Last Trumpet Newsletter

Last Trumpet Newsletter

Volume XXXI Issue II February 2012
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

A Flood Of Evil In The Last Days!

"Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."

Revelation 12:12-17

"Say unto them, As I live, saith the LORD God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel? Therefore, thou son of man, say unto the children of thy people, The righteousness of the righteous shall not deliver him in the day of his transgression: as for the wickedness of the wicked, he shall not fall thereby in the day that he turneth from his wickedness; neither shall the righteous be able to live for his righteousness in the day that he sinneth. When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousness shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it."

Ezekiel 33:11-13

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will focus on the flood of evil which has sprung forth from Satan in these last days. We now live in a time when our adversary, the devil, has unleashed a deluge of sin upon this world. While wicked men and women gobble up and absorb everything Satan has to offer them, we see the impact this sin has on their lives; and in doing so, we come to the realization that we do not want to participate in any of it. Although there are many seducing spirits now vying for your soul, we understand the importance of resisting the devil and his advances. In James 4:7 we read, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." As we progress through time, the world will grow increasingly wicked, and there will be many attempts to break down your resistance to the flood of evil engulfing the souls of mankind. However, I can tell you with all certainty that resistance is not futile.

Hands That Shed Innocent Blood!

In Proverbs 6:16-17 we find a list of seven sins that God hates. The third sin on this list is "hands that shed innocent blood." There is certainly no blood more innocent than that of an unborn child. Sadly, the United States of America not only allows, but condones the slaughter of over one million babies each and every year through abortion. A recent news report indicates that Planned Parenthood, which is the largest provider of abortions in the United States, received 487.4 million dollars in government funding from the period covering July 1, 2009, to June 30, 2010. During this period, they murdered 329,455 babies. This treacherous organization receives tax dollars to help fund their operations despite the fact that they have over one billion dollars in assets. (1)

From 1973 through 2008, nearly 50 million babies were murdered in the United States. It is estimated that approximately one-third of all women in America will have had at least one abortion, considering the present rate. In 2007, the most recent year for which data is provided, the ratio in New York City was 737 abortions for every 1000 live births. Eighty-four percent of all abortions are performed on unmarried women, and the most common reasons given for seeking an abortion are that having a child would interfere with work or school and that a child is unaffordable. (2)

Shockingly, the Salvation Army, which is a conservative charity group traditionally known to be based on Christian values, has now softened its stance on abortion. In a statement issued on their website in November 2010, the Salvation Army International stated, "The Salvation Army believes that termination can occur only when carrying the pregnancy further seriously threatens the life of the mother; or reliable diagnostic procedures have identified a fetal abnormality considered incompatible with survival for more than a very brief post natal period. In addition, rape and incest are brutal acts of dominance violating women physically and emotionally. This situation represents a special case for the consideration of termination as the violation may be compounded by the continuation of the pregnancy." (3) The statement on the Salvation Army International website has caused distress even amongst members of the organization itself. Jeff Stanger, the development director of the Indiana Division of the Salvation Army USA asserted, "That statement is not the Salvation Army USA's position on abortion." Major George Hood, the chief communications officer for the American branch of the Salvation Army, sent official correspondence to the international headquarters voicing his objections to the statement. (4)

Of all the sins so prevalent in the United States and much of the world, I believe abortion is the sin most detestable to God. There is nothing more brutal than robbing a tiny baby of life before the precious child even takes its first breath. The fact that women and their doctors can be so uncompassionate is just another indicator of how evil this world has become in the last days. There was a time when children were considered a blessing, but in this day and age, parents often consider their children to be burdens. Those who seek abortions not only rob their innocent children of life, they also rob themselves of a blessing. For as it is written in Psalm 127:3, "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

The Brainwashing Of America's Youth!

In recent years, homosexuality has made the transition from the closet to the mainstream. Many of America's favorite entertainers and celebrities are homosexual, and this lifestyle has been making inroads, even amongst those who claim to be Christians. Now a coalition of health and education groups have released a new set of guidelines that calls for the sexual education of children to begin as early as the second grade. According to the guidelines, children should be taught to properly identify the anatomy of a male or female in grade two. By the end of the fifth grade, the recommendations suggest that children should be taught about homosexuality. Cora Collette Breuner, a pediatrics professor at the University of Washington, lauded the new recommendations. "The data points that trying to cover this stuff when kids have already formulated their own opinions and biases by the time they're in middle and high school, it's too late," Breuner stated. (5) In other words, the consensus among those charged with educating young children advocate a thorough brainwashing and mental conditioning before their students have an opportunity to form opinions of their own.

