Perhaps the wording is “to be alert” or “watchful” for the rapture vs. to be ready since anybody who becomes born again are automatically ready for flying. And you’re right ... there are many believers who don’t want the rapture to happen. I reckon they will be upset and very disappointed. I saw one comment on the RITA facebook side yesterday ... one guy is extremely dogmatic that he will still be married to his earthly wife. He claims “no marriage in heaven” only applies to the Levite priests. :wacko: He is missing the whole concept we are the bride of Christ. He used the phrase “its not good that man should be alone” well ... none of us will be alone in the next life. We will all be in fellowship - and calling each other brothers and sisters. Geri7 I once heard a preacher say that everything good down here like marriage is just a cheap imitation of the real thing up in Heaven. When we get married to Jesus it's going to be infinitely better than any relationship one could have down here. I can't wait ! Ditto! TR I'm reminded of that old joke: Jesus is coming soon, quick look busy! Again, the scriptures upon which the doctrine of OSAS are founded upon will always bear a certain amount of emotional scrutiny. That said, in the end either we are sealed by God's Holy Spirit, or not! And yet even today, many cannot agree on what specifically that entails. Certainly not by works, not by personal righteousness, nor by any endeavor of Man! Many are indeed called but few are chosen. It's His criteria that matters. We can truly enjoy a personal and intimate relationship with God Almighty our Creator throughout eternity but it bears saying that it must be on His terms! So then does this yielding and surrender help explain those that are chosen of Him before the foundations were laid?! We are told that the Lord looks and judges men from within and outside the sight and reach of men. Indeed, only the Lord knows who are ready!!! TR Its a mystery to me after hearing the Gospel ... only seeing a few respond right away while the majority sadly reject Him or keep putting off the decision. One of my former pastors was Calvinist. He even wrote a book and handed it out to every family in the church at Christmas time. It’s an interesting book (I still have it) and he uses A LOT of Scripture to get his point across. Lots of select, chosen, elected verses and old hymns of the faith included in with his writings. Even though I believe the invitation is for everyone (whosoever will) I do believe that the Lord still chooses people to salvation. I was just thinking of my unsaved childhood neighbor today ... wondering if she ever got saved. We were very close but after I got saved I tried to share the Good News with her but she never made any decision and we eventually drew apart afterwards. Same thing happened with her parents towards my parents. Before her mom was always asking for recipes or clothes patterns because she liked everything my mom made. My dad bought property in the Poconos, PA to have a vacation home built and her dad did the same thing and even wanted the same house blueprints. They copied everything we did except when it came time for salvation. I always wondered the “why” they refused the free gift of eternal life? I used to listen to Chuck Smith from Calvary Chapel in Costa Mesa, CA on the radio. He was a BIG Calvinist. I recall him saying “God does the choosing ... just like we choose who we want to marry down here ... He does the same in heaven ... and I think that is fair because he chose me. Then I heard the whole congregation laughing”. People who are against the Calvinist view will argue and say “well then that means we can sit back and not witness since God does the choosing and those people are going to be automatically saved.” No, we still witness and share our faith because we don’t know who it is that will be getting saved. If a person flat out rejects the Good News then chances are they weren’t chosen. To me the mystery is ... there are some people who can reject and put off the decision for years and keep hearing the invitation call and then finally they do so. Then there are others who only get 1 or 2 chances. I’ve read a few death bed testimonies of the lost and when a saved person was urging them to call on Jesus they claimed they can’t, its too late, they recall telling the Holy Spirit not now, or go away, or they simply ignored Him. I wonder if our prayers for the lost is what’s keeps the Holy Spirit on our unsaved loved ones? This is why I will pray that the Holy Spirit never leaves that lost individual so they still have a chance to make that decision before they take their last breath. Any thoughts on this?
