Our Only Hope!

Volume XXIX Issue XI November 2010
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/

Our Only Hope!

"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."

Isaiah 41:10

"Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him."

I Thessalonians 5:5-10

"For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works."

Titus 2:11-14

"And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."

Revelation 22:17

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again examine the condition of this present world that we live in during these last days before our Lord's second coming. As I prayed and researched the source material for this newsletter, I came across many news stories which left people with ample reasons to feel hopeless. Sin abounds all the time, bad things are happening every day, and if you're really watching the news, the world just seems to become harsher, darker, and bleaker. What is this world coming to? Is there any hope left?

When I think back to the days before Obama's presidency, I remember his campaign in which he touted himself as the great hope of the United States. He spoke at rallies before thousands, and his supporters cheered him on as they waved posters of Obama's likeness, plastered with the word "HOPE." Barack Obama fully embraced and relished his newfound messianic persona while he gave speeches with bold promises to "heal" and "change" America. It was a great and grievous sin before the Lord to see the people en masse put their hope and trust in a man instead of Almighty God. Well folks, we can see now how well that worked out for the United States and her citizens.

Many Americans are now greatly disappointed with their president. We've seen large rallies by groups such as the Tea Party protesting his policies. And while politically moderate and independent voters aren't staging rallies for the most part, many feel let down and betrayed by Barack Obama. The disappointment extends even to people you wouldn't expect to be discouraged, such as the staunchest of liberals who are expressing displeasure in his performance over the last two years. Here let it be noted that even Shepard Fairey, the artist who designed the iconic "HOPE" poster, has expressed frustration with the president. In an interview with the National Journal he stated, "Looking at Obama's standpoint on various policies, it was like, 'Why throw all these particular projectiles over the wall... when I could put all those things in one projectile that I could hurl over the wall?' Obama was the delivery device in theory. Now, I realize that he maybe is not the correct delivery device, and I'll just deal with those issues separately." (1)

It is complete folly to put your hope and trust in a man. It is especially unwise to put your hope in a politician when so many of them have proven themselves to be deceitful liars. Sure, there are some honest politicians out there really trying to do something good. However, they are few and far between, and they usually don't have enough influence to accomplish a whole lot in the big scheme of things. For the most part the political arena is driven by a lust for power and greed.

If you really want to experience a "change you can believe in," reach out to God, draw nigh to Him, and He will draw nigh unto you. Ask the Lord Jesus Christ into your heart, repent of your sins, and live your life based on sound and moral principles as laid out in the Holy Bible. God is our only hope!

A Depressing Economy!

By now most of us have heard the claims from President Obama and the Federal Reserve that the recession is over, and we are now in a period of recovery. Yet, a "recovery" is of little help if Americans still can't find work. In September there was a net loss of 95,000 jobs in the United States, and the official unemployment rate is 9.6%. (2) However, the official unemployment rate does not account for people who had been looking for a job but gave up their searches because they couldn't find one. When we consider that group, the unemployment percentage is much higher. Furthermore, many people who do have jobs were forced into low-paying, part-time work and are therefore underemployed. A Gallup Poll from October 7, 2010, indicates that the underemployed rate was 18.8% in September. (3) A panel of forty-six economists surveyed by the National Association of Business Economics expect only a miniscule improvement throughout 2011 with an estimated rate of growth at 2.6% and an unemployment rate that won't fall below 9.2%. (4)

Barack Obama is now proposing we spend $50 billion to improve our transportation infrastructure. In an article from the Associated Press, he's quoted as saying, "There's no reason why we can't do this. There's no reason why the world's best infrastructure should lie beyond our borders. This is America. We've always had the best infrastructure ... all we need is the political will." (5) As a person who has taken long road trips throughout the United States, I can attest that improvement to our transportation infrastructure is indeed a worthy cause. However, I seem to recall that a portion of Obama's earlier mammoth stimulus package was earmarked to do the same thing. Politicians certainly like to toss around billions of dollars. They'll spend a few billion here or there while acting like the money comes from their own personal treasure chest. Yet all of those billions are either extracted from the taxpayers or borrowed from other countries.

While China's manufacturing sector continues to boom and the trade deficit with them increases exponentially every month, the United States continues to shed factory jobs. Since 2001 America has lost 42,400 factories. (6) In 2009 the number of people working in the manufacturing sector dropped below twelve million for the first time since 1941. (7) With the massive loss of factory jobs to China and the massive loss of technology jobs to India, it's no surprise that unemployment is so high in the United States. Unfortunately, these are jobs that will likely never be regained since global corporations would rather pay much lower wages in other countries. Yet, it's very difficult for a country to be prosperous without maintaining a strong manufacturing base. Without factory jobs, it confines more of the workforce to the service and retail sectors, which are generally lower paying than a good manufacturing position.

