Volume XXXIV Issue X October 2015
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
A Time Of Disharmony In Our World!
“I create the fruit of the lips; Peace, peace to
him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will
heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot
rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my
God, to the wicked.”
Isaiah 57:19-21
“We looked for peace, but no good came; and for a time of health, and behold trouble!”
Jeremiah 8:15
“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is
given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall
be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting
Father, The Prince of Peace.”
Isaiah 9:6
“That at that time ye were without Christ, being
aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants
of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in
Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of
Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken
down the middle wall of partition between us.”
Ephesians 2:12-14
In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will
examine the turbulent condition of our world even as prominent figures
call for peace. Just a glance at the news headlines these days will
paint a very unpleasant picture. We live in a world that is constantly
involved in conflict as battles, wars, and fighting rage across the
planet. Will there ever be world peace?
On June 26, 1945, just shortly after the conclusion of
World War II, the charter of a group known as the United Nations was
signed. (1) Under the guise of establishing world peace, this
organization then built its headquarters in New York City, and began to
work on its agenda to unite the entire world. In the preamble of the
Charter of the United Nations, we find these words: “We the peoples of
the United Nations determined to save succeeding generations from the
scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to
mankind, and to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the
dignity and worth of the human person, in the equal rights of men and
women and of nations large and small, and to establish conditions under
which justice and respect for the obligations arising from treaties and
other sources of international law can be maintained, and to promote
social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom, and for
these ends to practice tolerance and live together in peace with one
another as good neighbors, and to unite our strength to maintain
international peace and security.” (2)
Despite their cries for peace, the United Nations has
not brought about an end to conflict in the decades it has existed. In
reality, their main goal is to establish a one world government, and
when a group is working to force countries around the world to comply
with their agenda, the end result is more war and conflict, not less.
Indeed, there have been many famous wars since 1945, including the
Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Iraq Wars, and the conflict in
Afghanistan. Some of these conflicts are ongoing even to this day. In
fact, a report published by the Associated Press in February 2015
indicates that civilian casualties increased in Afghanistan by 22
percent in the year 2014. This number includes 3,699 fatalities. (3)
Throughout the year of 2014, 12,282 people were killed in Iraq. (4) “Yet
again, the Iraqi ordinary citizen continues to suffer from violence and
terrorism. 2014 has seen the highest number of casualties since the
violence of 2006-2007. This is a very sad state of affairs,” said United
Nations representative Nickolay Mladenov. (5) Meanwhile, over 9,000
people were killed in Nigeria in the year 2014, while 1.5 million more
were displaced from their homes. (6) Meanwhile in Syria, an astonishing
76,021 people were killed throughout the year 2014. (7)
It is important that we understand that many of the
casualties which occurred in Iraq, Syria, and Nigeria, were inflicted on
Christian people who are enduring heavy persecution at this time.
According to figures released by an organization known as Christian
Freedom International, Christians are the most persecuted people in the
world. It is estimated that there are over 200 million individuals who
identify as Christians in 105 countries who are facing persecution
today, and that one Christian is killed every five minutes. (8) Sadly,
the infamous hardline Islamist group known as ISIS has been hard at work
trying to eliminate Christianity from Iraq and Syria. One of the
group’s latest tactics is to use former churches as torture chambers
where Christians are forced to either convert to Islam or be killed. (9)
On September 21, 2015, the United Nations observed
what has come to be known as the International Day of Peace. They mark
this day each year by ringing their “Peace Bell” amid a call for peace
in the world. “Stop the killings and the destruction, and create space
for lasting peace,” insisted United Nations Secretary-General Ban
Ki-moon. He further went on to say, “Just as surely as striking this
Bell makes a sound, we will continue to hammer this point and demand
peace.” (10) Calls for peace such as this one, however, do very little
to bring about peace in our troubled world. Our world will never be at
peace as long as there is an adversary causing havoc as he roams to and
fro in the earth and up and down in it. Furthermore, global peace will
never be achieved as long as so many people continue to reject the
Prince of Peace, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Prominent
individuals have long sought a solution to solve the disharmony in our
world. The answer can be found in God’s Word. If every man, woman, and
child would embrace the teachings of Jesus there would no longer be
wars, strife, and starvation in this world. It is for this reason that
the Apostle Paul writes in Ephesians chapter 2 that Jesus Christ “is our
peace.” No, the United Nations will never bring about peace in this
world. Yet, we can have peace in our hearts today if we dedicate our
lives to the Lord Jesus and obey His commandments. If you have not yet
fully given your heart to God, I urge you to do so now.
