//But if I were to speak of the increase of drought, famine, plague, earthquakes, etc. This forum would argue that we have always had such since the beginning of creation.//

Why in the world would I argue this?

1) they are not increasing
2) we have always had a these things since the beginning of creation.

I argue it because it is the truth.

You are cherry picking anecdotal events to shoehorn them into your paradigm.

There is no doubt that the Lord is coming and it may be tomorrow. But as to the weather events you mention, there is nothing new under the sun.

What has increased is live 24/7 news coverage of these events and the population growth where these things happen.

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Todd

I just wish I could figure out just what Bear wants. Why are we here on SI being accused of not wanting or thinking Jesus could come back soon. Wouldn’t his message be better, posted out somewhere in the secular world? I’m glad some of you here understand his mission, With this broken record being played over and over, I’m totally clueless at the point.

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Bill

The catching away of the church is in the Greek a sudden forceful event. It carries with it the idea that one could be in one place and suddenly taken by force to another.
Years ago I awoke to what I believe this event will be like, it was as if a person was standing beside a railroad track and the train was coming with the horn blowing from a distance and constantly coming closer, the nature of this event was as the sound came closer it was as if I was being filled up as it were and by the time it was upon me I was caught up with it. At that point I woke from my sleep.
Jesus said to the Father ,of all that was entrusted to Me I have lost none. We are His precious possessions, we have been bought by a price and we belong to Him, let us all strive to be found, laboring for His glory when that day comes.

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D.Miller

Brothers,

I do not believe that Bear is speaking about the whole Church. Many of the saints here on Sermon Index are well aware of what is going on in the world, and are watching and praying so that the day of the Lord would not come upon us like a thief. However, much of the Church in America is still asleep, and is in great need of awakening.

Also, Bear prays for the persecuted Church, and he is well aware of the persecution that is going on in many countries throughout the world.

I do believe that we should watch and pray, be aware of what is going on, but also we should not live as if there is no hope for us or for America. We have been called to be overcomers, and to be joyful in the midst of trials and tribulation.

God is long suffering, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the truth. We should be doing more that just telling people that the world is going to hell in a handbasket, but we should be standing in the gap, making up the hedge, and praying for revival, because many great revivals have come in the midst of great darkness and moral depravity. We should be praying that God's Kingdom would come and His will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

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Mike

An eclipse is not a supernatural sign. It is, however, certainly a celestial event.

Each eclipse is calculated by worldly scientists -- certainly not prophets -- who calculate the trajectories of the Earth and Moon as they move along the elliptical plane around the Sun. In fact, each and every natural solar and lunar eclipse is forecast for the next, well, thousands of years.

In fact, it would take supernatural event for one of those aforementioned predicted eclipses to be wrong.

I would also argue that it might even be sinful to accuse anyone who doesn't accept the claim that one of those natural eclipse events is some sort of supernatural or Biblical precursor pointing to terrible events. We should never have so much hubris in our feeble understanding of what we think we know that is outside of the indisputable truth of God's Word.

We know that the end is coming. That isn't in dispute. Most of us believe that we are in the last days. That isn't really in dispute either. Of course, we all know that persecution is coming too. The true Church has always been persecuted and that persecution will only get worse before the end.

However, the notion that terrestrial and celestial phenomenon are "supernatural signs" is certainly open for debate.

I would argue that no "sign" should be the catalyst for our "watching and praying." We should ALREADY be watching and praying. After all, a wicked and adulterous generation seeks signs.

I would argue that it doesn't make any difference whether someone fancies himself/herself aware of "signs" or even supernatural preludes to greater "persecution." The more important question is: What do you do with such knowledge? Are you doing what you can to harvest more fervently because of what you know or think that you know about coming darkness?

Eclipse or no eclipse: The world around us is going to Hell. The people of this world have only one hope -- the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we willing to reach out to others with that good news? Are we content at spending our days looking for signs or reading news about people who are persecuted for the cause of Christ?

Two things matter most in the grand scheme of eternity:
1.) Knowing Him.
2.) Introducing Him to others.

There will be another total solar eclipse across North America on April 8, 2024. That is in 73 months.

Over the period of that time (and according to current international mortality estimates), more than 330 Million people will be dead by then. How many of this vast number believe in Jesus? How many of them are we motivated to introduce to the one true Living God?

Josef Stalin, the infamously brutal communist, once quipped, “If only one man dies of hunger, that is a tragedy. If millions die, that’s only statistics.”

Stalin couldn't be more wrong. In the eyes of God, a million deaths without God are a million eternal tragedies. Christ has equipped us -- no, commissioned us -- to prevent such tragedies.

What are we doing? Are we redeeming the time because the days are evil? If we think that we are, what is the fruit of our labor? Are we merely burying our talent through hours of internet squabbling or "research?" Or, do we tell our neighbors about the Good News of Jesus Christ? Or, do we sit in our desk chairs, type away on keyboards and comfort ourselves for being a "victim" when someone argues with us in an online Christian forum?

Are we fishing for men or fishing for the approval of men? Worse: Are we merely throwing out nets to increase our knowledge or wasting the days through divisive arguments while the world around us grows closer to judgment?

I think that one thing is clear: Instead of pointing people to one of the many, many eclipses that happen, we should be pointing them to the Creator of all things.

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Christopher

Whoa Chris that was awesome and very thought provoking.

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Todd