Do You Believe in Myths(Part 2)

This is the second part in a series on the “Myths” we as Christians have embraced as if they were biblical when in fact scripture speaks otherwise. The hard part is to know what is biblical and what is not in our beliefs when the only sources we rely on are sermons on Sunday morning or various books pastors might recommend. No pastor or teacher has a market on the truth of scripture and that includes me so what I’m advocating is to study the scripture and not just rely of what others say just because they are good pastors or good teachers.

That being said I intend to spotlight certain topics to challenge all of us to research and think strategically rather than just to embrace what the majority of the church believes and teaches. This brings me to the subject of the Rapture. If we do a little research and follow the bread crumbs of information on this topic we will soon discover that even though the greater body of the church today believes and teaches on this topic as truth, research of church history has not shown such a belief since the time of Christ except for a few random mentions which points more to the second coming of Christ and not a rapture. This teaching assuredly it is not biblical but rather a myth.

There are many in the church today that believe in this theory of the rapture but anyone can do a little investigation and see it originated with a young girl having a vision in Scotland in the early 1800s. This idea was never taught or believed in the first century church nor the church throughout the ages until then yet many have just accepted the rapture as fact.

History says a prophetic message was given through a fifteen-year-old Scottish girl named Margaret Macdonald in 1830.  This idea of rapture was never taught until the early 19th century and it didn’t become widespread until Darby and Scofield preached in America and each developed study bibles which promoted this new concept. Since then, it has become a wide spread concept in the body of Christ.  I remember when Hale Linsey wrote the book “Late Great Planet Earth“, which popularized the idea of the rapture of the church in 1970s.  Some believers I have met over the years confirmed it scared them so much they gave their lives to Jesus. There have been many predictions of specific dates of when the rapture would happen, which all have failed, yet people don’t seem to remember these false predictions of the rapture nor what ushers them in.

I believe the main motivator for this wide spread teaching is a false belief that Christians can and will avoid the pain of the tribulation and persecution before Christ returns. This false assumption states that God wants us to avoid suffering and would not allow his children such pain yet try telling that to previous generations that have suffered greatly.  Just this century alone the Bolshevik Revolution of Russia or the Mao Revolution of Communist China saw millions slaughtered and put in work camps until their death. Persecution and suffering have been part of the human existence and especially for the person who confesses Christ. The apostle Paul stated it very plainly that persecution was in the cards for all of us in one way or the other if we want to walk with God, that is unless a person isn’t truly converted and thus keeps quiet so as not to be persecuted.

2 Timothy 3:12 

Yes, and everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.

It is so easy to assume that God will shield us from potential torture and yet we forget to read the scriptures to gain a true perspective of persecution and faith. Jesus knew that we will suffer for our faith and should consider ourselves blessed for standing in the midst of such pain.

Matthew 5:10

“Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

John the apostle wrote the very opposite idea of the rapture in the book of Revelation.  He told the church in Smyrna that people from that church would be put into prison and tortured for their faith because Satan was behind their persecution. They were told that if they “Endure Till The End” and remained faithful they would receive the crown of life.

Revelation 2:9-10

I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. [10] ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, so that you will be tested, and you will have tribulation for ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.

In the body of Christ, teachings like the rapture do more harm than others because it teaches believers they can avoid pain and suffering if they stand strong in Christ. Teaching like the idea of the rapture weaken believers resolve to stand in spite of pain and persecution for their faith. Is there any wonder that people’s faith today often is so weak that their conduct is no different than the world and their willingness to walk with God is only dependent on blessing rather than sacrifice.

Jesus instructed his followers to consider themselves blessed if they suffer for their faith in him. Jesus taught us not to want to suffer ”BUT” we are blessed if we do for our walk of faith.

Don’t be fooled with the idea of the rapture just because a majority of the churches around you believe and embrace it. Study the scriptures to know what you should believe rather going with the latest trend or fade. Don’t be confused by the scripture talking about the second coming of Christ and think that it means the rapture of the church.

For many professing Christians, they will never join a short term mission trip to some foreign land because they don’t like or think they should experience pain. They deny the call of Jesus to “GO” into all the world and preach the gospel. These same people often end up not giving financially for others to go again because they feel God desires them to prosper more than being generous toward reaching lost people for Christ. Make no mistake, Satan will and has introduced many false concepts into the body of Christ in order to hinder the will of God.

As Christians, we are to be wise as serpents yet gentle as doves.  In other words, we are to be thoughtful and wise as the early Bereans were who had a testimony of searching out the truth rather than embracing any new teaching that came along.

Acts 17:10-11 

That same night the believers sent Paul and Silas to Berea where they went to the synagogue. These people were more willing to listen than the people in Thessalonica. The Bereans were eager to hear what Paul and Silas said and studied the Scriptures every day to find out if these things were true.

Believe it or not, there are many myths in the Christian church because Satan is about sowing deceptive ideas in the church to contaminate solid Christian truth. These ideas that Satan pollutes the church are used to weaken the church and deny the truth of the gospel.

1 Timothy 4:1

Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,

I don’t have the time or space to reference all the scriptures about the second coming of Christ.  You will have to do your own research to see if what I am saying is true or false. If you do your homework and use a concordance, rather than just reading some books of why the rapture is true, you will see they are confusing the second coming and the rapture.

In future articles, I will occasionally address other myths that the body of Christ has embraced that I believe weakens the church and the believer.

Questions:

1) Have you embraced topics like the rapture without doing your own research? Scripture say we should study to show ourselves approved by God ( 2 Timothy 2:15)

2) Do you read the scripture without asking the Holy Spirit for guidance? Without the Holy Spirit’s guidance we can  misunderstand God’s word (John 14:26)

May the Holy Spirit set us free from the myths of others,

Pastor Dale