Donation Drive May to July :: By Todd Strandberg

Donation Drive May to July

Over the past quarter, we have continued to build on the strong foundation that has made Rapture Ready the leading site in Bible prophecy. Once again, it is time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished and ask for your continued support.

Rapture Ready remains the top-ranked site in its field. One factor helping to sustain this position is the steady decline in fellow prophecy websites. As other sites disappear, more people are turning to Rapture Ready as a trusted source for insight and information.

At the same time, we are clearly living in the age of artificial intelligence—a technology that is rapidly reshaping nearly every aspect of life. Entire job categories may vanish, while new ones emerge. With the creation of software that can mimic aspects of human thinking, we are entering a period of profound transformation.

However, this advancement also raises serious concerns. Because AI is developed and directed by humans, it inevitably reflects our sinful nature. For that reason, the long-term outlook may not be as promising as it first appears.

Major technology companies have already invested over $1 trillion in data infrastructure and AI development. Progress is accelerating at an unprecedented pace, with some systems advancing through multiple generations in just months—largely because AI itself is being used to improve the next wave of AI tools.

I recently created accounts with ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini to experiment with their graphic capabilities. Terry recently needed a good photo for a podcast interview, so I used Gemini to enhance an older picture of him. The picture was fine, but I needed to edit out a book he was holding.

That same day, I generated an image of a friend in Iowa who was standing on his front lawn with the King of Rock ’n’ Roll himself, Elvis Presley. My mother never owned a gun in her life, so it was both surprising and humorous to create a picture of her sitting at the kitchen table, proudly holding an AK-47 rifle.

AI is an incredible resource, yet it can produce outputs that are peculiar, unsettling, and often deeply concerning. Unfortunately, those with malicious intent have discovered ways to exploit it for their criminal activities.

Recently, a woman contacted me saying she received a call from a number displaying my name. The caller asked for her personal financial information, which was clearly a scam, as we don’t make such calls. I received a call claiming my electric bill was past due and threatening to shut off my power unless I made an immediate payment. The call mentioned Entergy as the power supplier, but our city of Benton, Arkansas, operates its own utility.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked an AI program what the top names in Bible prophecy are in America. The Search result helped explain why prophecy ministries have suddenly become so unpopular. It gave the names of three ministries that are connected to cults. It also listed Jack Impe and Hal Lindsey. These two men have passed away.

Since Rapture Ready was nowhere on their list. I asked ChatGTP and Gemini where our site is ranked. The response was a revelation in how these sneaky programs have marginalized us. It said, “Rapture Ready is considered a premier online resource for eschatology (the study of the end times) within conservative Christian circles.” It noted that RR often “refers to itself as the most visited prophecy site on the web.”

AI admits that RR is highly influential in the digital sphere for prophecy, but we are pigeon-holed as an independent, web-based ministry. RR is a “Top-tier site,” but only on a historical basis. It’s reminiscent of how Billie Holiday was a great jazz musician — for a woman of color. Similarly, Albert Einstein was pretty smart — for a Jewish guy.

We are either a top-visited site, or we are not. Since Google is the King of traffic ranking and popularity, they should know exactly where we stand. Neil Armstrong was the first man to walk on the moon, stepping onto the surface on July 20, 1969. If Mr. Google suddenly claimed otherwise, it would raise serious questions. Pure logic doesn’t apply to sites like RR because the god of this world has no love for us.

Several years ago, all search engines consistently ranked us at or near the top across many key categories. While our overall traffic hasn’t changed dramatically, the landscape around us has shifted. The agenda of social media platforms and search engines has evolved rapidly, and that shift is becoming impossible to ignore.

There is a very select group of end-time believers who face discrimination. For example, I recently looked up one of the groups connected to Seventh-day Adventists. What stood out was the complete absence of any critical perspective. There was no mention of their repeated predictions about the end of the world, nor any acknowledgment that most Christians dispute their end-time teachings.

This kind of imbalance highlights how information is increasingly filtered or framed in a way that leaves out important context. It’s not always about what is said—but what is no longer being said.

A key reason Rapture Ready greatly needs your financial support is that many services which were once free now come with a price. For example, we now have to pay for an option just to track the site’s traffic—something that used to be included with basic hosting packages. New tools, like our new voice program and other software, also come with ongoing annual costs.

In addition, there are numerous plugins and services required to keep the site running smoothly—some essential, others less clear, but all adding to the overall expense. If web hosting were an airplane, you would have to swipe your credit card just to get the airbag to pop out in case of an emergency.

Although costs continue to escalate, I refuse to let the burden of these expenses or their inherent unfairness weigh me down. We are living in a time of rapid change, and I believe the end of all things is drawing very near. The increasing instability we see in the world only reinforces that belief.

That’s why your support matters now more than ever. If you’ve found value in Rapture Ready, I encourage you to consider making a donation. Your help allows us to continue sharing information during what I believe are the final days of this age.

There are three ways you can contribute to RR: Send a financial gift via our PO box address; make a one-time donation; or make monthly donations. If you’re interested in signing up, find the links on the Donation Depot page. Donations can be sent to our PO Box at:

Rapture Ready
P.O. Box 969
Benton, AR 72018

–Todd

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