Business as usual?

[Shannon9602]

What is considered business as usual? I am sure many times in the past our ancester thought the rapture would happened in their lifetime. But it didn't. In the past this world went through wars and financial turmoil but Jesus never came. This time it looks like we are heading for another war.. possibly WW III and global financial collapse. Is WW III and global financial collapse business as usual? Like I have said its not like the world never experienced this before, I am just wondering if we (church) will go through this again. If so, I am just wondering what is considered business as usual then?

It seems like alot of things going on simultaneosly... economy problems and looming global financial collapse, U.S. embassy and Americans being attacked worldwide, Israel lost her only ally (U.S.), Japan and China war?, world embracing gay lifestyle, abortion, immorality, ... the list goes on

Like an animal, I sense doom... Is this normal? I guess Im wondering what God considers business as usual since the world has been through this kind of stuff before?

[Geri7]

What is considered business as usual? I am sure many times in the past our ancester thought the rapture would happened in their lifetime. But it didn't. In the past this world went through wars and financial turmoil but Jesus never came. This time it looks like we are heading for another war.. possibly WW III and global financial collapse. Is WW III and global financial collapse business as usual? Like I have said its not like the world never experienced this before, I am just wondering if we (church) will go through this again. If so, I am just wondering what is considered business as usual then?

It seems like alot of things going on simultaneosly... economy problems and looming global financial collapse, U.S. embassy and Americans being attacked worldwide, Israel lost her only ally (U.S.), Japan and China war?, world embracing gay lifestyle, abortion, immorality, ... the list goes on

Like an animal, I sense doom... Is this normal? I guess Im wondering what God considers business as usual since the world has been through this kind of stuff before?

Personally I hate the term "business as usual" because I don't think it truly describes what we are seeing today. As you stated above with the soon to be financial collapse, global immorality, USA defection of Israel, global violence, global chaos, then we all of a sudden have the rise of earthquakes & volcanoes in various places, rise of many old and new plagues globally, and the coming famine . . . this all is not business as usual.


They did eat, drink, got married Luke 17:27, Matt 24:38 We currently have a society that is morbidly obese, that also loves to drink. We have a mixed society of unsaved that either just shack up & live together and those that get married but then get divorced after just a few months or weeks and then hook up with someone else without blinking an eyelid. We also have gay marriages that are embraced and accepted lifestyles.

Earth is filled with violence Genesis 6:13 Yes, we see that violence is really out of control now, spouses killing each other or parents killing their own children, humans eating the flesh of other humans, other governments shooting and killing their citizens without any remorse, etc.

The times we are living in are not business as usual, but its the perfect description of the days of Noah and Lot, which means its very close . . . we just need to look up and rejoice . . . JESUS IS COMING SOON!

[Alex]

The key is Israel, now that they have a nation all bets are off.

Everything major that happened (WWII, Great Depression...) was before Israel became a nation.

There is only one thing left and that is the finally number of saved people. Only the Father knows that number but even then He could wait. His timing is perfect

[Tall Timbers]

When was there last a break in warfare in this world?I t seems that there are wars, declared and undeclared being fought somewhere all the time. Now that the world's policeman is weakening... things look like they're about to explode all over the planet.

[Matthias]

Along with Israel's rebirth, I can't help but believe that God has been causing believers to start looking for the end times events. I believe He is causing a greater interest in the end times across the world with all that's going on and He is laying it on the hearts of more and more Christian leaders to start learning and teaching more about end times prophecies. I've been watching and waiting for end times events for over a decade now and I see interest in the rapture and return of Christ increasing rapidly. I believe this increased interest and concern is a prompting of the Holy Spirit for the Church to be ready and for the seekers to receive salvation.

On the secular side, even the lost have a greater interest in end of the world philosophies and superstitions.

Something very significant is coming...the whole world, believers and non-believers, seem to sense something.

[eyeonthesky]

i fully understand and agree with what has been said (here and in God's Word) about the days of Noah and Lot. totally agree.

lately though, i have been wondering if perhaps, this "business as usual" applies to the bulk of people in our churches as well. i am astounded to see how many of my church-going, pretty-sure-they-are-indeed-saved friends are going on with their lives as if they were totally oblivious to what is happening! it is almost like there is this segment of WATCHERS with our eyes glued to the sky, on the edge of our seats, waiting (sometimes with one foot already off the ground, just in case! ) but there is this whole other group that is still talking about life as if they really don't think it is going to end any time soon (or in the next five or ten years even).

[duniegirl]

I totally agree, Shannon. I read here and see I am not the only one who wakes up every morning and say, "well Lord I see you didn't come last night"! I feel this sense of the end times and also hear non blvrs talking about the end of the world and worse the end of life as we know it in this country. But mostly everyone is just going about their lives as if nothing is different! When I want to shout into crowds "don't you know? Jesus is at the door! Get ready"!
Unfortunately my husband is a blvr but not willing to become obsessed as I am. He doesn't blv everything really does revolve around God and scripture. So I have printed a few different Left Behind letters for him and other family members who aren't listening to me.
Business as usual has become for me RR fever to borrow words from a well writen story on this site. Let the people of this country go on about their business but as you, I am confused that they can't see for themselves our country and indeed the very near future will never again be the same.

