Signs Of Our Coming Saviour And The End Of Time!

Volume XXX Issue XII December 2011
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org/

Signs Of Our Coming Saviour And The End Of Time!

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day."

Genesis 1:1-5

"And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Acts 2:19-21

"And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."

Revelation 10:5-7

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will thoughtfully consider the events of this present time as we move ever closer to the great and notable day of our Lord's return. From the moment our Almighty God summoned his creative power and first spoke the universe into existence, mankind has been on a journey through millenniums, centuries, decades, and years. As a method to track our existence, God gave us a marked off piece of eternity known as time. With the year of 2011 coming to a conclusion, we are drawing closer and closer to that beautiful last day which we are told of in Revelation 10 when "there should be time no longer."

This truly has been an amazing year. We have seen signs in the heavens, earthquakes, pestilences, record-breaking weather, an increase in knowledge, a prevalent spirit of blasphemy, wars, rumors of wars, unrest, riots, and social distemper around the globe. The signs of our coming King and Saviour are all around us, and while the majority of the world's population will continue to scoff at our beliefs, we, the children of God, know in our hearts through faith that Jesus is coming soon.

Although Christians are often criticized for believing in the Biblical doctrine of the end of days and the eventual destruction of the planet earth, many scientists also believe the world will be destroyed someday. What they cannot agree on is how and when it will happen. Some hypothesize that global warming or nuclear war will destroy the planet. Others say that the end of the world as we know it will occur when the sun burns out billions of years from now. Yet, there are others who do not push the world's demise off to such an extreme distance. According to an April 2011 report, two leading astronomers from Scotland, Lord Martin Rees and Professor John Brown, believe there is a fifty percent chance that the world could end within ninety years. (1)

One potential threat that the astronomers spoke of is an asteroid colliding with the earth. It is interesting to note that our planet had at least two close calls with asteroids this year. On June 27, 2011, an asteroid, which has now been dubbed 2011 MD, passed within 7,430 miles of the earth's surface or 32 times closer than the distance of the moon. (2) Another asteroid, known as 2005 YU55, passed within 202,000 miles of the earth's surface on November 8, 2011. If 2005 YU55 had struck the earth, experts believe it would have caused a 4,000-megaton blast and a 7.0-magnitude earthquake. If it had landed in the ocean, it could have formed a 70 foot tsunami. (3) It is believed that this particular asteroid will pose no threat to earth for at least one hundred years. However, they project a similar asteroid will pass by the planet in 2028. (4)

Despite the fact that scientists usually push doomsday scenarios way off into the future, their predictions present a dark, cold, and hopeless end to the human race. As Christians, we know this world will not be around forever, but we also understand that God is going to give us "a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness." If we will fully embrace His promises and put our trust in Him, we have nothing to fear. If you have not yet fully given your heart to God, I encourage you to do so now.

A Rapid Spiritual Reorientation In America!

In I Timothy 4:1, the Apostle Paul warns, "Now the spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils." We are now living in a time when Christian churches are being infected with false doctrines and apostasy. Meanwhile, a militant and vocal faction of atheists are rising up to attack the faith of God's people. Paganism is also on the rise and becoming more and more widespread.

A notable example of unclean religion in America today is the Ebenezer Lutheran Church in San Francisco, California. On November 11-13, 2011, this so-called "Christian" church held its fifth annual "Faith and Feminism Conference." The services featured meditations led by a pagan priestess, known as Lorean Vigne, who embraces the Egyptian goddess Isis. Explaining her beliefs, Ms. Vigne stated, "I personally see Isis as Mother Nature, and that she encompasses everything with her wings. She's a winged goddess. She encompasses any other goddess from any culture." (5) Earth worship is the central theme of paganism. The Apostle Paul addressed this directly in Romans 1:25, when he wrote of those who "changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator." There is something seriously wrong with any church that would allow a pagan priestess to perform her rituals at their services.