Pope Francis Comes To America!
The world has seen many popes come and go throughout
the ages. However, the current Pope of the Roman Catholic Church is
unlike the other men who have held his office over the years. Pope
Francis has a way of drawing people in to the point where it seems as
though he is being worshiped. Of course, we know that since his ascent
to the papacy, he has prayed with Muslims, made overtures to atheists,
and proclaimed that homosexuals should not be judged. It seems as though
this man aims to please everyone. In fact, he is even friendly towards
communist dictators.
In the days prior to his arrival in the United States,
Pope Francis first stopped in the Caribbean nation of Cuba where he met
with former dictator Fidel Castro on September 20, 2015. Interestingly
enough, a picture published in a CNN report depicts Fidel Castro
greeting Pope Francis with a handshake that looks very much like
something you would see in a Masonic lodge. (11) Castro, as we know, is
the man who brought revolution and communism to the island of Cuba in
January 1959. As is typical with most communists, the Castro family is
known to be atheist. However, Fidel’s son, Raul Castro, who now holds
the office of President in Cuba, seemed moved by the flowery words of
Pope Francis. “If the Pope continues talking like this, I may return to
the church and start praying again,” stated Raul Castro. (12)
On September 23, 2015, a ceremony was held at the
White House in Washington, D.C., to welcome Pope Francis to the United
States. Upon his arrival in America, Pope Francis spoke highly of
President Obama and praised him for his efforts to fight climate change.
“Accepting the urgency, it seems clear to me also that climate change
is a problem which can no longer be left to a future generation. When it
comes to the care of our ‘common home,’ we are living in a critical
moment of history. We still have time to make the changes needed,”
Francis said to Obama. (13) Obama, for his part, seemed quite smitten to
be in the presence of the pope despite the fact that he is not
Catholic, even going as far as to call Francis his “Holy Father.” In so
doing, Obama signaled his submission to Pope Francis and the Roman
Catholic religion. “I believe the excitement around your visit, Holy
Father, must be attributed not only to your role as pope but to your
unique qualities as a person. In your humility, your embrace of
simplicity, in the gentleness of your words and the generosity of your
spirit, we see a living example of Jesus’ teachings.” (14) Oddly enough,
it seems that Obama is unfamiliar with the teaching of Jesus Christ
found in Matthew 23:9. This verse reads, “And call no man your father
upon the earth: for one is your Father, which is in heaven.”
On the following day, September 24, 2015, Pope Francis
became the first pope in history to address a joint session of the
United States Congress. In his speech, Francis criticized those who are
inflexible in their religious beliefs and see things as either good or
evil. “We know that no religion is immune from forms of individual
delusion or ideological extremism. This means that we must be especially
attentive to every type of fundamentalism, whether religious or of any
other kind. A delicate balance is required to combat violence
perpetrated in the name of a religion, an ideology, or an economic
system, while also safeguarding religious freedom, intellectual freedom
and individual freedoms. But there is another temptation which we must
especially guard against: the simplistic reductionism which sees only
good or evil; or, if you will, the righteous and sinners.” Further on in
his speech, Pope Francis called for unity and demanded that the people
become one for the common good. “We must move forward together, as one,
in a renewed spirit of fraternity and solidarity, cooperating generously
for the common good.” (15) Yes, Pope Francis preaches a message of
unity at all costs as he slowly builds a one world religion piece by
piece. He seldom speaks of repentance, and in his speech to Congress and
his subsequent speech at the United Nations on September 25, 2015,
there was not one mention of Jesus Christ. He did, however, preach
against climate change. (16) The pope’s behavior stands in stark
contrast to the apostles Peter and John in Acts chapter 4. After being
commanded by the authorities to not preach in the name of Jesus, it
tells us in Acts 4:19-20, “But Peter and John answered and said unto
them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more
than unto God, judge ye. For we cannot but speak the things which we
have seen and heard.” One thing is certain, there is never an
inappropriate time to talk about Jesus!