Meanwhile, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke delivered a speech on October 4, 2010, and warned that the United States' economy is facing some very real and serious threats. Bernanke stated, "The threat to our economy is real and growing. The sooner a plan is established, the longer affected individuals will have to prepare for the necessary changes." (8) Of course, the "necessary changes" Bernanke is alluding to in the speech are cuts in Social Security benefits and Medicare, as well as an increase in taxes. In fact, the government has already announced that there won't be any cost of living adjustments in Social Security benefits in 2011 for the second year in a row. (9)

These days, Americans are being more cautious and saving more money than they had in recent years. Traditionally, saving money is viewed as a positive thing, right? Well, the Federal Reserve doesn't seem to think so and they want to put a stop to it! Yes, Fed officials are dismayed that Americans are choosing to save money or pay down debt. Federal Reserve officials William Dudley of New York and Charles Evans of Chicago, both suggested that intentionally raising the rate of inflation could be an option. (10) Their logic is that if they raise the rate of inflation, it will wipe out any value Americans get from saving their money, and they'll go spend it and thus stimulate the economy.

As I consider these trying times, I can't help but think of the stories my father used to tell me about how my grandfather endured the Great Depression. I recall stories of long work days for very little pay, soup kitchens, and breadlines as people endured the most difficult economic climate in America's short history. Now, the news media calls our recent struggles the Great Recession. Even though they claim the recession is over, Americans continue to struggle for survival. A June 2010 study by Pew Research Center indicates that 55% of Americans have experienced some sort of work-related hardship, such as unemployment, a cut in pay, a reduction in hours, or an involuntary move to part time work. (11) The Associated Press reported in September that one out of every seven Americans now lives in poverty. This amounts to 14.3 of the U.S. population, or 43.6 million people. (12)

Clearly, many of us have struggled financially. But whatever your problems may be, whatever you and your family may lack, God can provide for all your needs. I encourage everyone to cry out to God. He hears every prayer, and He has promised us that we will never be forsaken. He is a miracle worker. He can turn a little into plenty and provide resources where you'd least expect them.

The Increase Of Knowledge In The Last Days!

As Satan continues to inspire men to bring about a global one world government, we are seeing a continual increase in technology and knowledge from some of the biggest companies in the world. Two companies that have especially stood out in recent years are Google and Apple. Apple is on a roll; every product they release seems to sell well, and they have survived incidents that should have been public relations disasters. Apple almost seems unstoppable.

If you look at the Apple logo, which is an apple with a bite mark, it seems to be referencing from the book of Genesis, indicating Eve taking a bite from the forbidden fruit. It's also interesting to note that when Apple began selling its "Apple 1" computer in 1976, the retail price was $666.66. (13) Of course, Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak claims that he was not aware of the significance of the number but instead claimed that he just happens to like triple digits. Even if Wozniak is telling the truth, that doesn't mean that he and Steve Jobs weren't directly inspired by Satan without realizing it.

Today Apple has a following which behave in an almost cult-like religious manner. There are people who will zealously defend their Apple products regardless of any flaws they may have. They diligently go out and try to proselytize to others and attempt to get them to join the Apple fold. They'll even stand in line for hours or even days as the release date of a new Apple product approaches. There's nothing wrong with using Apple products. As far as a company goes, they are probably no better or worse than the others. Yet, the way some people go gaga over Apple's technology almost seems spirit-driven.

When we closely examine Apple's behavior, it seems likely that they are attempting to set themselves up as one of the main technology providers for the forthcoming one-world beast government system. We need to remember that such a system would require the masses to be tracked and controlled with technology, thus making it imperative for everyone to be online all the time no matter where they go. Through the use of the iPod Touch, iPhone, and the iPad, Apple is helping to further this important goal.

Here let it be noted that Visa has recently rolled out a new pilot program which allows passengers to pay for their mass-transit fares with their iPhones, in New York and New Jersey. (14) In addition to that, Apple has filed a patent for a radio-frequency identification (RFID) transponder, which can be used as both an RFID tag and a reader within their iPhones. (And presumably their other portable electronics.) (15) Most experts familiar with the information believe that Apple will use this RFID technology to allow users to perform cashless transactions to pay for goods and services.

