I heard the phrase “Gospel awakening” and it struck a chord with me. Often, we hear the term revival, but God impressed upon my heart that we need Him to awaken people to the truth of the Gospel.
I believe that many who call themselves Christians suffer from “itching ear syndrome”, and this is why we need a Gospel awakening.
People need to know the truth of the Gospel.
People need to then live the truth of the Gospel.
It is a message of abundant love, and we need to know we are loved.
It is a message of hope, and we need hope.
It is a message of mercy, and we need mercy from our great God.
It is a message of grace, and we need His grace for each day.
It is a message of patience and longsuffering by our Maker, and we need His patience.
It is a message of forgiveness of ALL of our sins. When we understand the depth of God’s forgiveness, we can forgive others for any sins committed against us.
It is a message so great, that we can only grasp a portion of it, but God helps us to understand what we need so we can have a personal and intimate relationship with Him.
It is a message that needs to be applied to every relationship in our lives. Once we have a true relationship with Jesus, we can have better relationships with people.
Whether it is at home, at work, at school, with our neighbors, in our churches, when we are driving, waiting in long lines, when we have been abused, persecuted, mistreated, unjustly accused, the Gospel MUST be applied at all times.
When God’s people have a Gospel awakening, we are changed – for the better, forever! We see everything differently. We don’t want our ears itched; we want truth.
This is why we need a Gospel awakening.
In Paul’s second letter to Timothy, he stated:
“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:” [Please note the intensity with which Paul precedes the charge God and Jesus are giving to Timothy. Note why they are giving the following instructions. God wants to protect people from judgment that will lead to eternal separation from Himself.]
“Preach the word” [God’s Word is our standard, and must be central to those He has entrusted with teaching His people.];
“be prepared in season and out of season” [Always be ready to share God’s Word.];
When and how should God’s Word be delivered: “correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” We must remember the depth of God’s forgiveness, mercy and grace to us before we attempt to correct or rebuke another. All of that is done with the intention of restoration where one has erred. It is not with the intention of clobbering someone.
Why should we do all of this: “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.” [Is this sounding familiar today?]
Who will they get to teach them lies: “Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
What is the progression that will result in their rejection of Jesus: “They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” 2 Timothy 4:1-4
In the October 13, 2024 edition of Christ In You, an email publication I receive daily, they state this with regard to itching ears:
“There is a disease, widespread in our day, called itching ear disease. This is an ear that wants to be entertained, that is always looking for something new, that wants constant affirmation and does not want to hear anything negative. People who have this disease look for teachers who will scratch that itch, and the result is that they turn aside to myths.”
I have experienced churches that fill this description. Worship in song is all about entertainment. People want smoke and hype. Teaching is so diluted that one would never be able to relate it to the Word of God. The word sin is not allowed in some churches. In these “churches” [I use that term lightly because they are not a true church when they mess with God’s Word.] people don’t want to feel corrected or rebuked. They only want to have their egos stroked.
I believe this is why Jesus gave the exhortations in Revelation 2-3. These Chapters detail commendations and sins of God’s people. Jesus exhorts them to repent, as specified to each church.
He uses these words as He addresses each church: “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious…”
Have you chosen to listen to the Spirit, or are your ears itchy? Perhaps you have a relationship with Jesus, but your heart has wandered from your first love, might you need a Gospel awakening? It is a choice between eternal life and eternal separation from God. If you have not yet made the choice to repent, and follow Jesus, why not pray, asking God to give you ears to hear, so that you can obey what the Spirit says?
This is the link to the article I mentioned above:
I’m always looking to connect with you so we can talk about our great Lord and Savior. You can reach me at: ButGodCares@gmail.com.
Living for Jesus, Donna
P.S. If this has helped you, please feel free to share it with others!
Note: If the verses for Bible references do not appear when you hover over them, go directly to the website, and they should appear for you. Also, please remember to look at the full context of the verses by reading the complete passage.
Copyright 2024 Donna Shappy All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other – without the prior permission of the author.
Thanking God for your faithfulness to this weekly source of encouragement in the Lord!
Happy Thanksgiving! <