecy is being played out as we speak now in these last days.  Many
precursors to Bible prophecy are already in place, waiting to be fulfilled.

Many true believers who realize the time of the Rapture of the
Church (true believers) to Heaven with Jesus is ever so near are concerned about unsaved loved ones who will face enduring the 7 year Tribulation.  They wonder if these relatives and others will have a second chance and can be saved during the horrors of the Tribulation period. 

Some scholars believe that once a person is in the Tribulation, meaning of course they were not saved and were "left behind" when the Rapture occurred,  ...these scholars believe there is absolutely no second chance to be saved during the dreaded tribulation.  No where in the Bible does it say this !

Let us go to God's Holy Word for answers.

Revelation 7:9, 14 b tells us (9) "After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne,, and before the Lamb [Jesus] , clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands;  .....  (14b) ......  These are they which came out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb."

The above verses are proof that there will be tribulation saints who are martyred by the antichrist and his followers because of their faith in Jesus and their evangelizing, and their refusal to take the Mark of the Beast.  The Tribulation period will be a time of much persecution for these believers. 

The Tribulation saints will hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ from many sources.  In the beginning, there may still be Bibles available for them to read and study and discover the many prophecies therein that predicted the times and signs they are experiencing.  And don't forget about the two witnesses who will prophesy for 1,260 days, and speak the Gospel message  (Revelation 11:1-13).

Do not forget about the 144,000 Jewish believers in Jesus, and who are sealed by God during the Great Tribulation.  They will be preaching the Gospel during the Trib.   (Revelation 7:3-8 and Revelation 14:1-5).

An angel will also proclaim the Gospel during this time of Jacob's trouble.  He will fly in mid-heaven crying out with the Good News.

Revelation 14:6-7 explains:  (6)  And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.  (7)  Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come:  and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters."

Another thing to consider is the fact that during the Trib.  many people are being beheaded for their faith, which proves, obviously, that many come to a saving knowledge of Jesus and are truly saved during this end time Tribulation.

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither  his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."   -   Revelation 20:4

How merciful and loving and patient is the good Lord to give second chances ! 

So yes, your loved ones may still come to faith in Jesus and be saved during this 7 year period of great trial and judgments !   In the meantime, continue to pray for them to come with all their heart and all their very being to the cleansing power of Jesus; the Savior of souls; the Redeemer.  Be a good witness of the faith, so that they will see a reflection of Jesus in you and in your faithful walk with Him.   They will come to desire what you have, a saving and close personal relationship with the good Lord.

Following is a recent Middle East Update (March 1, 2019)  by Amir Tsarfati which is very informative and timely.  It is 51 minutes in length, but please believe you will be so interested in what he has to say, that you will not mind the 51 minutes.   Amir also touches on the subject of will unbelievers who miss the Rapture of the Church be able to be saved during the 7 year Tribulation.  He also discusses the situation with Iran and Syria, and the recent Putin and Netanyahu meeting and much more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZrvOTbum-0&t=4s


What if you are reading this and you have never surrendered your life to Jesus; never been saved; never been born again? 

"(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)    -   2 Corinthians 6:2

Do not delay in surrendering to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Have complete faith in Him as the Savior, believing in Him with all of your heart, and believing that only He can wash you clean from sin
and give you life eternal..... Just believe in Him. 

Jesus is waiting to hear from you. 

He will welcome you with open arms of forgiveness and embrace you with His love.

You need to repent and ask for forgiveness, and turn from a life of sin and rebellion against God, never to go back to your old sinful and selfish lifestyle. 


Romans 10:9, 10, 13 tells us:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6


Have a blessed and Christ-centered weekend.... and life!

Israel In Bible Prophecy, The 7 year Tribulation, End Times And You

This assortment of orchids brightens your spirits and assures you that despite all the evil and unrest and chaos in this old world,  God is still there, reminding us of His Presence with His beautiful creations.  It is better to focus on "things above"  ( Colossians 3:1-2) and to have faith that soon the good Lord will rectify all things.