As for Google, they've grown from a small search company in the late 1990's into a behemoth global corporation dabbling in all sorts of things. They are, of course, known as a search engine company. However, lately they've also taken an interest in odd things, such as cars that drive themselves. Yes, that is correct. Google has been testing automobiles that steer, stop, and start without a human driver. The cars have traveled 140,000 miles on California roads, reportedly without much human interaction. (16) On the surface it may seem like a neat idea, but if your car is being controlled by a computer and that computer is being controlled by Google, then your transportation is, in effect, being controlled by Google. Theoretically, they would be able to track you wherever you go or even intervene to make you stop or travel to a location you hadn't intended.

Google has a history of drawing the ire of privacy advocates. In December of 2009, Google CEO Eric Schmidt told CNBC, "If you have something that you don't want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn't be doing it in the first place." He further went on to say, "If you really need that kind of privacy, the reality is that search engines - including Google - do retain this information for some time and it's important, for example, that we are all subject in the United States to the Patriot Act and it is possible that all that information could be made available to the authorities." (17) Schmidt also stated in a much more recent interview, "With your permission you give us more information about you, about your friends, and we can improve the quality of our searches. We don't need you to type at all. We know where you are. We know where you've been. We can more or less know what you're thinking about." (18)

Radio Frequency Identification technology is nothing new and is already being used for several different purposes. The technology seems to be growing more common every month. RFID Journal reported on October 6, 2010, that all new national German ID cards will feature a RFID chip. (19) They claim one of the major reasons for doing so is to make online transactions easier and safer. Two school districts in Texas have added RFID chips to their student IDs to enable them to track their students wherever they go within school grounds. According to eleven year-old student, Jacorey Jackson, "It feels like someone is watching you at all times." (20) The chips are also available as implants about the size of a grain of rice. In fact, a man named Amal Graafstra intentionally had each of his hands implanted with a RFID chip so that he can open doors without keys or start his car with the wave of a hand. (21)

I strongly suspect that much of what we are seeing in the realm of technology is a precursor to the rise of a one-world antichrist government, which will demand that we all receive a chip in our right hand or forehead if we want to buy or sell. The technology to make it all happen already exists.

The Proliferation Of "That Which Is Unseemly!"

It is not popular to teach the entire Bible message these days. In fact, if you do so, you will likely be labeled a bigot or a homophobe even by some who claim to be Christians. However, as true Christians, we're obligated to take on the whole counsel of God regardless of whom it offends.

The Bible plainly states that homosexuality is wrong. Yet many people have tried to explain away the Scriptures, claiming that the intent was misunderstood or that the verses in the Bible were mistranslated. But as Christians we don't get to just pick and choose which portions of the Bible we want to believe. It's all or nothing.

Perhaps it might be beneficial if we stop and take a moment to consider why God does not approve of homosexuality. The Bible refers to it as "unnatural" and "unseemly" because it circumvents God's perfect plan and system for mankind. Imagine you're an electrician who is contracted to install the electrical system in a brand new house that is being constructed. You do a beautiful and flawless job, everything works perfectly, and you even feel a little proud of your work. Then the owners move into their new home, and much to your dismay, instead of using the electrical outlets you provided, they smash a hole in the wall and try to splice in their electronics wherever they can make them fit. Would you not feel a little offended?

Those who tell homosexuals that what they're doing is okay are actually doing a great disservice to them. They may think they're being nice and supportive, but in reality they're enabling behavior that will put people in hell. The most loving and kind thing you can do is to tell them they need to repent.

You have probably heard many homosexuals make the claim that they're not hurting anyone. Well, as it turns out, many of them are hurting themselves and others often without even knowing it. The Associated Press reported in September 2010 that one in five sexually active gay and bisexual men have the AIDS virus. Additionally, researchers tested and interviewed 8,000 homosexual men and discovered that 44% of those who had the virus weren't aware that they had it. (22) Sin is deadly.

Mainstream Witchcraft!

October is always an especially busy month for witches. It is, after all, the month of one of their favorite sabats known as Samhain, or Halloween to the common people. Therefore it's not at all surprising that Britain has announced that druidry is now an officially recognized religion. Druidry is a Celtic pagan form of witchcraft, dating back thousands of years. Now, as an official religion in Britain, the druids will now be granted the same tax breaks and other benefits that other mainstream religions enjoy. (23)

Halloween is no joke and Christians should not participate in it in any way, shape, or form. Sadly, many organizations and religious leaders seek ways to tone it down and compromise, yet still participating in the witches' sabat. This includes Catholic bishops in England who are recommending that instead of abstaining from Halloween, children should dress up as saints and carve happy faces in pumpkins rather than scary or menacing faces. (24) Halloween is a pagan celebration. You cannot Christianize it.

