One man's observations on how people's thinking is influenced by "Rapture" teaching...... (from the book Raptureless.)
Judge Fruit
Jesus told us to judge the messages of various prophets by examining the fruit of their lives and the fruit of their prophetic words (see Matt. 7:15-20). So now that we see that this modern end-time teaching is a new phenomenon, we must also ask ourselves what fruit is coming from it.
Twelve Fruits That I Have Witnessed:
1. Love usually takes the back seat, while fear is emphasized. Sometimes the fear is covered over by a rapture escape or by divine protection from coming wrath.
2. All long-term thinking becomes limited. It becomes impossible to even prophesy beyond a few decades because of the supposed "any minute return" of Christ.
3. It creates a fear of technology because that new GPS, computer, smartphone, laptop, or whatever might be used as the "mark of the beast."
4. It harbors a fear of politics because the antichrist could be right around the corner.
5. It breeds an anti-culture view to the point of irrelevancy. Yet, even the apostle Paul was able to quote from the popular culture of his own day (see Acts 17:28).
6. It discourages people from pushing forward in health, medicine, the environment, or technology because they reason, "Why would one work for the good of a world that is going to burn?"
7. It has created a bizarre form of Christian racism. Many have become pro-Israel to the point that no political thought is exercised. For example, if Israel were to mistreat her surrounding nations, many modern Christians would give them a free-pass because they are God's "chosen people." Christians have literally accepted a new form of pro-Israel and anti-Arab racism. Also, it breeds a suspicion toward other countries, producing anti-Russian and anti-Chinese attitudes among many Christians. This Christian racism is rooted in a wrong understanding of the end-times.
8. Hope is narrowed down to a rapture escape.
9. This end-time view is the seedbed of many cults and militias.
10. Many have turned to extended hours of fasting and prayer, to quick evangelism, and to looking for the rapture or the "signs of the times," rather than studying and training for a lifetime of advancing the Kingdom.
11. This view doesn't take the time texts of Scripture seriously or literally (for example, Matt. 23:36; 24:34).
12. It has birthed many silly conspiracies; it fits perfectly with those who believe in the Illuminati, the NWO, and other secret society theories.
Judge Fruit
Jesus told us to judge the messages of various prophets by examining the fruit of their lives and the fruit of their prophetic words (see Matt. 7:15-20). So now that we see that this modern end-time teaching is a new phenomenon, we must also ask ourselves what fruit is coming from it.
Twelve Fruits That I Have Witnessed:
1. Love usually takes the back seat, while fear is emphasized. Sometimes the fear is covered over by a rapture escape or by divine protection from coming wrath.
2. All long-term thinking becomes limited. It becomes impossible to even prophesy beyond a few decades because of the supposed "any minute return" of Christ.
3. It creates a fear of technology because that new GPS, computer, smartphone, laptop, or whatever might be used as the "mark of the beast."
4. It harbors a fear of politics because the antichrist could be right around the corner.
5. It breeds an anti-culture view to the point of irrelevancy. Yet, even the apostle Paul was able to quote from the popular culture of his own day (see Acts 17:28).
6. It discourages people from pushing forward in health, medicine, the environment, or technology because they reason, "Why would one work for the good of a world that is going to burn?"
7. It has created a bizarre form of Christian racism. Many have become pro-Israel to the point that no political thought is exercised. For example, if Israel were to mistreat her surrounding nations, many modern Christians would give them a free-pass because they are God's "chosen people." Christians have literally accepted a new form of pro-Israel and anti-Arab racism. Also, it breeds a suspicion toward other countries, producing anti-Russian and anti-Chinese attitudes among many Christians. This Christian racism is rooted in a wrong understanding of the end-times.
8. Hope is narrowed down to a rapture escape.
9. This end-time view is the seedbed of many cults and militias.
10. Many have turned to extended hours of fasting and prayer, to quick evangelism, and to looking for the rapture or the "signs of the times," rather than studying and training for a lifetime of advancing the Kingdom.
11. This view doesn't take the time texts of Scripture seriously or literally (for example, Matt. 23:36; 24:34).
12. It has birthed many silly conspiracies; it fits perfectly with those who believe in the Illuminati, the NWO, and other secret society theories.
