Faded Blessings And Perilous Times!
Volume XXX
Issue III March
2011
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet:
http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
"This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
II Timothy 3:1-5"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil; In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it. But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it. I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them."
Deuteronomy 30:15-20In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again examine the current events of our time and carefully consider what we see happening all around us in light of a Biblical perspective. The world as we know it is changing in dramatic ways which would have seemed unimaginable only a few generations ago. My father so often told us, "This is not the country I was born into," and truthfully, I used to feel he was being a little overdramatic with that statement. However, as I look around at the world and read the news, I can confidently say that he was right.
Even Barack Obama acknowledged that the world has drastically changed when he gave his State of the Union Address on January 25, 2011. "The world has changed. And for many, the change has been painful. I've seen it in the shuttered windows of once booming factories, and the vacant storefronts on once busy Main Streets. I've heard it in the frustrations of Americans who've seen their paychecks dwindle or their jobs disappear -- proud men and women who feel like the rules have changed in the middle of the game," said Obama in his speech. (1)
The United States of America was once the most prosperous and blessed country in the world. However, we live in a time when the quality of life in this country is continually degrading as people struggle to find work, food costs continue to rise, the housing market remains unstable, and a plethora of other threats and problems abound. The level of debt in the United States is growing so quickly that even Obama admits it is "not sustainable." When we carefully consider the circumstances of our time, one might wonder, "Has America lost her blessing?"
The Bible tells us time and time again that those who honor and respect God and obey his commandments will be blessed and prosperous. While many people in the United States still claim to be Christian, the number of men and women professing Christianity has been declining for many years. In fact, a Newsweek article published in April 2009 reported that the number of self-identified Christians in America has fallen by ten percentage points since 1990, while the percentage of those claiming no religious affiliation has nearly doubled in the same time period. (2) These facts do not seem to bother President Obama who stated in a 2006 speech, "Whatever we once were, we are no longer a Christian nation - at least not just. We are also a Jewish nation, a Muslim nation, a Buddhist nation, and a Hindu nation, and a nation of nonbelievers." (3) Despite the fact that Obama claims to be a Christian, he rarely attends church services and is quite friendly towards other religions, particularly Islam. Obama's proclamation that the United States is "a nation of nonbelievers" is certainly nothing to be proud of. Perhaps Obama has never read II Corinthians 6:14 which tells us, "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness?"
When we consider the lack of spiritual integrity amongst those in positions of authority over the United States, it is no surprise that this erstwhile great nation is in so much trouble. Thankfully, even if the country as a whole is not receiving the blessings of God, you as an individual can still be blessed. When the Lord poured out ten plagues in Egypt, the Israelites dwelling in the land of Goshen were protected and safe. They even had light in their dwellings while the rest of Egypt was covered in a darkness so thick that it could be felt. If you love and honor God, He will be with you, He will strengthen you, He will guide you, and He will bless you. If you have not yet repented of your sins and given your heart to God, I encourage you to do so now.
Persistent Unemployment And A Frozen Job Market!
When Barack Obama gave the State of the Union Address, he was sure to tell us that the recovery was going smoothly, that the country was rebounding, and that they had broken the back of the recession. He was quite confident that there would soon be many jobs available, but from where these jobs would come, he couldn't tell us. Obama stated, "None of us can predict with certainty what the next big industry will be or where the new jobs will come from. Thirty years ago, we couldn't know that something called the Internet would lead to an economic revolution. What we can do -- what America does better than anyone else -- is spark the creativity and imagination of our people." (4) In other words, Obama is relying on some new big idea or some new technology to create jobs. Yet, it is technological innovation itself that often ends up causing a large loss of employment. I'm sure the United States Postal Service is unhappy that innovations such as email and online billing were ever invented.
Economists had expected the United States to see an increase of 145,000 jobs in the month of January 2011. Reality was far more brutal as the country only saw the creation of 36,000 jobs in that time period. (5) Oddly enough, the official unemployment rate mysteriously dropped from 9.4% to 9.0%. (6) David Stockman, the former federal budget director under President Reagan, attributed the decrease in unemployment to a reduction in the participation rate of the labor force. "If we had the same participation rate this January that we had a year ago, the unemployment rate reported this morning would've been 9.9 percent or 10 percent rounded, not 9," Stockman said. (7) In other words, fewer people are looking for work, so they are therefore no longer considered "unemployed" by the government despite the fact that they do not have jobs.
