Warning: Those who have itching ears may hate this Word:

No one investigates the full meaning of itching ears because if they did, there would be a great separation of those who are considered believers.

When you sit in service and hear a thousand amens and no “Ouch’s” or cries of “Father forgive me for I have sinned”, you are among itching ears people.

When the pastor keeps saying, “I’m not talking about you folks, but them out there”, you are listening to a teacher who wants to keep the itching ears people happy. These are the more obvious itching ears people, but now let’s look at the hidden itching ears people!

There are thousands of preachers who hold no one accountable after they have ministered a life giving message.

It is My Spirit Who gives life, He is the Life-giver; the flesh conveys no benefit whatever, there is no profit in it. The words (truths) that I have been speaking to you are spirit and life. ⁶⁴ But still some of you fail to believe and trust and have faith, to live out the words of life, John 6:63-64.

Some pastors are preaching life giving messages, but are are too busy or lazy or just not interested in discipling those they preach too. They do not individually challenge or hold accountable, the sheep who are saying AMEN, but continue to live in the flesh. Especially if they are influential or money people!

As long as there is no personal challenge the itching ears people enjoy the good preaching and “become merely listeners of the word, betraying themselves into deception by rationalizing their situation and and continuing to live contrary to the Truth they just said AMEN too. ²³ For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his own natural face in a mirror; ²⁴ For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like,” James 1:22-24.

Now Let Me speak to the timid, lazy, fearful and non confrontational pastors, leaders and body members:

Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, say it’s the Holy Spirit’s job to disciple these people, it’s always the true believer’s job, Matthew 18:15-17.

STOP pushing off your responsibility on to My Spirit,

“IF any person is overtaken in misconduct or sin of any sort, YOU Pastors, you leaders, and you body members who are spiritual, who are responsive to and controlled by My Spirit, should set him right and restore and reinstate him, without any sense of superiority and with all gentleness, keeping an attentive eye on yourself, lest you should be tempted also,” Galatians 6:1.

If you do not do this, the whole body of believers will eventually conform to the world by your condoning of the itching ears people! “A little leaven (a slight inclination to error, or a few false teachers) leavens the whole lump it perverts the whole conception of faith or misleads the whole church,” Galatians 5:9 AMP.

You have got to face it, “the time has arrived when people will not tolerate (endure) sound and wholesome instruction, but, having ears itching for something pleasing and gratifying, (if it feels good do it) they will gather to themselves one teacher after another to a considerable number, chosen to satisfy their own fleshly desires and to foster the feel good errors they hold,” 2 Timothy 4:3.

If you think it’s going to be easy to stand against the itching ears crowd think again! “Do not think that I have come to bring peace upon the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. ³⁵ For I have come to part asunder a man with itching ears from his father who obeys truth, and a daughter with itching ears from her mother who obeys truth, and a newly married wife who follows truth from her mother-in-law with itching ears. — ³⁶ And a man’s foes will be they who have itching ears in his own household,” Matthew 10:34-36 AMP.

I AM not quite finished. Lastly, let Me speak to the very hidden itching ears people, the love people, which are very close to being spiritual.

The love message is being preached more than any time in history, and millions are saying AMEN, and itch to hear more and more of these love messages. Yet on Monday “If a brother or sister is poorly clad and lacks food for each day, ¹⁶ these same people say, Good-bye! Keep yourself warm and well fed, without giving him the necessities for the body, they have itching ears for the love message but their love has waxed cold.

¹⁷ Faith and love must go together, So also faith, if it does not have works (deeds and actions of obedience to back it up), by itself is destitute of power (inoperative, dead).” James 2:15-17 AMP.

In as much as you have done it to the least of these, that’s right, it’s Me you you said good bye too.

Now I ask again, “Do you have itching ears, and can’t wait for the next, conference, special speaker, or meeting to make you shout AMEN, or do you welcome the “Ouch’s” or cries of “Father forgive me for I have sinned”, messages, and fully live the words of life?

 

~ Jim Hammerle

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Jim Hammerle (1941-2017) began ministering with David Wilkerson and Nicky Cruz, founding Teen Challenge Philadelphia. 6 times pastoring a mission ship, 15 years with TV and radio, a retired businessman, Jim helped feed Ugandan widows and orphans, and helped Muslims find the Jesus who fed them. He was His banker and was privileged to give His money away, helping to build a Haiti orphanage and invest in USA lives.

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