[Shannon9602]

Personally I hate the term "business as usual" because I don't think it truly describes what we are seeing today. As you stated above with the soon to be financial collapse, global immorality, USA defection of Israel, global violence, global chaos, then we all of a sudden have the rise of earthquakes & volcanoes in various places, rise of many old and new plagues globally, and the coming famine . . . this all is not business as usual.


They did eat, drink, got married Luke 17:27, Matt 24:38 We currently have a society that is morbidly obese, that also loves to drink. We have a mixed society of unsaved that either just shack up & live together and those that get married but then get divorced after just a few months or weeks and then hook up with someone else without blinking an eyelid. We also have gay marriages that are embraced and accepted lifestyles.

Earth is filled with violence Genesis 6:13 Yes, we see that violence is really out of control now, spouses killing each other or parents killing their own children, humans eating the flesh of other humans, other governments shooting and killing their citizens without any remorse, etc.

The times we are living in are not business as usual, but its the perfect description of the days of Noah and Lot, which means its very close . . . we just need to look up and rejoice . . . JESUS IS COMING SOON!

I don't know any other term but "business as usual". Im sure you know what I mean when I say that.

[Shannon9602]

The key is Israel, now that they have a nation all bets are off.

Everything major that happened (WWII, Great Depression...) was before Israel became a nation.

There is only one thing left and that is the finally number of saved people. Only the Father knows that number but even then He could wait. His timing is perfect

I agree... Only thing different this time is Israel is now a nation.

[$teve]

I don't think Shannon's assessment contradicts Geri7s, I think the two are unfolding together. It is business as usual for many people in the world, including many Christians, as eyeonthesky rightly pointed out above. It's also like the days of Noah and Lot existing within the business as usual paradigm.

For me, will the next global storm be that that heralds the rapture is whether it is the one that marks the beginning of the tribulation period. I think there are too many things rightly in place now to dismiss this as a very high possibility.

[LANDMAN]

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.

—Albert Einstein

In my opinion, we are closer to WW III at this time in history than the "Bay of Pigs" incident in 1962. This time, however, all the major players have nukes and many of the minors are about to get them. Our government is corrupted and compromised and we are financially insolvent according to the actual math.

God is the only one that can intercede to make it work out. However, that may not be His will and His plan.

So I wait everyday to see the "flash" I'm praying that the flash will be our transformation in a blink of an eye and not a nuke, but I know it could very well happen at the same point in time.

God bless you all.

[Robinbobbin]

lately though, i have been wondering if perhaps, this "business as usual" applies to the bulk of people in our churches as well. i am astounded to see how many of my church-going, pretty-sure-they-are-indeed-saved friends are going on with their lives as if they were totally oblivious to what is happening! it is almost like there is this segment of WATCHERS with our eyes glued to the sky, on the edge of our seats, waiting (sometimes with one foot already off the ground, just in case! ) but there is this whole other group that is still talking about life as if they really don't think it is going to end any time soon (or in the next five or ten years even).

I agree - the vast majority of Christians are completely unaware we are in the end times. Or, if they are aware, they have no idea how close things are. A TON of pastors do not discuss end times events at all from the pulpit because they do not believe it is as relevant to Christ's message. While I disagree with that, it does mean a huge number of the Christian population are completely unaware of where things stand.

When I look at our circle of friends, the vast vast majority of them don't know what I'm talking about when I bring up the end time in relation to the current global climate. They know the economy is in the gutter, politics in this country are a mess and things are dicey in the middle east, but few of them seek out news surrounding the end times -- they are too busy worshiping, the daily grind of work and raising young families and trying to help out their extended families who are hurting economically.

I think Luke 17: 27 is very appropriate. Even if the economy completely goes off the rails, people will still be so busy trying to keep their heads above water, watching college football, celebrating their families milestones, etc that its easy to lose track of where things actually stand in the world. Heck, look how many people are going to completely tune out all things news related as it is with Football season, College Football, the World Series coming up, etc.

[Jlutz]

not only is Israel a nation again but...

- the etheopean Jews were brought back in 1 day

- the hebrew language was restored

- the Jews won back Jeresulam in 1967

-Isreal miraculously became fertile again


Remember, none of these things has ever happened before. Jesus said that the generation that saw these things would see Him return. We are that generation!!

Keep looking up, Maranatha

[momoffaith]

I believe that even non-believers do sense something in the works.

[dleader]

I believe that even non-believers do sense something in the works.

My non believing coworkers think just that.

[araj54]

not only is Israel a nation again but...

