Excuse me while I rant. I think Bible prophecy gets a bad rap.  I think that those of us who long for Jesus’ return are marginalized in the church today. I even think there is a war on Bible prophecy starting in our seminaries. The carnage is played out in our churches that across-the-board stay away from the subject. The fact that the King is coming is seen as bad news to many because the event is shrouded in the world’s bad news.

But my perplexity goes beyond this. As a ministry, we have asked ourselves just how we can get the under age 45 crowd out to our events. Todd Strandberg of Rapture Ready writes about this as well. He says, “Every time I go to a prophecy conference, I can’t help but notice the sea of gray hair in the main meeting room. A few years back, at a conference in South Carolina, there wasn’t a single person under age 50 — and we had over 500 people in attendance.”

Strandberg concludes, “I’m very concerned about the state of leadership in the field of prophecy. I’m 47, and I am a spring chicken when compared to the ages of my peers.”

So I threw the dilemma out to my radio listeners this past weekend. I asked that if they were of the “younger generation,” and loved the topic of eschatology (end-times), would you please send me a note? I cannot say that I am inundated! I’ve had less than a dozen replies thus far. Here are a few examples.

Nick is 27 and writes, “I’m very concerned with the young generation. We are moving into the ‘end times’ at such a rapid rate and this young generation is in a coma.” Those are his words, not mine! I am certain that not every young person is in that condition. /span>

Mike is 34 and writes, “You asked on your program today for young people to let you know if end-time prophecy is an issue. End-time prophecy is not AN issue, it is THE issue. You can look at it as I do as the blessed hope or you can look at it as frightening.”

Ashley writes, “I am completely enthralled about learning about end times and how events in our world are carrying us closer to the return of our King. It thrills me!! Most of my (young) friends know nothing about it and have little desire to learn. They say it scares them. Personally though, I am filled with hope that we could be caught up with Jesus and not have to taste death. I can’t wait to meet Jesus face to face!”

Russ, who is 32, writes, “It is surprising to me that there are so many people I have tried to talk to about prophecy who have brushed me off by saying that they consider it ‘doomsday talk.’ It is difficult to get anyone to even talk about it. Even my own family doesn’t want to hear about it and this includes all ages.”

Jenni writes, “I am 37 and want you to know that we ARE out here! I also thought I’d let you know that my 14 year old daughter is also just as interested in both the Rapture and end-time prophecy, and has become quite a missionary for Christ! One of our other favorite sites is Rapture Ready. Thanks for having Terry James on.”

Leah made my day by writing, “I see a real remnant among the church here in our military community who are actively searching Bible prophecy and discussing end-time things. We belong to a Bible study and I have personally had many conversations with some of the 30+ folks that attend, mostly the other young moms, and am surprised at how many of us really are feeling the urgency in the air. Many of us have taken our kids out of public school and are homeschooling in order to get our kids grounded in God’s Word so that they can take a stand in their faith, whatever comes. Your broadcast has helped us to ask important questions about our times and what our stance should be. THANK YOU! Take heart, the next generation does, indeed, have a remnant that is awake, listening and watching for Christ’s return. God Bless!”

These few replies out of a potential audience of millions, tells methere is a problem. I am told that younger people want to “live out their life.” This world is not our home and I thought we didn’t WANT it to be our home. This is the home of the Antichrist and everything evil. If I am off base here, I am hoping folks will tell me so!

Another e-mail emphasizes how terrified young mothers are concerning our times. They simply interpret all current/prophetic events as doom and gloom. Their world and their families must not be touched. See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. A sanitized world!

Then there are the mockers. Grant writes to me saying,

“An early 30’s pastor friend of mine I brought to your conference 2 years ago openly scoffed at what was said and argued against a lot of it when I tried to show him the realities of what is happening in this world today. I don’t have a lot of people to discuss these topics with.”

Eschatology spells out the devil’s demise and thus he is putting up a war against it. So the world asks — and scoffs, “Where is the promise of His coming?” just as the Bible predicted in II Peter 3:4. Don’t bother me with this info. Don’t depress me with it. Don’t enlighten me with it. Don’t bore me with it!

God has asked us to be His ambassadors in this depraved world. He asks us to stand for truth; to be light in the dark; to be salt in a world that is decaying. He asks us to distribute hope.