Isn't it strange that we are so obviously living in the end times the Bible prophesied about (Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13) and that the pastors and evangelist, for the most part, do not preach on Bible prophecy at all, and also dare not mention the soon return of Jesus to take true believers in the Rapture to be with Him in heaven.  Some reasons why are given in the following 8 minute video featuring Jan Markell:

Listen to her, because she is well thought of in the ministry circles; she has her own weekly radio show that goes out to over 800 channels, and she herself has been in ministry many, many years.  Every fall she organizes the largest prophecy conference in the USA and many thousands flock there to be informed on Bible prophecy and the hope the Bible gives us.  Find out more at olivetreeviews.org 

If you follow the news regularly, you are aware how extensive the coverage is on the Middle East and Israel in particular.  Many feel that we are on the brink of the war of Gog and Magog  (Ezekiel 38 and 39).   The good Lord has never forgotten His chosen people, Israel.  When Israel's enemies come against them for the battle of Gog and Magog, Yahweh will supernaturally come to their aid and destroy their foes.  

"And it shall come to pass at the same time, when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord God, that My fury shall come up in my face.  So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth,  shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground......And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone."  -  Ezekiel 38: 18, 20,22

Also, the 7 year Tribulation period is for Israel's benefit in that it will bring Israel to an acknowledgement of Jesus as the Messiah, and it will restore all of the Land of Israel back to the Jews which was given to them by God back in ancient times.

Gary Stearman, of prophecywatchers.com, explains why there must be a Tribulation and discusses why it will be seven years long and not three and a half years as some are prone to believe.Here is a link to that article:

Please take the time to read this informative and scholarly article.  Mr. Stearman is an expert on Bible prophecy and you can trust his opinions because, of course, he bases everything he says upon what the Bible tells us.

In Mr. Stearman's article, he also gives us a little history lesson, as well as touching on the subject of the antichrist.  You will learn much from this article, and it is not difficult to understand.  But true believers in the Lord will not be here during the Tribulation period; we will have been taken up with the Lord into heaven at the Rapture.  We therefore need to focus on Jesus and not the antichrist.

In view of the fact that we are now living in the last hour of the last days, we need to endeavor to walk the narrow path with faith in Jesus; walk in His footsteps, and imitate Him as best we can.

Jesus admonishes us at Matthew 7:13,14 to (13) "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:(14) Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

We need to examine our thoughts and our hearts:  are they centered on Jesus and on obeying His commandments? Is He truly our Master and the love of our life? In other words, do we put Him first in our life?

If all of the above is not true of your life, then you need to repent and turn to the good Lord with all of your heart and your very being;  ask for forgiveness  and believe and have faith in Jesus as the Savior.  He died a cruel death so that you and I could have eternal life if we put our faith in Him.

Romans 10:9,10,13 tells us:  (9) "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."   -  John 14:6

"Insight On Psalm 23 And You" (With Sermon On Psalm 23 By Charles Spurgeon) - Inspirational Weekend

My daily Bible reading to study yesterday was, in part, Psalm 23.  I was inspired to focus on verse 3 of that Psalm for this weekend's post.  Many of you may have the entire Psalm 23 memorized, and it is an excellent one to know by heart, as I myself have memorized it.  Sometimes when I am extremely tired or just for a loss as to what to pray,  I quote the entire Psalm 23 out loud to the Lord.  It is soothing and calming to do so.

"He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake."  -  Psalm 23:3

The soul can have weaknesses and weariness, and sometimes loss of trust in God.  It can sometimes lose sight of the promises of God found in His Holy Word.  Take it all to the good Lord in prayer, and the Great Physician will restore you to a healthy state of mind and of soul.   

One commentator believes this is the only meaning of "He restoreth my soul"..... that it does not refer to any sin.  But actually, any doubt of God is a sin in itself.  

Other commentators say that this restoration of the soul refers to the pardoning of sins.  We all are aware that although, if we are born again, we are still prone to sin occasionally.   The big difference in when believers sin, is that it is not on purpose and deliberately and willfully done.  It shouldn't be, if you are a true believer in Jesus.  

If one has sinned, or become a backslider, he can come back to the

Lord by way of humility and prayer and repentance and to turn from any evil.  You must come to the Lord in sorrow for the wrong and with whole-hearted  remorse.  If you are a sheep that has left the fold and become separated from the flock, the Good Shepherd will welcome you back with open arms of love and pardon.

When one is oppressed, God can refresh the soul with His Word, the Bible, and by His Holy Spirit, Who is the Comforter.   Faith is the great restorer of life to any oppressed Christian.  

Psalm 23:3 ........."He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.."

The custom of the Eastern shepherds was to go before the sheep, thereby leading them.   So God guides us.  We enter the paths of righteousness not because we are forced or driven into them, "but by the attraction of our Lord's loving presence, and the persuasive power of His holy will."