Not only has homosexuality become accepted by society, but homosexuals are sometimes given preferential treatment. One such example is an article published by LiveScience in January 2012 entitled "Why Gay Parents May Be the Best Parents." The article cites a psychologist known as Abbie Goldberg, who makes the claim that homosexual parents "tend to be more motivated, more committed than heterosexual parents on average, because they chose to be parents." According to the article, over half of all homosexual men and 41 percent of all lesbians in the United States would like to adopt children. Sociologist Judith Stacy of New York University was quoted as saying she believes gay men "will be the best parents on average." (6) According to a 2007 report, there were 65,000 children living with adoptive gay parents between 2000 and 2002. (7) Although more current data was not cited, it seems likely that number has only increased since that time.

Witchcraft - Flaunted And On Display!

These days, witchcraft is often considered a silly little genre of harmless fantasy. Although pagans have been practicing their religion for thousands of years, few people, outside of those who are initiated into the various factions of the occult, actually take it seriously. Yet, as I mentioned in the December 2011 issue of the Last Trumpet, paganism is the fastest growing religion in the United States.

One city which has always been notorious for witchcraft is Salem, Massachusetts. Salem is home to the federally recognized temple of witchcraft known as the Cabot Kent Hermetic Temple. (8) The temple's founder, Laurie Cabot, was proclaimed "the official witch of Salem" in the 1970s by Michael Dukakis, who was governor of the state of Massachusetts at the time. (9) The people of Salem are very proud of their witchcraft. Their official police insignia features the image of a witch riding a broom with the words "the witch city" prominently displayed. (10) One of their public schools is known as the "Witchcraft Heights Elementary School," and they have a high school athletic team known as "The Witches." (11)

Here let it be noted that two witches from Salem, Massachusetts, held a séance on Friday the 13th of January 2012 in an attempt to help secure a win for the New England Patriots over the Denver Broncos in the divisional round of the playoffs in the National Football League. "I'm going to raise the energy of the universe and send out all the good mojo," declared one of the witches. The chant performed at their altar of witchcraft was, "Tom Brady will see what he needs to see, be where he needs to be, and will take the Patriots to another victory." (12) Although casting such a spell sounds like complete foolishness to us, these witches believe in what they do. The Bible warns us in the book of Revelation that sorcery, which is a form of witchcraft, is one of the sins which will condemn people to hell. In Revelation 21:8 we read, "But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death." This verse indicates that not only is witchcraft a serious sin, but also it is a sin that will persist until the end of time.

Rising Opposition To Christianity!

Despite the fact that a recent poll found that 92 percent of its respondents believe in God and 78 percent identify themselves as Christians in the United States (13), a spirit of opposition has risen up against Christianity in America. In New York City, a ban has been put in place to prevent Christian groups from renting public schools to use as locations for church gatherings. Even though the rental of such facilities brought in several million dollars each year, the Board of Education in New York City has decided to impose the ban in what they claim is an effort to protect the minds of "impressionable youth." (14) On January 12, 2012, about 200 people gathered to protest the ban outside a public school where Mayor Michael Bloomberg was giving his state of the city address. While kneeling in prayer in front of the school, the protestors were ordered to leave by the police. In total, forty-three people were arrested for their public prayers, which the authorities deemed to be disorderly conduct. (15)

In Mount Pleasant, Tennessee, city manager Michelle Williams has banned workers at City Hall from praying during work hours. "We have no problem with them praying; it's just they need to do it on their own time," Williams said. Ms. Williams also made the claim that her decision would be beneficial to the citizens of her community. "Ultimately, their tax dollars are spent to pay city employees' salary. I would think (citizens) would want them working while they are getting paid," stated Williams. (16)

In the state of New Jersey, the Ocean Grove Camp Meeting Association, which is operated by the United Methodist Church, was found to be in violation of New Jersey's nondiscrimination law after it refused to allow a civil-union ceremony for a lesbian couple to be performed at its facility. The same-sex couple filed a lawsuit after being turned down, and in January 2012, Judge Solomon Metzger ruled in their favor. "The respondent violated the [Law Against Discrimination] when it refused to conduct a civil-union ceremony for Ms. Bernstein and Ms. Paster," Judge Metzger wrote in his decision. (17)

Tightening The Leash On The American People!