- the etheopean Jews were brought back in 1 day

- the hebrew language was restored

- the Jews won back Jeresulam in 1967

-Isreal miraculously became fertile again


Remember, none of these things has ever happened before. Jesus said that the generation that saw these things would see Him return. We are that generation!!

Keep looking up, Maranatha

Excellent points!!

[Time4me2fly]

Terrorist having access to weapons of mass destruction is not business as usual. Pakistan is falling apart and will eventually be ruled by Jihadist. Need I remind people that they already have a nuclear arsenal. It is my personal opinion that while the world is focused on Iran, that the real threat is Pakistan. Syria, which is about to fall to Jihadist, has a large arsenal of chemical and biological weapons, which can do just about as much damage as a small nuke. I really believe that a big terrorist attack is coming somewhere in the world, that will involve one of these weapons. A pakistani warhead could easily be smuggled into a european or american city and detonated, or put in a shipping container and detonated in an America port like charleston, or San Francisco. Read the headlines today, about Pakistan, things are falling apart over there. Those looking for the Mahdi to appear , believe he will not come until the world is in turmoil, and they believe it is their duty to cause such turmoil. So, I guess what I am saying is, THIS IS NOT YOU GRANDADDY"S WORLD CRISIS.

[carol1948]

I believe that even non-believers do sense something in the works.

The fact that many non-believiers are paying attention is a good explanation for all the souls that will be saved during the seal judgments. The Rapture will be the 'proof' that will bring many to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Too late for the Rapture, but not too late for eternal life.

[Geri7]

I don't know any other term but "business as usual". Im sure you know what I mean when I say that.

Shannon,

you took what I was saying in the wrong way. Yes, I know exactly what you're saying.

In the work force I observe my co-workers lifestyle, those in the office and those who work out of their homes across the country by e-mail or telephone conversations. My unsaved co-workers are in different (but it's all an act). At the same time they are in denial, they see the rise of food & gasoline prices because they complain every day. They know the banks are unstable (the company I work for provides computer software for 95% of the major banks in the U.S. (i.e. Federal Reserve Bank, Bank of America, Bank of NY, Mellon Bank, Wells Fargo, Bank of the West, BB&T, Regions, etc.) Each spring I do mass mailings. Back in 2008 is when I noticed the following, as I was doing a mass mailings for a major bank conference, most of the post cards came back because the high ranking people are no longer working there (the mailing list was current). This trend continued. Four years later, on a daily bases, we see high ranking bank employees are let go or the bank merges with another and we are seeing one person with 5 job titles and in charge of 4 different banks in 3 different states which indicates 4 other people were let go. This past spring bank conference we had 400 post cards returned "no longer work here" (the mailing list I used came from the corporation that sets up the conferences. These attendees were supposed to be at the conference since they paid dues to attend). My co-workers saw the physical signs of the returned post cards. Deep down they know the banks are going to collapse soon and war in the middle east is going to happen but they will lie and say "oh, no I don't watch the nightly news". They just don't want to talk about it and want to stay in denial and purchase luxury items, follow baseball/football games, etc. this gives them comfort because they can't handle what is coming. It's sad because this current life is as good as it gets for them, unless they get saved. They all been witnessed to but still reject the Truth. I had co-workers e-mailing me from the midwest earlier this summer because of the lack of rain. After 3 e-mails, I contacted them and said do you want me to pray for you? They said yes! So we just need to be ready to answer about the Hope that is in us with the unsaved around us.

I believe that even non-believers do sense something in the works.

I agree!

My non believing coworkers think just that.

I agree!

[Shonsu]

Personally I hate the term "business as usual" because I don't think it truly describes what we are seeing today. As you stated above with the soon to be financial collapse, global immorality, USA defection of Israel, global violence, global chaos, then we all of a sudden have the rise of earthquakes & volcanoes in various places, rise of many old and new plagues globally, and the coming famine . . . this all is not business as usual.


They did eat, drink, got married Luke 17:27, Matt 24:38 We currently have a society that is morbidly obese, that also loves to drink. We have a mixed society of unsaved that either just shack up & live together and those that get married but then get divorced after just a few months or weeks and then hook up with someone else without blinking an eyelid. We also have gay marriages that are embraced and accepted lifestyles.

Earth is filled with violence Genesis 6:13 Yes, we see that violence is really out of control now, spouses killing each other or parents killing their own children, humans eating the flesh of other humans, other governments shooting and killing their citizens without any remorse, etc.

The times we are living in are not business as usual, but its the perfect description of the days of Noah and Lot, which means its very close . . . we just need to look up and rejoice . . . JESUS IS COMING SOON!

I believe that the context of those verses is not really referencing the political or physical climate that people are in but rather their state of mind. The people of Noah's time scoffed at Noah and did not believe their end was coming so they kept doing what people do, even during hard times (war, famine, etc). The same applies to today. There are plenty of "Noahs" out there warning everyone who will listen. But they aren't listening. They are not heeding the warnings and turning to God. Hence the prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes: "knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” " (2 Peter 3:3-4, NKJV).