This is no time to play games!

by Michael G. Mickey

(5-31-06)

Proverbs 22:6: Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

The following is an e-mail from a RaptureAlert.com reader, edited only for the sake of protecting the identity of the brave school teacher who wrote it - one willing to risk their employment by being obedient to God's will, warning young people of what's to come in the prophetic future:

Dear Mr. Mickey:

I am a high school teacher and a believer.  I am convinced, as you are, that the rapture of the Church is imminent and that our time to witness to unbelievers is very short.  I teach English as well as __________, and whenever possible I weave prophecy into my lessons and conversations.  I know the risks in doing this – I could be fired.  Nevertheless, it is a risk I am willing to take, and when compared to what Jesus did for me on the cross…well, there is no comparison.

What I want to share with you is what I have observed over the last five years since I’ve begun talking to my class about the RFID chip.  In 2001 when the chipping technology was in its infancy as far as public exposure is concerned, I would explain that the future use of the chip would include human implantation.  Typically my students would become outraged and say that I was out of my mind.  Many times there would be a few students who would make the connection that this RFID technology could lead to the Mark of the Beast.  In other words, there were those who had some knowledge of Rev. 13:16-18.  Yet I have found that since 2001, the small number of students who were “somewhat” aware of the mark has dwindled to almost none. Worse, some of my students who call themselves “believers” and who attend church on a regular basis are not able to make the connection between the current technology and its biblical significance.  They are completely ignorant.

But the real kicker is this: when I ask my “believing” students if they would be willing to take the implant, even if it was not government mandated, the answer is usually an unequivocal “yes.”  Their reasoning?  “Convenience.”   They see nothing wrong. No red flags go up.  Sometimes my students will turn the question on me, and when I tell them I am not willing to get “chipped” they look at me incredulously and laugh.

The Church is not doing its job.  Pastors are dropping the ball in the pulpit.  When I wrote my master’s thesis about the Church not being prepared or preparing others for the current end times scenario two years ago, I felt there was a problem.  Now I KNOW there is one.  The decline in my students’ outrage over the last five years is a telling sign that we are truly in the last minutes of the end times.

In your recent commentary you stated that “it's as though most people have never even heard of the prophesied mark of the beast!”  You are right. Unfortunately now “most people” includes “believers.”

 I just thought I’d share this with you.  I am a devoted reader of your website, and I think I may have told you a while back that I quoted you extensively in my thesis.  Your ministry is invaluable and is doing much to advance the Kingdom.  I look forward to one day soon meeting you there.

May the Lord continue to bless you and your ministry.

Maranatha!

If there's anyone who has their finger on the pulse of what's going on with our children today, it's our public school teachers! As this teacher points out, things are changing with our young people - and rapidly. Is there any wonder this is true?

Having achieved the expulsion of the Word of God from our public schools, the god of this world has utilized this mostly secular environment to his complete advantage, taking every free shot he can at the sponge-like minds of our children. Playing on schoolchildren's fascination with cell phones, Ipods, Gameboys, Playstations, and a gazillion other other techno-toys, Satan's message of deception to many of them is this: Convenience and fun is to be desired above all else, even if obtaining them means taking a microchip implant or anything else. Instant gratification! That's the ticket!

Think about it. What kid today wouldn't want a microchip implant if it meant they could open a car door without using a set of car keys or log onto a computer without typing in a password? Just let a few of most kids' classmates get a gizmo like that to show off with and most all of them will want to follow suit! Technologies like that can become the "in" thing overnight - or so it seems.

As disturbing as it is that most of our youth in our schools today would answer an unequivocal “yes” to receiving a microchip implant, as the teacher who wrote me indicated, the other side of the coin is even more disturbing to consider. Why, oh why, do our young children seem to have no idea that a technology eerily similar in description to an implantable microchip is going to be made available by the government of Antichrist in the Tribulation Period to come which is commonly referred to as the mark of the beast? How sad is it that they have no concept that refusing to take such a device in their right hand or forehead at that time will mean they will be unable to buy or sell? How unfortunate is it to consider that many may take such a device by way of ignorance, consigning themselves to spend an eternity in a burning hell from which there will be no escape or hope of rescue in the process because no one told them about Jesus?