Although debtors' prisons were technically abolished during the 1800s in the United States, more than a third of all states in America allow people who are unable to pay their debts to be jailed. Once a debtor becomes delinquent in loan payments, a creditor will often file a lawsuit against them. If a debtor then fails to appear at a court hearing or is unable or unwilling to make payments on the debt, an arrest warrant is then issued by the judge presiding over the case. The Wall Street Journal reports that at least 5,000 warrants of this nature have been issued since the beginning of 2010. (18)

In many cases, the debts that result in jail time are not even terribly significant. One such case involved a woman in Carbondale, Illinois, who spent five days in jail after she failed to a pay a $275 debt owed to a payday lender company. (19) In another case in the state of Illinois, a woman was arrested and jailed for failure to pay a $730 medical bill. (20) A man in Kansas City also faced jail time after he lost his job and was unable to make payments on some furniture he had purchased. (21)

In the state of Texas, many public schools are now actively patrolled by police officers throughout the course of the school day. Children are sometimes arrested for frivolous reasons. One such incident occurred after a twelve-year-old girl sprayed herself with perfume during class. Her teacher immediately chastised her saying, "Put that away; that's the most terrible smell I've ever smelled." The teacher then called the police who had been roaming the corridors of the school. The officers arrested the girl, charged her with a criminal misdemeanor, and ordered her to appear in court. (22) In the year 2010, police officers in Texas issued nearly 300,000 tickets to children as young as six years old. (23)

These days, the police might even get involved if you have overdue library books. Such was the case in Charlton, Massachusetts, where a police officer was dispatched to fetch books from a five-year-old girl who had failed to return them in a timely manner. "I thought it was way overboard. I closed my door, I looked at my daughter, and she started crying," the child's mother said. The officer who made the visit was not pleased with his assignment either. "Nobody wanted to, on this end to get involved in it. But the library contacted us, and the chief delegated, and apparently I was one of the low men on the totem pole," said Charlton Police Sergeant Dan Dowd. (24)

The erosion of personal freedom in the United States has become so undeniable that even the mainstream news media is starting to take notice. On January 13, 2012, the Washington Post published a story entitled "Ten Reasons the U.S. Is No Longer the Land of the Free." The article explains how the President of the United States and federal government agencies now have the authority to assassinate American citizens if they are deemed to be terrorists. Other abuses mentioned in the article include indefinite detention, warrantless searches, secret courts, and the continual monitoring of the American people. (25)

Reports have now surfaced that police forces all across the United States are becoming increasingly militarized to deal with the potential threat of a terrorist attack. Even the city of Fargo, North Dakota, which rarely even has a murder, went on an eight million dollar spending spree, which included the purchase of a $256,643 armored truck. One sheriff's department in Arizona even owns a military surplus tank. Since September 11, 2001, more than 34 billion dollars in federal grants have been doled out to police departments to facilitate these equipment upgrades. (26) Additionally, a new riot shield, known as the LRAD Sound Cannon, is now being developed. It will use low frequency sound waves to affect the upper respiratory tract and impair breathing until the targets are subdued. (27)

Law enforcement officials may not be the only people worried about potential attacks. In December 2011 a new record for gun sales was set in the United States. The FBI performed 1.5 million background checks, which are required before a person can legally purchase a gun, in December. On December 23, 2011, 102,222 of these background checks were performed, making it the second busiest day for gun sales on record. (28)

What Will The Future Be Like?

In this current year of 2012, we find all of humanity at a crossroads. The world we live in is on the very cusp of a dramatic transformation. Those pushing for these changes say it is all for the betterment of mankind, but if their goals should ever be fully implemented, the human race may soon find it has been assimilated into a system very difficult to escape. In December 2011 the Center for Technology Innovation at Brookings published a report entitled "Recording Everything: Digital Storage as an Enabler of Authoritarian Governments." As an introduction to the report, the author, John Villasenor, writes the following, "Within the next few years an important threshold will be crossed: For the first time ever, it will become technologically and financially feasible for authoritarian governments to record nearly everything that is said or done within their borders - every phone conversation, electronic message, social media interaction, the movements of nearly every person and vehicle, and video from every street corner. Governments with a history of using all of the tools at their disposal to track and monitor their citizens will undoubtedly make full use of this capability once it becomes available." (29)

The Brookings report goes hand-in-hand with a press release issued by IBM on December 19, 2011. In the release, IBM reveals five technologies they are hoping to implement over the course of the next five years. One of the goals is to develop a system that would use unique biometric data, such as facial definitions, retinal scans, and voice files, as your password to access online data. Far more troubling, however, is the technology IBM scientists are presently working on that they are hoping will literally read your mind. "If you just need to think about calling someone, it happens. Or you can control the cursor on a computer screen just by thinking about where you want to move it," states the report. (30) Over the last few decades, technology has advanced to amazing new heights. We stand at the precipice of a new dangerous era in which people no longer control their technology, but rather, the technology controls the people.