Pope Francis is highly adored and revered by many. In
fact, he has become known as “the people’s pope” in the mainstream
media. In a report published on September 20, 2015, by NBC News,
reporter Maria Shriver spoke of the pope’s popularity. “I think
Catholics were tired of the discussion about those other issues. Our
poll, it showed that they find that his teachings very closely align
with theirs, and that they want political figures to also talk about
these subjects,” Shriver said. She later went on to say, “They like him
much better than the quote ‘institution’ or the church he represents. So
I think that there’s a lot that political leaders can learn. He’s an
outsider, people call him a prophet, that’s he’s the people’s pope. And
yet, he’s kept the people in the pews.” (17) Amazingly enough, Pope
Francis even plans to release a rock album. According to Rolling Stone
Magazine, the collection, which has been titled “Wake Up” will feature a
set of rock songs intermingled with snippets from the Pope’s speeches
and sermons. The album is scheduled for a release in November. (18)
Apparently, Pope Francis wants to be a rock star too.
America Has An Abortion Problem!
As Christians, we can easily discern that one of the
biggest problems in the United States is the widespread practice of
abortion. About a million innocent babies are slaughtered each year, and
amazingly enough, many women in this country are not even sad about it.
In September 2015, a new trend emerged on the social networking website
known as Twitter. In a post made to the website, a user by the name of
Amelia Bonow bragged about her abortion. “I am telling you this today
because the narrative of those working to defund Planned Parenthood
relies on the assumption that abortion is still something to be
whispered about,” Bonow wrote. She then went on to say, “Plenty of
people still believe that on some level – if you are a good woman –
abortion is a choice which should [be] accompanied by some level of
sadness, shame, or regret. But you know what? I have a good heart and
having an abortion made me happy in a totally unqualified way. Why
wouldn’t I be happy that I was not forced to become a mother?” (19)
Bonow’s post prompted other women to respond in similar fashion, and a
campaign for women encouraging them to “shout” their abortions was born.
Regarding this trend, Seattle-based writer Lindy West declared, “It’s
about destigmatization, normalization, and putting an end to shame.”
(20) Abortion, however, is a shameful practice. It is a marvel that so
many women in the United States are now “without natural affection,” but
II Timothy 3:3 warns us that such a trait would be prevalent in the
perilous times of the last days.
In the wake of the release of a series of undercover
videos, which were published by the Center for Medical Progress, much
indignation has been expressed in the United States due to the
revelation that Planned Parenthood is profiting from the sale of aborted
baby parts. In response, conservative lawmakers have attempted to strip
Planned Parenthood of their funding. It was reported on September 18,
2015, that the United States House of Representatives had passed a bill
which would defund Planned Parenthood for one year while an
investigation was made to see if the evil organization had broken any
laws. Republican Representative Gus Bilirakis from the state of Florida,
who was a co-sponsor of the bill, was quoted as saying, “Taxpayers
should not be forced to financially support organizations whose behavior
is at best unethical and possibly illegal. When it comes to defunding
Planned Parenthood, the issue should not be partisan. This is about
protecting the rights of taxpayers – but more importantly, protecting
the basic right of human life. I will continue to give a voice to our
most fragile Americans who cannot speak for themselves.” (21) However,
the bill would also have to pass the United States Senate if it were to
become law, and that did not happen. Sadly, even if the Senate had
passed the measure, our current president, Barack Obama has declared he
would veto it. “We’ve been quite forthright about the president’s
opposition to any effort to wholesale defund Planned Parenthood,” said
White House spokesman Josh Earnest. He then implied that the shocking
undercover videos which reveal the grotesque practices of Planned
Parenthood should simply be forgotten because the group has apologized.