"O LORD,  I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps."  -   Jeremiah 10:23

From the above verse, we can see that even converted persons need a God to lead them.   We can also see this when David prayed:

"Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness."  -  Psalm 143:10

Keep on the good paths, the narrow and straight paths, the paths that the good Lord leads you to follow, and you will not go wrong.  If you are in doubt, pray to God to guide you and He will tenderly  lead you on the path that is righteous, one that leads to heaven in the future.  

Psalm 23:3  ".....For His name's sake."

The above makes you think of God's sovereignty.  He not only guides us in paths of righteousness because of His love and mercy and grace, but because He is concerned with His reputation and His purposes and wants them to be maintained by His people in order that He might be glorified.

"....So didst Thou lead thy people, to make Thyself a glorious name."   -  Isaiah 63:14b

Indeed, we all ought to do everything for God's glory.  He is the Sovereign of the universe; He is our Creator and breath of life.

We believers have so much to be grateful for.  The good Lord watches over us, provides for us, loves us, and tenderly guides and corrects us.  We owe Him reverence and respect and total surrender to His will;  and we owe Him our grateful love in return.

Following is a 26 minute audio sermon by Charles Spurgeon on beautiful Psalm 23: 

In this commentary, Spurgeon says:  "It is to the honor of our Great Shepherd that we should be a holy people, walking in the narrow way of righteousness."    Another way to say it is, we should be living as godly a life as possible, endeavoring to please the good Lord in all we do, say, think, and believe.

"Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord;"   -  Hebrews 12:14

How do we become holy and live a godly life?   You need to be born again (John 3:3), which means you repent of any sin and put your full trust and belief in Jesus as the Savior, whose shed blood at Calvary can wash away your sins.  You must forsake your sinful life and live for the Lord and obey Him and love Him with your whole heart and soul and mind.   Pray for forgiveness and for Him to wipe the slate clean; refreshing and cleansing you with His love and forgiveness.

Romans 10: 9,10,13 tells us:  (9) That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."   -       Jesus speaking at Matthew 7:13-14

"Jesus saith unto him,  I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me."    -  John 14:6

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -  John 3:3

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend...... and life !

"How To Know If You Are Truly Saved" (With Video Sermon) - Inspirational Weekend

Have you ever doubted if you were saved or not?  Have you just had a "wait and see" attitude if you will make it to heaven?  In other words, you are not 100% sure of your salvation.  Some think that just because they are perfectly good people in basic qualities and works, that they will probably go to heaven. 

What does the Bible say?  It is God's Holy Word which is the authority on salvation and on the power of the shed blood of Jesus to save you.

1 John 5:11, 12 tells us:  (11) "And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son.  (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life."

"Whoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him."  -  1 John 5:1

If you are "born of God" - or born again - then you can rest assured that you are truly saved and heaven-bound.

"Jesus answered and said unto him,  Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  -   John 3:3

To be born again is to put your full trust and faith and belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as the Savior , and to follow as closely as you can in His footsteps; to become more Christ like in every way.  If you are sincere in your belief in Jesus, you will repent from all sin and will not return to your former lifestyle of living selfishly and sinfully.  You will pray for forgiveness and endeavor to live a life that is pleasing to the good Lord. 

As pastor Adrian Rogers once said,  "You ought not to be a doubting Christian.  You ought to have a "know-so" salvation."

Following is an excellent 34 minute audio sermon by Adrian Rogers titled:  "How to be saved and know it."  Please take the time to listen to it; it is packed full of little gems of Bible truths on this subject that you do not want to miss.

In the above sermon, Pastor Rogers (now deceased), brings out that most people - concerning their lives - just say "I am doing the best I can."   Many years ago, before I was truly saved, someone asked me if I was born again and the first thing that popped into my head to say was just that: "I am doing the best I can." 

That quoted statement above is indicative of a person depending on self and works.... and not depending upon the saving power of the shed blood of Jesus at Calvary. 

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.  Not of works, lest any man should boast."  -  Ephesians 2:8-9

"The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"   -  Romans 8:16

We have the Holy Spirit to bear witness with our own spirit, which assures us that we are truly saved.  Believe me, if you are born again, you will know it in your spirit.  You will also be a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).  Your love for Jesus will compel you to live for Him and put Him and God first in your life.  You will live and breathe Him; your focus will be on Him.   Your life and speech and actions and demeanor will reflect Him and manifest His influence in your life.  You will be a new creation !   You will fear to displease Him or grieve Him in any way.