More Cases Of Disease And Pestilence!

In December 2011 a news story broke regarding a new strain of H5N1 avian influenza, which is more commonly known as bird flu. This strain of the flu is more deadly than previous strains and spreads more easily amongst mammals. Another unique trait of this strain of the virus is that it was intentionally created in medical labs at the Erasmus University Medical Center in the Netherlands and at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. This form of the virus is considered to be so dangerous that government officials requested that details regarding how it is made be withheld from publication for fear that it could be used as a biological weapon. (31) Following public outcry over fear that the virus could accidentally escape from research labs, scientists have agreed to suspend all research on their strain of H5N1 for sixty days. (32)

A new strain of swine flu has also surfaced in recent days. The virus, which is formally known as H3N2v, has infected at least twelve people in the states of Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia here in the United States. Worry has been expressed that this strain of the virus can be transmitted more easily from human-to-human than previous strains. (33)

In Haiti a virulent strain of cholera has now infected 500,000 people and killed 7,000 since October 2010. Evidence recently surfaced indicating that this brutal strain of cholera was brought to Haiti by UN peacekeeping troops out of Nepal. John Mekalanos, chairman of the Department of Microbiology and Immunobiology at Harvard Medical School, expressed deep concern over the virus. "What scares me is that the strain from South Asia has been recognized as more virulent, more capable of causing severe disease, and more transmissible. These strains are nasty. So far there has been no secondary outbreak. But Haiti now represents a foothold for a particularly dangerous variety of this deadly disease." Before this outbreak occurred, there had never been a case of cholera in Haiti or even in the entire Western Hemisphere. (34)

A Grim Outlook For The Global Economy!

Although news outlets have been reporting improvements in the American economy in recent weeks, the hard times in the United States and many other countries are far from over. It is now estimated that Barack Obama will have increased the national debt by 6.2 trillion dollars when his first term finally ends on January 20, 2013. (35) To date, Obama's strategy to cure America's debt problem has mainly involved tax hikes for the rich. He has stated on numerous occasions that rich folks, such as himself, can afford to pay "a little more." Of course, if he was really so eager to pay more, he could do so now instead of waiting for it to become law. Obama could easily make some generous donations to the United States Treasury. I am sure they would be readily accepted. However, instead of doing that, Obama prefers to leave the American taxpayers on the hook for his extravagant lifestyle. It is estimated that his December 2011 holiday vacation in Hawaii cost the American people approximately four million dollars. (36)

In a startling article published on January 6, 2012, by Reuters, it was reported that the global economy could survive disruption for only one week. Potential disruptions include attacks by militants or widespread natural disasters, which could essentially cause a global economic shutdown. According to a report by the London-based Chatham House, "One week seems to be the maximum tolerance of the 'just-in-time' global economy." (37)

Catastrophic disasters are not the only cause for worry to the global economy. The largest economies in the world will be facing a mountain of 7.6 trillion dollars in debt that is maturing this year. (38) In Europe, nine nations, including France and Austria, were subjected to a credit rating cut by Standard and Poor's. (39) In the nation of Greece, children are now being abandoned by parents who are no longer able to provide for their needs. According to Antonios Papanikolaou, founder of the Ark of the World Youth Centre in Athens, hundreds of parents have requested that the organization take their children. (40) Gerald Calente, founder of Trends Research Institute, has warned that several European nations are already in the throes of a depression. "If you live in Greece, you're in a depression; if you live in Spain, you're in a depression; if you live in Portugal or Ireland, you're in a depression. If you live in Lithuania, you're running to the bank to get your money out of the bank as the bank runs go on. It's a depression. Hungary, there's a depression, and much of Eastern Europe, Romania, Bulgaria. And there are a lot of depressions going on [already]," Calente stated. (41)

With so many nations now facing massive debt, one might wonder what the solution to the problem is. In the February 2012 issue of Wired magazine, writer David Wolman suggests that the answer might be a universal currency. (42) This was not the first time a global currency has been suggested in recent years, and it is likely that it will not be the last time. It is all part of Satan's grand scheme for a one world government. I believe this is yet another sign of the times and an indicator that the coming of our Saviour draweth nigh.