Another interesting development in the realm of witchcraft is the possibility that JK Rowling may write more Harry Potter books. Rowling appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show on October 1, 2010, and stated, "I could definitely write an eighth, ninth, tenth. I'm not going to say I won't. I don't think I will... I feel I am done, but you never know." (25) Let's hope and pray she doesn't write more books. This world definitely doesn't need more Harry Potter. Incidentally, JK Rowling was recently named the most influential woman in the United Kingdom. (26)

A Shrinking Food And Water Supply!

It has not been a good year for the food supply in the United States. We have had extensive, far-reaching recalls as numerous people fell ill from consuming contaminated food. Since that time, CNBC has reported a sharp rise in the cost of grains and corn due to what they called a "bleak harvest." (27) The price of corn has increased a whopping 20% this year according to a CBS Money Watch report. (28) The report also reveals that the problems extend even beyond the United States, and it claims "Weather conditions have been all wrong for this year's harvest." There were droughts in Brazil and Russia while Canada and Europe had heavy rains. (29) These shortages will not only affect products that use corn and other grains that are in short supply, but it will also affect the supply of meat as well. Bloomberg News reported on October 11, 2010, that the U.S. cattle herd is the smallest that is has been since 1973. The report also claims that the number of breeding hogs was near its lowest ever in September 2010. (30)

On October 8, 2010, Newsweek published an insightful article on the state of the world's water supply. Apparently, there are vast regions in the world which do not have adequate access to fresh drinking water. Now private companies are moving to exploit the largest water supplies in the world and have it transferred to needier regions, using the same tankers normally reserved for oil. In fact, Blue Lake in Sitka, Alaska, reportedly holds trillions of gallons of water so pure it doesn't even need to be treated. A company called True Alaska Bottling has partnered with a company called S2C Global, which is building a water-processing facility in India. True Alaska plans to transfer three billion gallons of water from Sitka, Alaska, to India where it would be further distributed. (31)

According to Goldman Sachs estimates, they predict global water consumption will double every twenty years. The United Nations claims that demand for water will exceed available supply by the year 2040. (32) Water is the most precious substance on earth. Indeed, it does not matter how much gold, silver, money, or wealth you have if you do not have any water. However, as the experts and analysts panic over a shrinking world water supply, we can take comfort in the fact that we serve a mighty God. It is no hard thing for Him to send rain and provide life-sustaining water to His people.

The Continued Threat Of Terror!

These days, the populations of the western world are so sensitive to terrorism that simply making a threat is enough to cause widespread panic. Last month a bomb threat at the Eiffel Tower was called in to French authorities, which resulted in the evacuation of the famous landmark. (33) This threat came around the same time that much of Europe was warned of possible terror attacks. In the end, no attacks occurred, but the United States had issued travel warnings to U.S. citizens just to be on the safe side. On October 9, 2010, AFP reported that Al-Qaeda views the panic caused by the threats as a victory. Alain Chouet, former head of security information at the French General Directorate for External Security, stated, "Al-Qaeda does not even have to do anything, all it needs is a prisoner somewhere to stir things up." (34)

Meanwhile, In Seattle, Washington, the FBI has urged a cartoonist, formerly known as Molly Norris, to go into hiding after she published an illustration entitled "Everybody Draw Mohammed Day." Anwar al-Awlaki, a Muslim cleric with ties to Al-Qaeda, listed Norris as a "prime target" on a website over the summer. (35) We hear stories such as this one with an ever-growing frequency, and yet people still want to claim that Islam is a "religion of peace."

A Planet Pummeled By Disasters!

The world has suffered a devastating loss of life from natural disasters this year. There were massive deadly earthquakes and more reports of flooding than I could count. According to the United Nations, there were 235 natural disasters from January through September 2010. These disasters claimed the lives of more than 236,000 people and affected 256 million more. (36) The earth continues to shake and quake every day and sometimes in places you wouldn't expect the shaking. For example, there has been an unusual increase in the amount of earthquakes in Oklahoma, and on October 14, 2010, a quake measuring between 4.3 and 5.1 in magnitude struck near the city of Norman. (37) The earthquake was also felt in parts of Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, and Texas. (38) We need to remember that the Bible tells us in Matthew 24:7, Mark 13:8, and Luke 21:11 that there will be earthquakes in divers places in the last days. Those Scriptures never rang more true, and we will likely see more and more quakes right up until the time of our Lord's return.