We also need to remember that just because jobs are created, it doesn't necessarily mean they are good decent paying jobs. Stockman stated in another report, "When we look below the surface and the job outlook and the trend that we've been in, it's a lot worse than people think. The jobs that they count every month and people get excited about are really part-time jobs." (8) Yes, it's a sad time in America. Approximately seven million jobs were lost during the "Great Recession." Reports indicate that about one million of those jobs have now been replaced, but the new jobs are greatly inferior to the old ones, and because of that we are seeing an ever-shrinking middle class.
America - An Indebted Nation!
What if the recovery we are now supposedly experiencing really did take hold? What if there were plentiful jobs, a surging stock market, and fast-paced economic growth? None of those improvements would change the fact that the United States has an astronomical level of debt, which is on the verge of completely spiraling out of control. The United States government can no longer function without borrowing money, and because of that the national debt has now exceeded 14 trillion dollars. (9) The size of the national debt has nearly doubled in size since January 2005. (10)
The United States will be forced to raise its "debt ceiling" yet again in order to meet its financial obligations. In a letter written by Secretary of the Treasury Timothy Geithner and addressed to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Geithner stated, "Never in our history has Congress failed to increase the debt limit when necessary. Failure to raise the limit would precipitate a default by the United States." (11) In other words, the United States must borrow money to pay its debts. Failure to do so would quickly put this country in default, or in other words, bankruptcy. In a somewhat ironic twist, President Obama greatly protested the Bush Administration raising the debt ceiling when he was a senator. On March 16, 2006, Obama stated on the Senate floor, "The fact that we are here today to debate raising America's debt limit is a sign of leadership failure. It is a sign that the U.S. Government can't pay its own bills. It is a sign that we now depend on ongoing financial assistance from foreign countries to finance our government's reckless fiscal policies... increasing America's debt weakens us domestically and internationally. Leadership means that 'the buck stops here.' Instead, Washington is shifting the burden of bad choices today onto the backs of our children and grandchildren. America has a debt problem and a failure of leadership. Americans deserve better." (12) For once, Obama said something that I actually agree with! It's amazing how accurately he described his own situation while attempting to levy criticism at his predecessor.
There are various factors contributing to the debt problem in America today. One of those factors is the trade deficit with Red China, which occurs because the United States imports massive amounts of goods while it exports only a small amount of American goods to China. The trade deficit for the month of December 2010 alone was a whopping 40.5 billion dollars. (13)
Of course, we know that President Obama has been very friendly towards the Chinese government lately, and recently he held an extravagant dinner for the Chinese President. Since that time, news reports claim there have been calls for greater commercial ties between China and the United States. There is also an expectation that we will see a number of new business deals in the near future.
One such deal is an agreement that Industrial & Commercial Bank of China signed to acquire a majority stake in the Bank of East Asia's U.S. subsidiary. If regulators approve the deal, it will mean that retail bank branches in the United States will be controlled by China for the very first time. (14) This acquisition will likely only be the beginning of an onslaught of many others if it goes through.
China is the United States' biggest trade partner. It also seems to be the first place the United States looks when it needs a loan. I find it sad and disgraceful that America has such extensive dealings with an oppressive Communist government that hates God, loves to kill babies by the millions, and persecutes Christians on a regular basis. It's interesting to note that Ed Lezear, a Stanford University economics professor, has stated that unless the United States and Chinese economies unexpectedly change course, the average Chinese citizen could be wealthier than the average American citizen in less than three decades. (15)
Yes, it has become quite apparent that United States is living on borrowed time. In fact, the U.S. government is borrowing 41 cents for every dollar that it spends. (16) It would take extreme changes to turn things around, and these steps are unlikely to be taken any time soon because they would be unpopular with American citizens. Unfortunately, our incompetent government, which is particularly inept at managing a budget, has put the American people in an impossible situation. Obama's recent decision to extend the Bush era tax cuts while providing a small amount of short-term relief to the average American family, will only exacerbate the debt crisis in the coming years. In the meantime, the United States will likely keep overspending, keep raising the debt ceiling, and keep making trade deals that are bad for the country.