When you review all the road signs of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus was giving us some warnings, not to scare us, but to prepare us. A loving God keeps us informed on the days prior to the era of Antichrist. The warning is not to give in or to give up, but to endure.

Whether anybody gets excited about it or not, Jesus is coming again and soon. Whether those who are excited about that are young, middle age, or old, is irrelevant. His coming will be right on time. Then the final days will play out exactly as the Bible outlines. It’s a sure thing that those days will be frightful.

Let’s prepare ourselves for perilous times. We’re in them. The signs of the times are screaming at us! As a headline reads that I posted to our Web site headlines early today, “The Rapidity With Which the World Is Descending Into Chaos Is Amazing.”

That is why God’s end-time promises are so important and why it is tragic that they are now marginalized.

If the strong delusion that is racing across the globe doesn’t shock you, something is wrong! Whether it was the ecstasy on thousands of faces in St. Peter’s Square waiting with adoring eyes for their new Pope, or the shenanigans in Israel a few weeks ago, it’s a scary time. It’s both a privilege and a challenge to be born for such a time as this.

The Bible speaks extensively about delusion! It is on overdrive in the last days. And you saw deluded college students in Tel Aviv, Israel on March 21. When Barack Obama suggested that they had to give away more land, the Leftist students applauded for a full minute. Though the land give-away has never worked, I guess this time, they thought that Obama delivering the idea in person in Tel Aviv was the magic trick needed! This time world, just watch, it’s a go!

Keep in mind that rockets were raining down on Israel as Obama spoke! Yet, this idea, that is, weakening their own security, was still a good idea to them.

“For I will stretch out My hand against the inhabitants of the land,” declares the Lord. “For from the least of them even to the greatest of them, everyone is greedy for gain, and from the prophet even to the priest, everyone deals falsely.  They have healed the brokenness of My people superficially, Saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ But there is no peace.” (Jeremiah 6:12-14)

An American president screamed, “Peace! Peace! Give up more land for it! The hour is at hand. I have the magical formula. Hear me out. This time, I guarantee, it will work.”

Could you imagine with me the Antichrist speaking to Israelis as he will some day, just like this. He will offer Israel a peace covenant in a manner similar to this. Was the March 21 speech a dress rehearsal? A dry run? I am not suggesting that Barack Obama is the Antichrist as we don’t know who it will be. But a man talking about peace journeyed to a land occupied by people who long for it, although they haven’t a clue how to bring it about other than land exchanges.

Keep in mind that in the Palestinian territories, there are streets, public squares, summer camps, high schools, and even a kindergarten named after suicide bombers and other mass murderers. So much for the notion that if only Israelis would care about Arab kids, peace would be possible.

Israelis have wanted nothing more than peace and security for all the children. That’s why they accepted the 1947 U.N. partition of British Palestine into a Jewish and Arab state. Unfortunately, the Arabs said no. To this day, the Palestinians have rejected every peace offer that leaves a Jewish state standing.

Since we’re smack-dab in the midst of these incredible last days, how many e-mails does this ministry get wailing that churches will no longer address the subject? Well, legions of e-mails and even calls.

Back to my strong delusion commentary. The Bible foretells through Paul to the Thessalonian believers that in the last days, a time in church history would come when God would send “strong delusion.” In like manner, Paul even warned Timothy that in the last days, there would be a group of demons who would infiltrate the churches with false and mixed doctrine, capable of even causing some to, “depart from the faith” and give heed to devilish false teachings.

God instigates this. It’s not just the increase of evil that brings this on. Yes, Satan ratchets up his evil in the last days, but God sends the delusion. I think He gets mighty disgusted and just sends the delusion as a judgment! He washes His hands and turns His back.

You don’t want to be on the back side of God as He does this. Those Israeli students were on the back side of God and they were blinded.

Our times are way too perilous to be this unprotected.

So, we’ve had a foreshadowing of the blind and strong delusion that will play out unchecked during the Tribulation.We’re having lots of dress rehearsals these days. Most of them are around dark events. That’s why the Bible reminds us to stay yoked to one another and to God at the end of the end.

There are even murkier waters ahead. Look up and not around!