In closing, I urge all of you to seek the Lord while there is still time. The world has been engulfed by a flood of evil, but you can be safe and secure if you put all your hope and trust in God. In Psalm 32:5-7 we read, "I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him. Thou art my hiding place; thou shalt preserve me from trouble; thou shalt compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah." If you have not yet fully given your heart to God, I encourage you to do so now. I offer my sincere thanks to all of you who continue to support this ministry. If you have any prayer requests, we welcome them, and we will give each one individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements
01. CNS News, January 3, 2012, By CNS News, http://cnsnews.com.
02. Abort73.com, Abortion Statistics, http://abort73.com.
03. Salvation Army International, International Positional Statement, http://salvationarmy.org.
04. Christian Post, December 31, 2011, By Stephanie Samuel, http://christianpost.com.
05. The Blaze, January 9, 2012, By Billy Hallowell, http://theblaze.com.
06. LiveScience, January 17, 2012, By Stephanie Pappas, http://livescience.com.
07. Ibid.
08. Cabot Kent Hermetic Temple, official website, http://cabotkenthermetictemple.org.
09. Wikipedia, Laurie Cabot article, http://wikipedia.org.
10. Salem PD, official website, http://salempd.org.
11. Wikipedia, Salem, Massachusetts article, http://wikipedia.org.
12. Fox News, January 13, 2012, By Fox News, http://foxnews.com.
13. Houston Chronicle, January 5, 2012, By Adelle M. Banks, http://chron.com.
14. World Magazine, January 12, 2012, By Tiffany Owens, http://worldmag.com.
15. The New American, January 16, 2012, By Dave Bohon, http://thenewamerican.com.
16. Columbia Daily Herald, January 14, 2012, By Columbia Daily Herald, http://columbiadailyherald.com.
17. World New Daily, January 12, 2012, By Bob Unruh, http://wnd.com.
18. The Wall Street Journal, March 17, 2011, By The Wall Street Journal, http://wsj.com.
19. Ibid.
20. National Public Radio, December 12, 2011, By Susie An, http://npr.org.
21. KCTV5, October 28, 2011, By DeAnn Smith and Stacey Cameron, http://kctv5.com.
22. The Guardian, January 9, 2012, By Chris McGreal, http://guardian.co.uk. 23. Ibid. 24. CBS News, January 2, 2012, By CBS News, Charlton, Massachusetts. 25. The Washington Post, January 13, 2012, By Jonathan Turley, http://washingtonpost.com. 26. The Daily Beast, December 21, 2011, By Andrew Becker, http://thedailybeast.com. 27. Gizmodo, December 14, 2011, By Andrew Liszewski, http://gizmodo.com.
28. CNN, December 27, 2011, By Carol Cratty, Washington, D.C.
29. Recording Everything, December 14, 2011, By John Villasenor, http://brookings.edu.
30. IBM Press Release, December 19, 2011, By IBM, http://ibm.com.
31. Associated Press, December 20, 2011, By Lauran Neergaard, Washington, D.C.
32. Reuters News Service, January 20, 2012, By Sharon Begley, New York, NY.
33. US News & World Report, January 11, 2012, By Jason Koebler, http://usnews.com.
34. ABC News, January 12, 2012, By Matthew Mosk, Brian Ross, and Rym Momtaz, http://abcnews.go.com.
35. CNS News, January 13, 2012, By Terence P. Jeffrey, http://cnsnews.com.
36. The Blaze, December 19, 2011, By Billy Hallowell, http://theblaze.com.
37. Reuters News Service, January 6, 2012, By Reuters News Service, http://reuters.com.
38. Bloomberg, January 3, 2012, By Keith Jenkins and Anchalee Worrachate, http://bloomberg.com.
39. Bloomberg, January 13, 2012, By Simon Kennedy, Patrick Donahue, and Mark Deen. http://bloomberg.com.
40. The Daily Mail, January 11, 2012, By Lee Moran, http://dailymail.co.uk.
41. Beacon Equity, January 4, 2012, By Dominique de Kevelioc de Bailleuel, http://beaconequity.com.
42. Wired Magazine, January 11, 2012, By David Wolman, http://wired.co.uk.

Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed athttp://pastormeyer.org.

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