I personally believe that this is all by design. There are very evil men in high places who are serving Satan and want the United States' economy, the European economies, and indeed, every other economy in the world to collapse. The eventual goal is a new one-world global beast system in which every man, woman, and child would be required to receive a mark in his right hand or forehead if he should wish to buy or sell. I know that sounds scary to many people, but we can take comfort in knowing that when such a system comes forth, it won't be long until we see our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, coming in glory. I have no doubt in my mind that our Almighty God will sustain us through any trials and tribulations that we may have to endure. For as God said in his Holy Scriptures, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."
Global Food Shortages!
As many of you have probably already noticed, the cost of food has been rising sharply in recent months. In fact, the food price index, published by the United Nations' Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, has risen seven months in a row as of January 2011, and experts say the trend is likely to continue. FAO economist Abdolreza Abbsassian issued a statement saying, "The new figures clearly show that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating. These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come." (17) Weather has been a big factor in the rising cost of food as there have been floods, droughts, and storms in several countries all over the world. Many countries are also suffering from surging inflation, which makes it increasingly difficult for families to put food on the table.
The ongoing global food crisis is so widespread that it is almost mind boggling. Some of the recent headlines from around the world include the following: "Pakistan Suffering Famine-like Child Malnutrition" (18), "Poverty Line Rises For Families in Zimbabwe" (19), "Crop Warning Over China Drought" (20), "UN: Drought Endangers Chinese Winter Wheat Harvest" (21), "U.S. Corn Reserves Hit Lowest Level in 15 Years" (22), "Severe Drought Threatens Millions in Somalia" (23), "Puerto Rican Farmers Warn of Coming Food Shortages" (24), "UK Report Warns of Global Food Shortages, Price Increases" (25), and "Food Shortage Looms In North Queensland" (26).
So what is the scientific community proposing we do about worldwide hunger? The chief scientific adviser to the UK Government, Professor Sir Charles Beddington, has gone on record saying that the solution to feeding the world may be genetically modified crops. "If there are genetically modified (GM) organisms that actually solve problems that we can't solve in other ways, and are shown to be safe from a human health point of view, and safe from an environmental point of view, and they can solve problems we can't solve otherwise, then we should use them," Beddington said. (27) Meanwhile, Dutch scientists are suggesting that we all eat bugs. "There will come a day when a Big Mac costs 120 euros ($163) and a Bug Mac 12 euros, when more people will eat insects than other meat," said head researcher Arnold van Huis. (28) Honestly, I'm not too fond of the solutions that scientists are presenting. Is there a time coming when ordinary meat will be so cost prohibitive to the average family that many people will be forced to eat bugs instead?
Social Distemper And Riots!
In last month's issue of the Last Trumpet, I covered the riot that broke out in Algeria over food prices, unemployment and other problems plaguing the country. Since that time there was also a major protest in Tunisia, which resulted in the ouster of the now former Tunisian president, Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, who fled to Saudi Arabia. (29) It was the success of the mob in Tunisia that inspired the Egyptian people to rise up against their leader, President Hosni Mubarek. There were marches, protests, riots, violence, and all sorts of acts of civil disobedience as the Egyptian people demanded that Mubarek step down. At least three hundred people were killed and over three thousand more injured. (30)
Oddly enough, it was a Google executive known as Wael Ghonim who helped foment the unrest by utilizing Facebook to organize the protests in Egypt. (31) His actions then prompted the Egyptian government to turn off the Internet for several days. There was a time when no one would have believed that executives from a technology company would be stirring up anti-government protests, and I'm sure many never would have believed that Facebook would be the instrument used to get it all started. Times have certainly changed.
Although the Egyptians have suffered under the poor leadership of Mubarek, the government which replaces him could be even worse. The potential for a hard-line Islamic government to rise up in Egypt has delighted Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "The awakening of the Islamic Egyptian people is an Islamic liberation movement and I, in the name of the Iranian government, salute the Egyptian people and the Tunisian people," said Khamenei while addressing Islamic worshippers. (32)
On February 11, 2011, Hosni Mubarek resigned as president of Egypt. It's interesting to note that Mubarek resigned after eighteen days of protests. (33) As many of you know from reading my father's past newsletters, the number eighteen is equivalent to three-sixes in the occult practice of numerology.