“What has injected this issue into the political dialogue of late, the
graphic videos that emerged on the Internet the last couple of months,
Planned Parenthood has apologized for the content of those videos and
they should. They were shocking. It is certainly not appropriate for
Republicans in Congress, in fact, it’s even cynical for some Republicans
in Congress to try to use those vidoes as an excuse to try to take away
basic health care from millions of families that rely on it every day,”
Earnest declared. (22)
Planned Parenthood’s practices have ostensibly
outraged some Republican lawmakers to the point that they have
threatened not to pass any spending bills that include funding for
Planned Parenthood, which would result in a shutdown of the United
States government. (It should be noted that “shutdown” is a bit of a
misnomer since any government agency deemed to be essential would remain
in operation.) However, outgoing Speaker of the House John Boehner has
promised that no such shutdown will occur. Instead, he announced that a
committee would investigate Planned Parenthood. “The Senate is expected
to pass a continuing resolution next week. We’ll also take up a select
committee to investigate these horrific videos that we’ve seen from
abortion clinics that we’ve seen in several states,” Boehner said on
September 27, 2015. (23) It would be wonderful if this committee would
put a stop to Planned Parenthood’s heinous behavior, but I do not have
high hopes that any action will be taken against the organization. In
any case, we live in a period of time when many people have become
reprobate and have lost their ability to discern between right and
wrong. As a result, the practice of abortion is not only allowed, but
celebrated by those who espouse liberal “values.” God will judge such
wickedness.
The United States Is Filled With Violence!
In the United States of America today, violence has
filled the land. Just as it was a problem in Noah’s day before God sent
the flood, the condition in the United States is remarkably similar. The
increase in violence has been blamed in part on anti-police sentiment.
In some cases, Police officers, particularly in New York City, will no
longer intervene in certain situations if they believe they could be met
with harm. “I won’t get out of my car for a reasonable-suspicion stop; I
will if there’s a violent felony committed in my presence,” said one
officer from New York City. (24) Another New York City police officer
claimed that many policemen and women are now too fearful to effectively
do their jobs. “There’s a total lack of respect out there for the
police. The perps feel more empowered to carry guns because they know
that we are running scared,” the officer said. (25) Jim McDonnell, the
head of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department in California claims
that reductions in crime over the last decade are now being wiped out.
“The last 10 years have witnessed dramatic decreases in crime. Now in a
short period of time, we are seeing those gains undone,” McDonnell said.
(26) In numerous instances which occurred this summer, police officers
were shot and killed during the course of their normal duties. One
example is Officer Darren Goforth who was shot and killed on August 28,
2015, when he stopped to gas up his vehicle. In like manner, Louisiana
state trooper Steven J. Vincent was shot in the head and killed while
helping a motorist on August 14, 2015. (27) Needless to say, these are
not activities that would normally be considered dangerous.
The rise in crime has been significant to say the
least. In fact, the homicide rate in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has increased
by 76 percent this year. Elsewhere in the country, homicides have
increased 60 percent in St. Louis, Missouri; 56 percent in Baltimore,
Maryland; 47 percent in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and 36 percent in
Houston, Texas. (28) These are truly perilous times.
A Full View Of Chinese Military Strength!
In recent days, we have seen some rather unusual
behavior from the nation of China. The Asian country, which has the
largest military in the world, has flexed its military might on more
than one occasion, which seems to be an effort to demonstrate that they
are not intimidated by anyone, including the United States of America.
In early September 2014, it was reported that warships from the Chinese
Navy were spotted in United States’ territory along the Alaskan coast,
and even came within 12 miles of American land. It is worth noting that
this had never happened before, and it just so happens that during this
point in time, Barack Obama was visiting Alaska. (29)
It has also been reported by the magazine known as
Popular Mechanics that a video was recently released which portrays a
simulated attack by the Chinese military on an American military base.
