:mdrmdr: Your fish was only giving you the evil eye because it overheard your wife talking about a sushi meal. B-) I firmly believe our pets will be going up at the rapture because they are part of our household. Acts 16:31 “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.” On Passover the Israelites applied the blood on the door posts of their homes and if they had barns on the door posts of that entry way as well. If not, they had their beloved cattle all inside their homes so they were safe and sound. :whistle: My grandmother always said that was why most Miss America's come from the south. She thought it was the humidity and heat. LOL Greetings.......... Great thread. One thing I have been pondering is the days of Noah and Lot. I have seen a few people talking about how things have to be in a state of normalcy as it was in the days of Noah and Lot when Christ makes an appearance. I am wondering about that. Yes, Noah probably preached as he built over the 100 years of work.......and to his neighbors he was probably seen as the eccentric old preacher who had lost his marbles by building in a non flood plain desert. But nothing happens in a vacuum (or rarely). I highly doubt Noah had a BBQ the night before they boarded and waved goodbye. The clouds had to have been darkening for days. Animals not endemic to that region started showing up. I am thinking that it was not like flipping a light switch, but there were rumblings and changes that people of faith could see and be affirmed.......but no matter how much........the unsaved would always see it as sudden destruction. In Pompeii there was not even a word for volcano in their language. But the mountain behind them had been belching for days before the first lava came out and even then it came out like a rainfall. Then came THE day when it erupted and buried them all alive. No amount of atmospheric changes could have made them become more aware (I say that because perhaps Sodom went through something similar). No matter what, THE day of the lava eruption would have been sudden destruction. So i am wondering..........we see the gathering storms. We see what will be coming on this earth in a very short period of time. To those not looking it is normal (or new normal). I am just wondering if it does have to get back to what it was before........i don't think it ever will. But like Noah we see the clouds, hear the thunder, and interpret its meaning.........our neighbors don't. No matter how much evidence they see to the contrary for them it is life as normal and will be sudden destruction. I dunno......i guess i just don't see the need to go back to what it was before this virus.......in fact i see it as proof that we are just that much closer. We see the gathering clouds and we know it is not normal. Our neighbors see the clouds, but to them it is normal (or new normal). No matter what it will be sudden destruction for them. Hope that was not too confusing.......if it was let me know and i will clarify. Thanks! I wonder why would Jesus mention people are eating, drinking, marrying when rapture happens. This normalcy has been around for thousands of years except disrupted by the first and second world war. Does Jesus mean the world shall suffer a greatness first, and recover, so that normalcy returns, people go back to eating, drinking mode. The peace and security comes back in their mind. Then all of sudden, destruction/rapture comes. I am leaning toward this thought. This Covid-19 has scarred everyone in this planet. Restaurants and bars are ordered to close. Marriage is forbidden due to restriction of gathering. When this virus is gone, normalcy returns. People are saying "peace! security!" which finally returns. They go back to eating, drinking in public places, marriage resumes, then bang, booms, sudden destruction comes, the rapture!!! The world will return to normal, after this virus is contained, after a cure and vaccine comes out. There'll be headlines on all newspapers "Peace, safety, is back". "We have conquered the Covid-19", "Let's celebrate by eating, drinking". This happy mode returns in a global scale. But while they are celebrating, eating, drinking in public places, and marriage resumes, sudden destruction/rapture comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. ,. Whit and 2ndcoming, let me propose a compromise adjustment of views. Maybe we have entered the ark and are just waiting for the fullness of gentiles to come in - the last of those being saved. When God shuts the door, the rain starts. People have been and are still eating and drinking, even though the storm is about to break loose. The precipitation has started but the flood is still in the offing. And not everyone was instantly drowned in the flood back then in Noah's day. It took a while to float the ark and to "take them all away," even though the doors were shut behind the blessed occupants. The destruction took a while. I also personally suppose that people are still eating and drinking and marrying despite the amazing uncertainty at the moment, and that many will continue to do so after our door is shut. Ideally very very soon. Don't throw in the "one more year" towel, 2nd coming. And the way the world is going, there won't be the usual pro-incumbent chant, "... Four more years! Four more years!..." I'm not expecting an election this year, that's for sure (that I'm not expecting one). Things cannot return back to normal, 2ndcoming. That's dreaming an impossible dream. I agree about not throwing in the towel. Some way, some how we shall know. He may not give us a direct word, but our spirits will be assured by God that it is upon us! Of this I have no doubt. TR With the epidermic going on in Europe, I believe this Covid-19 virus shall eventually break the cohesion of the 27 members states, and dissolve them into a ten horns alliance predicted in Daniel 7. From reading the news, they are fighting over the medical resources among themselves. Borders have been shut. Many of their economy are in the brink of collapse. Soon, the disintegration shall happen, and dissolve into a ten horns alliance like bible has predicted. I know some of us are yearning for rapture. But what if God wants us to see the formation of a ten horn alliance before He calls us home? Shouldn't we behave a bit more patient, and let God does His wonder? :good: Beautifully said! Being in the ark is apt. All I know and can feel is we are somewhere in between something. I don’t think it will ever go back to what it was ...especially when it is demonstrated how easy it is to bring the world and the world economy to a grinding halt. That is one take away that won’t be soon forgotten. All i know for sure is we are closer now than we have ever been. Thanks for the input! What purpose would it serve to see some beast empire? Anyway, if you are not yearning to be with the Lord then I think something is wrong. After all, Paul commented that it is "far, far better. " The rapture will come at the perfect time. Everything God does is perfect.
Whit