In closing, I want to encourage all of you to seek the Lord as we endure the challenges of our world today. Many people are pessimistic and unhappy, and when we look at the events happening around us, it's easy to understand why. In fact, a Bloomberg National Poll, conducted from October 7-10, 2010, found 50% of the respondents were pessimistic. One respondent said, "I see some hope, but not a lot. There are some avenues to improve yourself but we need more." (39) Folks, the best things you can do to improve yourselves are to pray, study your Bible, and expand your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Don't let this world bring you down, but rather let the Lord raise you up. God truly is our only hope.

Thank you to all who support this ministry. If you have any prayer requests, you are welcomed and encouraged to send them to us. Each request will be given individual attention by our teams of intercessors. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements
01. National Journal, September 24, 2010, by Aamer Madhani.
02. Associated Press, October 8, 2010, by Jeanine Aversa and Christopher S. Rugaber, Washington, D.C.
03. Gallup, October 7, 2010, by Dennis Jacobe, Princeton, NJ.
04. Associated Press, October 11, 2010, by Daniel Wagner, Washington, D.C.
05. Associated Press, October 11, 2010, by Associated Press, Washington, D.C.
06. The American Prospect, December 21, 2009, by Richard McCormack. http://prospect.org.
07. Ibid.
08. Associated Press, October 4, 2010, by Jeanine Aversa, Providence, RI.
09. Associated Press, October 10, 2010, by Stephen Ohlemacher, Washington D.C.
10. The Wall Street Journal, October 7, 2010, by Sudeep Reddy, New York, NY.
11. Pew Research Center, June 30, 2010, by Pew Research Center, http://pewsocialtrends.org.
12. Associated Press, September 16, 2010, by Hope Yen, Washington, D.C.
13. Myoldmac.net, http://myoldmac.net/FAQ/Apple1-priced$666.66-Why-Woz-Answers.htm.
14. Mashable, September 22, 2010, by Christina Warren, http://mashable.com.
15. Ubergizmo, October 5, 2010, http://ubergizmo.com.
16. Associated Press, October 10, 2010, by Daniel Wagner, Washington, D.C.
17. The Register, December 7, 2009, by Cade Metz, San Francisco, CA.
18. The Atlantic, October 1, 2010, by Derek Thompson, http://theatlantic.com.
19. RFID Journal, October 6, 2010, by Rhea Wessel, http://rfijournal.com.
20. Houston Chronicle, October 11, 2010, by Jennifer Radcliffe, Houston, TX.
21. Fox News, May 14, 2010, by Gene J. Koprowski, http://foxnews.com.
22. Associated Press, September 23, 2010, by Mike Stobbe, Atlanta, GA.
23. AFP, October 2, 2010, by AFP, London, UK.
24. Catholic Herald, October 13, 2010, by Simon Caldwell, http://catholicherald.co.uk.
25. Contra Costa Times, October 1, 2010, by Randy McMullen, http://mercurynews.com.
26. The Mirror, October 11, 2010, by The Mirror, http://mirror.co.uk.
27. CNBC, October 8, 2010, by Reuters News Service, http://cnbc.com/id/39576384.
28. CBS Money Watch, October 11, 2010, by John Keefe, http://moneywatch.bnet.com.
29. Ibid.
30. Bloomberg News, October 11, 2010, by Whitney McFerron and Elizabeth Campbell, http://bloomberg.com.
31. Newsweek, October 8, 2010, by Jeneen Interlandi, http://newsweek.com.
32. Ibid.
33. Associated Press, September 28, 2010, by Paisley Dodds, London, UK.
34. AFP, October 9, 2010, by Michael Moutot, Paris, France.
35. Reuters News Service, September 16, 2010, by Bill Rigby, Seattle, WA.
36. Reuters News Service, October 13, 2010, by Jonathan Lynn, Geneva, Switzerland.
37. Ada Evening News, October 14, 2010, by Randy Mitchell, Norman, OK.
38. Seer Press, October 14, 2010, by David John Walker, http://seerpress.com.
39. Bloomberg News, October 13, 2010, by Rich Miller, Washington, D.C.

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.