It is believed that the base under attack was supposed to represent the
American base on the Japanese island of Okinawa. Oddly enough, the video
was first reported by the Council on Foreign Relations, or CFR, which
is a secretive and nefarious group located in New York City which tries
to portray itself as a think tank. The video, which has a running time
of about six minutes, is titled “Battle to Capture an Island: a Full
View of Chinese Military Strength.” According to the CFR, the video was
produced by the Chinese military. (30)
Meanwhile, the Chinese government held a large parade
on September 3, 2015, at Tianamen Square in Beijing, China. In this
parade they showcased their military arsenal which now includes a new
weapon known as the DF-21D anti-ship ballistic missile. This missile,
which has been nicknamed the “carrier killer,” purportedly allows the
Chinese military to efficiently attack targets all over the world. (31)
One can only wonder what China intends to do with their new advanced
weaponry.
In closing, these are dangerous days, and it can
easily be seen from our current event headlines that we do not live in a
peaceful time. Despite the calls from United Nations officials and Pope
Francis, peace in our time remains unrealized by the majority of the
world’s inhabitants. Yet, we can turn to our Saviour who will give us
peace even in a time of trouble. In Philippians 4:6-7, we are told by
the Apostle Paul, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto
God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep
your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry.
We appreciate you all and we thank God that we have been given this
opportunity to serve you. If you have any prayer requests, we are here
and ready to pray for you or whatever your needs may be. We firmly
believe in the power of prayer with a full expectation that God will
hear and answer our petitions. Grace and peace be unto you in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samuel David Meyer
Acknowledgements
01. Charter of the United Nations, Introductory Note, http://un.org.
02. Charter of the United Nations, Preamble, http://un.org.
03. Associated Press, February 18, 2015, By The Associated Press, Kabul, Afghanistan.
04. United Nations Iraq, January 4, 2015, By United Nations Iraq, http://uniraq.org.
05. Ibid.
06. The Christian Post, December 30, 2015, By Samuel Smith, http://christianpost.com.
07. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, January 1, 2015, http://syriahr.com/en.
08. The Christian Post, September 21, 2015, By Samuel Smith, http://christianpost.com.
09. Ibid.
10. United Nations News Centre, September 21, 2015, By the United Nations News Centre, http://un.org.
11. CNN, September 20, 2015, By CNN, http://cnn.com.
12. Ibid.
13. The Washington Post, September 23, 2015, By Greg Jaffe, http://washingtonpost.com.
14. Ibid.
15. Time Magazine, September 24, 2015, By Ryan Teague Beckwith, http://time.com.
16. Time Magazine, September 25, 2015, By Ryan Teague Beckwith, http://time.com.
17. NBC News, September 20, 2015, By Marianna Sotomayor, http://nbcnews.com.
18. Rolling Stone Magazine, September 25, 2015, By Daniel Kreps, http://rollingstone.com.
19. CNN, September 22, 2015, By Michael Pearson, http://cnn.com.
20. Ibid.
21. National Public Radio, September 18, 2015, By Bill Chappell, http://npr.org.
22. Life News, September 17, 2015, By Steve Ertelt, http://lifenews.com.
23. Washington Post, September 27, 2015, By Wesley Lowery and Mike Debonis, http://washingtonpost.com.
24. Wall Street Journal, September 13, 2015, By Heath Mac Donald, http://wsj.com.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Associated Press, September 2, 2015, By Michael Tarm, Chicago, IL.
28. Wall Street Journal. September 13, 2015, By Heath Mac Donald, http://wsj.com.
29. CNN, September 4, 2015, By Jim Sciutto, http://cnn.com.
30. Popular Mechanics, September 4, 2015, By Andrew Moseman, http://popularmechanics.com.
31. CNN, September 4, 2015, By John Grevatt, http://cnn.com.
To learn more about the history of our ministry and our founder, Pastor David J. Meyer, please visit http://pastormeyer.org.
Last Trumpet Newsletter
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