Mubarek's resignation has caused a ripple effect throughout the Middle East and inspired numerous other nations to rise up as well. Only God knows for sure what will happen, but the unrest in that area of the world could certainly fit into the Biblical end time scenario. There have been reports of turmoil in Yemen, Bahrain, Libya, and various other countries in that area of the world. As we hear about thousands upon thousands marching in protest, riots breaking out, people being killed, and governments being toppled, it should serve as a reminder that there has never been a more important time to watch and pray.
The Blood Of The Poor Innocents!
On February 18, 2010, the office of an abortionist in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was raided by the FBI and detectives from the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. The warrants were executed to search for evidence of illegal prescription drug activity, but what they actually found was far far worse. Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams described the gruesome details as follows: "Bags and bottles holding aborted fetuses were scattered throughout the building. A row of jars containing severed feet lined a shelf. Furniture and equipment was dusty, broken, [and] urine and blood stained. Untrained, unsupervised workers injected dangerous drugs into women undergoing illegal late-term abortions." Williams went on to say, "In case after case, Dr. Gosnell and his assistants induced labor; forced the live birth of viable babies in the sixth, seventh and eighth month of pregnancy; and then killed those babies by cutting into the back of their necks with scissors and severing their spinal cords." (34)
I cannot even read the news stories regarding Dr. Gosnell without feeling sick to my stomach. Thankfully, this human devil is now facing seven murder charges for the deaths of the innocent babies he killed. Gosnell is unremorseful, however, having issued a statement saying, "I know that I have done my very best to provide the very best care to my patients." (35)
We live in a wicked and depraved society where the government actually sanctions the mass murder of helpless innocent babies. When I hear of all the baby killing happening in America, I cannot help but think of Jeremiah 2:34, which reads, "Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these." Every time a doctor performs an abortion, God sees it. Both the women who request them and the doctors who perform them will have to answer to God someday, and they will be judged harshly.
Some efforts to restrict abortions are being made by conservative politicians. However, Minority Leader of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi has vowed to do everything in her power to stop them. "They're advancing extreme legislation. It's dangerous to women's health, disrespects the judgment of American women - I don't know if they even gave that a thought - and it's the most comprehensive and radical assault on women's health in our lifetime. It's that bad," Pelosi told reporters. (36) Nancy Pelosi may be the most wicked woman in the United States. Any woman who would fight so hard for the modern day equivalent of child sacrifice known as abortion is clearly under the influence of the devil.
Unfortunately, it seems unlikely that abortion will ever be completely stopped in the United States, and as long as it continues, I don't believe God will bless this country. Yes, He will bless those who stand up and oppose it on an individual basis, but the country as a whole is in deep trouble.
Baby killing is not an uniquely American problem. We know that China kills more babies than any other country, and India is quite fond of the practice as well. Meanwhile, abortion is illegal in the country of Pakistan, but infanticide is common and growing worse every year. According to a report by AFP, 1,210 babies were discarded in 2010, 999 in 2009, and 890 in 2008. (37) We are now living in those perilous times which the Apostle Paul spoke of in II Timothy 3. Considering how many parents kill their babies, it has become quite clear than they are "without natural affection."
More Threats Of Terror!
A radical Islamic cleric from Yemen known as Anwar al-Awlaqi has issued a renewed call for Muslims to target Americans. "Both the (US) government and private citizens should be targeted. America and Americans are the imams of kufr (leaders of disbelief) in this day and age. The American people who vote for war-mongering governments are intent on no good. Anyone who inflicts harm on them in any form is doing a favour to the ummah (Islamic nation)," al-Awlaqi said in a recent Islamic magazine article. (38) In response, Michael Leiter, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, has called al-Awlaqi the top security threat for the United States. "I actually consider Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, with Awlaqi as a leader within that organization, probably the most significant risk to the US homeland," Leiter said.