But do not forget that our hearts can be deceitful.

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?"  -   Jeremiah 17:9

Since we can be deceived by our very own hearts, we need a second witness to confirm the testimony of our own.  The Holy Spirit is a fellow-witness.  He will plead for you, and help you to know that you are, in truth, actually born again; actually saved and heaven bound.

"In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established."  -  Matthew 18:16 b

Along with faith in the good Lord, we need to develop a strong, close, and intimate love relationship with God through Jesus His Son.  If you are close to the Lord, that alone is proof that you are actually saved and in the will of God.  You need to communicate frequently in prayer with Him.  You cannot get to know a person well unless you are in frequent contact with them and converse with them and share your thoughts, your hurts, your troubles, and your love for them in countless ways.   Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

You can also draw close to the Lord by reading the Bible daily and by memorizing Scriptures and keeping His Holy Word within your heart.  Reading the Bible teaches us about God's attributes and His thoughts and ways -  His desires for us.  By daily Bible reading, we will learn to love Him more and more.  He wants us to live holy lives. 

"Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."  -  1 Peter 1:16

If God expects believers to be holy, He means just that.  You cannot willfully and deliberately sin  (fornication, drunkenness, lewdness, and many other sins) and expect to be actually saved.  Especially if you have no remorse for your sins such as sex outside of marriage and other things displeasing to the good Lord.  No remorse when you sin and no conviction from your conscience, means you are not saved.    Repent and turn to the Lord with all of your heart and soul and mind and spirit.


"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."  -  2 Corinthians 5:17


"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."  -  John 3:36


Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend...... and life !

Bible Prophecy - Is It Relevant Or Is It A Mere Distraction? (With Video)

Many people - even Christians - do not think Bible prophecy is that important and they are oblivious to the end times signs we see happening in the world today.   To me and many others, Bible prophecy is not only exciting (since we are now living in the prophesied last days), but it is also a reason for hope and rejoicing to know that Jesus Christ the Savior will soon return to take true believers to be with Him in heaven.  It makes you want to shout for joy !

Yet even some preachers do not study Bible prophecy.  One has said that "Bible prophecy is a distraction that no one should spend time studying."  Hard to believe he said that.  Many lost souls have been saved by prophecies, knowing that Jesus could return at any minute.  It has put a sense of urgency in them to not delay putting their faith in the Savior;  they do not want to be left behind to face the horrors of the 7 year Tribulation that follows the Rapture of the Church.... true believers.  Remember, however, to be saved takes faith and belief in Jesus Christ, not fear of the Tribulation time.

Following is a 29 minute video by Christinprophecy.com  with 3 notable scholars discussing various questions people have concerning the importance of Bible prophecy.

For those who do not watch the video (but you will be blessed if you do watch it)  below are some facts worth noting from the video:

1,239 Prophecies are in the Old Testament

578 Prophecies are in the New Testament

  

These make a total of 1,817 prophecies.

8,352 verses contain prophecy.

Amazing !  Many scholars say a third of the Bible is prophecy.  One, Gary Stearman of prophecywatchers.com, thinks that ALL of the Bible is prophetic, and in a way he is right, if you really think about it.

Yes, Bible prophecy is very relevant !!

The main thing is to read and study God's Holy Word and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  If you do that, you will grow closer to the good Lord and you will develop a strong, close, personal love relationship with Him.  He wants to fellowship with you.  He loves you.

But to fellowship with the good Lord means that you need to be born again (John 3:3).  Believe with all your being that Jesus is the Savior and that His shed blood at Calvary can wash your sins away and thereby wipe the slate clean.   He took your place on the cross so that you could have eternal life if you but believe that He is the Savior, the Christ.  Have faith and turn to Him in repentance and in heartfelt prayer for forgiveness.   Repent means to forsake your sinful life and never go back to it.  You will learn to love the Lord with all of your heart and soul and you will not want to disobey Him.   Draw close to Him and He will draw close to you. (James 4:8).

"Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little;  Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him."  -  Psalm 2:12

"Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is.  And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself, even as He is pure."  -  1 John 3:2-3

"  ....... worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."   -  Revelation 19:10b

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me."  -   John 14:6

"Itching Ears" (With Sermon Video by Jonathan Edwards) - Inspirational Weekend

The above photograph of mine, which is of a sleeping, tiny Fennec Fox, shows a good view of its extremely large ears, which are from 5 to 6 inches long.  These adorable creatures are found in the deserts of North Africa and Saudi Arabia.  Their large ears help to dissipate the heat.  