How depressing is it that the Church, as the teacher said, isn't doing its job? Have the pastors of the world forgotten that nearly a third of the Bible consists of prophecy, half of which remains to be fulfilled with the Rapture of the Church arguably being the next big event of God's prophetic plan? Earlier this week, my pastor, whom I praise God hasn't forgotten, made the comment that if we plan to do something for Jesus, we better do it soon! Amen to that!

Speaking of my pastor, we've had and are continuing to have a missions conference at my church this week. What a blessing it has been to me! Missionaries have come in from around the globe to tell us about efforts underway in France, China, Brazil, Africa and other areas to get the gospel message taught to all mankind. Truly, I'm thrilled by the work these brave, faith-filled missionaries are doing to advance the Kingdom of God here in these end times! In fact, it's been such a blessing to me to hear their stories I can't wait to make a faith promise pledge to help them in their efforts at week's end. Yes, I give money to Christian ministries just as I hope people will help me support my humble little ministry here on the worldwide web. It blesses my heart to think I'm going to play a small role in those global efforts.

Even though my heart is filled with joy concerning the work these great missionaries are doing, often behind enemy lines so dark many of us, including me (the big, "brave" police officer), tremble at the thought of going to such a place, my heart is breaking for a generation growing up right here in America, in "the land of the free" no less, that is Scripturally ignorant concerning Bible prophecy, especially given the lateness of the hour we're living in!

The book of Revelation is still in the Bible, isn't it? I know it's still in mine! Because it's still there, God wants us to discuss it in our churches! That's a news flash in some churches today, but it's true nonetheless.

As a brother in Christ and I talked about outside the church a few nights ago, concerning a matter of prophecy he had a wealth of information on, we discussed how close the end must be simply because we could stand there and hypothesize to one another how a number of prophetic issues could play out with neither of us looking at the other as though anything said by either of us was nonsense. To the contrary, we bounced thoughts back and forth and had a great period of fellowship, realizing that we were both on the same page in believing the stage is being set for literal fulfillment of the Bible's remaining unfulfilled prophecies to take place! Few in this present generation realize this, which I, my brother in Christ who fellowshipped with me outside my church, and a school teacher who e-mailed me all realize is, within itself, a sign of the lateness of the hour! The Church, overall, is in a coma-like sleep it seems! No wonder the Lord says the coming of the Son of man is going to occur "in such an hour as ye think not (Matthew 24:44)."

Christians, if you believe the Word of God, I implore you to begin educating whomever God provides you the opportunity to concerning the times we're living in, particularly our children! We need to lead as many to Christ as we possibly can, stressing to them that their salvation can only be obtained by grace through faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His shed blood alone!

Not only should we lead as many to Christ as we presently can, we also need to plant seeds among the lost wherever possible as the brave school teacher who wrote to me does, even if there are risks involved in doing so. Why? Because many of the words we speak today may take on new meaning, even in the coldest of hearts we presently encounter, once the Rapture of the Church takes place and those skeptical of our beliefs come to understand that they could've avoided the Tribulation Period, as well as any threat posed by the mark of the beast, if they'd only listened to the believers who loved them enough to teach them what they had no interest in hearing at the time they initially heard it.

God promises us, as seen in Proverbs 22:6, if we train up a child in the way he should go, he will not depart from it when he is old. It's our responsibility as individual believers, as well as members of the Body of Christ, to do so!

From the time I was a young boy until now, I've said there's no way I'm going to risk going into the Tribulation Period when I can go to be with Jesus instead. Was I born uderstanding that's what I needed to do? Oh no! I didn't learn the importance of that on my own! People who loved me taught me! My pastor taught me the full counsel of God in my youth, even the uncomfortable parts like Bible prophecy; church members loved me enough to get to know me and guide me in my faith; my parents taught me about Jesus from day one and held me accountable for my behaviors. My grandparents not only taught me about Jesus and led me to Christ but showed me how to live out my faith for all to see.