It was also reported in January 2010 that a U.S. Border Patrol Agent found a book celebrating Islamic suicide bombers in the Arizona desert just north of the U.S./Mexican border. The book, which is entitled In Memory Of Our Martyrs, contains biographical sections for various suicide attackers, including their names, date of death, and how they died. This seems to fit with the statement issued in 2005 by FBI director Robert Mueller who said, "There are individuals from countries with known Al Qaeda connections who are changing their Islamic surnames to Hispanic-sounding names and obtaining false Hispanic identities, learning to speak Spanish, and pretending to be Hispanic." (40)
In closing, I know there is so much more that could be said. As we move through time, we are seeing famine, pestilence, earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding, drought, civil unrest, threats of terror, threats of war, and many other indicators of the perilous times we now live in. Even now, Poland is calling for the development of a cashless society within three years, (41) while companies such as the PositiveID corporation continue to create new implantable microchips. (42) When I see all the trouble and strife befalling this world, I find myself longing for that great appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is my sincere hope that this newsletter will not make you fearful, but rather that it will inspire you to draw closer to God. Thank you to all who graciously support this ministry. I deeply appreciate all the kind letters of encouragement, the news articles, and clippings that are sent to us. If you have any prayer requests, we will gladly petition the Almighty on your behalf, and our teams of intercessors will give each request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samuel David Meyer
Acknowledgments
01. State of the Union Address, January 25, 2011, By Barack Obama.
02. Newsweek, April 4, 2009, By Jon Meachem, http://newsweek.com.
03. Factcheck.org, August 28, 2008.
04. State of the Union Address, January 25, 2011, By Barack Obama.
05. Reuters News Service, February 4, 2011, By Reuters.
06. CNNMoney, February 4, 2011, By Annalyn Censky, New York, NY.
07. CNBC, February 4, 2011, By Gennine Kelly, http://cnbc.com.
08. CNBC, December 3, 2010, By Gennine Kelly, http://cnbc.com.
09. Associated Press, January 15, 2011, By Tom Raum, Washington, D.C.
10. Ibid.
11. Department of the Treasury, January 6, 2011, By Timothy F. Geithner, Washington, D.C.
12. Fox News, February 8, 2011, By Karl Rove, http://foxnews.com.
13. Finfacts Ireland Business News, February 10, 2011, By Professor Peter Morici.
14. The Wall Street Journal, January 22, 2011, By Lingling Wei, Chicago, IL.
15. CNBC, December 30, 2010, By Michelle Lodge, http://cnbc.com.
16. Associated Press, January 15, 2011, By Tom Raum, Washington, D.C.
17. Reuters News Service, February 3, 2011, By Svetlana Kovalyova and John Mair, Manila, Philippines, Milan, Italy.
18. Associated Press, January 27, 2011, By Sebastian Abbot, Islamabad, Pakistan.
19. Associated Press, January 31, 2011, By Angus Shaw, Harare, Zimbabwe.
20. BBC News, January 24, 2011, By BBC News, http://bbc.co.uk.
21. Associated Press, February 8, 2011, By Nicole Winfield, Rome, Italy.
22. Associated Press, February 9, 2011, By Associated Press, St. Louis, MO.
23. Associated Press, February 3, 2011, By Associated Press, Garowe, Somalia.
24. Fox News Latino, February 3, 2011, By Fox News Latino, http://latino.foxnews.com.
25. Bloomberg News, January 24, 2011, By Gonzalo Vina, http://bloomberg.com.
26. Brisbane Times, February 4, 2011, By Brisbane Times, http://brisbanetimes.com.au.
27. The Telegraph, January 24, 2011, By The Telegraph, http://telegraph.co.uk.
28. AFP, January 23, 2011, By AFP, http://breitbart.com.
29. The Telegraph, January 15, 2011, By Colin Freeman, http://telegraph.co.uk.
30. The Arabia Times, February 8, 2011, By News Agencies, Cairo, Egypt.
31. Ibid.
32. Reuters News Service, February 4, 2011, By Robin Pomeroy and Ramin Mostafavi, Tehran, Iran.
33. Associated Press, February 11, 2011, By Paul Schemm and Maggie Michael, Cairo, Egypt.
34. AOL News, January 19, 2011, By David Lohr, http://aolnews.com.
35. Ibid.
36. Huffington Post, February 10, 2011, By Amanda Terkel, Washington, D.C.
37. AFP, January 17, 2011, By Hasan Mansoor, Karachi, Pakistan.
38. AFP, January 16, 2011, By AFP, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
39. AFP, February 10, 2011, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
40. Fox News, January 27, 2011, By William La Jeunesse, http://foxnews.com.
41. Warsaw Business Journal, January 18, 2011, http://wbj.pl.
42. Globe Newswire, January 18, 2011, By Globe Newswire, Delray Beach, FL.
Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed at
http://pastormeyer.org.
If you have a comment on this newsletter or would like to suggest future topics, you may send email to
editor@lasttrumpetnewsletter.org
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