This photo is not a good example of "itching ears", but I will rectify that soon with the following information.  It is the only photo I have depicting ears as the primary focus.  Well, I also have other photographs of this tiny desert fox.

"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."  -  2 Timothy 4:3

Itching, as we all realize, causes us to scratch, and then to scratch some more to get relief.  Recently, I ran across a quote by A. W. Tozer in which he said that he had come across a commentator that remarked that in the apostle Paul's day (Paul wrote 2 Timothy)

 the pigs had a disease which they called "itching ears".  It seems the pigs ears got inflamed and the only way the pigs could get relief was by going to a pile of rocks to rub their ears against them, as the stones gave them temporary relief from the itching."

Tozer goes on to say:  "I am running into Christians here and there who are just like that.  They love pleasure more than God and  will not endure sound doctrine.  They have itching ears so they will be eager for something else beside the sound doctrine and holy ways.  They will pile up teachers everywhere and rub their ears for dear life."

Another commentator says that these people are "suffering mentally which is soothed by external applications of fantastic myths and high-flown phrases."

Also, these people will have ears that want to hear a "soft and watered-down message", one that does not prick their conscience or remind them of their secret sins.  They have "pet" lusts and sins that they do not want to give up. 

Granted, it is not always the people, as they cannot control what comes to them from the pulpit.   Many churches today are seeker-friendly and do not want to offend anyone by hard doctrine and the need to repent from your sins or suffer the consequences in hell.  

Many see church as a "social club" of sorts.  Actually, in some cases that is very true.  Numerous churches, in an effort not to offend anyone, abandon sound doctrine and some churches even become very worldly, especially in the music and entertainment department; but in other ways as well.  

But back to "itching ears" .   Many people could be cured of this "disease" if they would only develop a close, personal, and intimate relationship with God through His Son Jesus Christ.  We don't need to be enthralled by charismatic personalities who preach watered-down messages to please the people.    We need instead a strong relationship with God and Jesus.   We develop this relationship by frequent prayer and by pouring daily over God's Holy Word.  You cannot develop a relationship unless you communicate with a Person.   Much prayer !   

All of this is important, but unless a person is born again (John 3:3) he will not have the Holy Spirit to guide him in a walk with the good Lord; he will not completely understand the Bible unless the Holy Spirit resides within him.   So how do you become "born again"?  

Repent of your sins.  That means more than just feeling bad about our sins.   It means to completely give them up and do not go back to a life of sin.   It means a change of mind and heart.   It means to be sincere in asking the good Lord for forgiveness.  But you cannot truly be saved unless you have faith and believe that Jesus is the Savior and that only He can save you.   He took your place at the cross!  He died for you and me, so that if we but believe in Him we can have eternal life.  

If you are truly saved - truly born again -  the Holy Spirit will come and reside with you.  He will help you to live a godly life and to not cling to your old life of sin.   He will give you hope and a purpose.  A purpose to live totally for the Lord and to spread the Gospel.  You will no longer desire your past lusts and you will be a new creation.   You need to then find a Bible based church, one that preaches the Gospel and focuses on Christ and not on social concerns.  

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are past away; behold, all things are become new."   -  2 Corinthians 5:17

"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."   -   John 3:3

Romans 10: 9, 10, 13 tells us:  "(9)  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  (10)  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  (13)  For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."   -  John 3:16

Time is short before the Rapture of true believers.  

Turn to Jesus now before it is too late !

Jesus loves you !

He will welcome you with open arms of forgiveness and love when you turn to Him in belief and heartfelt repentance!

Following is a 38 minute audio video sermon by Puritan Jonathan Edwards.  In the beginning few minutes he discusses "itching ears".

One thing brought out in this sermon is,  "Truth is a straight line that never bends -  it won't bend in the least degree to suit the lust of men."  Another quote from the above sermon:  "You cannot conform the truth to your inclinations.  Let your inclinations be conformed to the truth."  He speaks much of the lust of men and how men attempt to change principles to suit their lusts.  It is a good sermon and therefore I included it here, but it only gives a few minutes to the subject of "itching ears."    

Ephesians 3:16-19 says:  (16)  That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; (17) That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, (18)  May be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;  (19)  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of God."

Have a blessed and Christ centered weekend.... and life !!