My father warned us for years that paganism and witchcraft had infiltrated the churches and that the false religions of paganism, such as Wicca and druidism, were growing at an astonishing pace. According to Michael York, a religious scholar from Bath Spa University in the United Kingdom, paganism is "one of the fastest growing religions in the world." (6) Thomas Horn, author of the book God's Ghostbusters, also claims that paganism is on the rise. "In the United States alone, there are now more than two hundred thousand registered witches and as many as eight million unregistered practitioners of 'the craft,'" Horn said. (7) Ed Hubbard, co-founder of the online website, Witch School, stated, "There is such a rapid spiritual reorientation in America occurring that the need for thousands of Wiccan teachers over the course of the next decade will be required to meet the demand for basic teachings. Because of Wicca's liberating beliefs and useful skills, people want to understand and embrace it and learn how to awaken their inner abilities." (8) The number of pagan practitioners in the United States is reportedly doubling every thirty months. According to a 2009 article published in the Digital Journal, paganism is on pace to become the third largest religion in America in 2012. (9)

The United States Of Sodom!

Although supporters of "gay marriage" often claim that Jesus never spoke of homosexuality, He did specifically state in Matthew 19:6-8, "But from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife; And they twain shall be one flesh: so then they are no more twain, but one flesh." There is no mention of a woman cleaving to another woman or a man being one flesh with another man. Jesus did, however, warn us in Luke 17 that the last days would be similar to the conditions of the city of Sodom in the days of Lot where homosexuality was widespread. Thus, the growing support we are now seeing for the homosexual movement is actually a confirmation of Biblical prophecy and another sign that we are living in the end times.

In 1973, studies indicated that 70 percent of the American people felt that homosexuality was "always wrong." However, by the year 2010, only 44 percent of Americans surveyed held that same belief. The younger generation has been shown to be far more supportive with only 26 percent of those surveyed under the age of thirty stating that homosexuality was "always wrong." Conversely, the poll found that 63 percent of participants over the age of seventy believed it is wrong to be a homosexual. (10)

Young people have been indoctrinated for years at public schools to accept homosexuality. The lifestyle is also portrayed positively in popular culture through music, movies, and television. One such example is the 2008 hit song by Katy Perry entitled "I Kissed a Girl." In the song, Ms. Perry repeatedly proclaims, "I kissed a girl and I liked it." To date, the song is the 10th best selling single of the 21st century, and it has sold over 4,131,000 copies in the United States. The song was even nominated for a Nickelodeon 2009 Kids' Choice Award. (11)

The homosexual agenda has also continued to rapidly seep into the churches. In October 2011, fifty-six year-old Scott Anderson became the first ever homosexual man to be ordained as a Presbyterian minister. Speaking at his ordination ceremony in Madison, Wisconsin, Anderson said, "To the thousands of Presbyterians who have worked and prayed for almost 40 years for this day, I give thanks. And I give thanks for those who disagree with what we're doing today yet know that we are one in Jesus Christ." The audience in the packed out church gave the man a standing ovation, prompting Elder Doug Poland to say, "That was very atypical of Presbyterians. Usually our hands are in our laps." (12)

Many Methodist ministers have also proclaimed their support for homosexuality with more than one thousand of them pledging to support same-sex marriages. However, the Council of Bishops for the denomination was not pleased with this development. In November 2011 they issued a statement reaffirming the religious group's ban on gay marriages. (13)

In the coming years, Christians, especially young Christians, are going to face an enormous amount of pressure to condone the homosexual lifestyle. We are already close to the tipping point wherein more people support the lifestyle than those who do not. I urge everyone reading this newsletter to hold fast to your Bible-based convictions.

A Spirit Of Defiance In America!

Since December 2010 much of the world has been swept up in a spirit of revolution. In countries such as Tunisia and Egypt, entire government regimes have been toppled. In recent months we have been warned that protests and riots could reach the United States as the people seethe with anger over high unemployment and a disparity in the distribution of wealth. On September 17, 2011, a new movement, known as Occupy Wall Street, began in New York City. The movement has been in full-swing for over two months now, and what I have learned about these protests and the other related protests in places around the United States and the world is quite alarming.

If you visit the official website of the Occupy Wall Street movement, you will be greeted with their logo of a clenched fist. The clenched fist has long been a symbol of socialism and communism, and it is sometimes referred to as the "red salute." Underneath the fist are the words, "The revolution continues worldwide." According to a reporter who went to visit the protest site in New York City first hand, the camp, which had been established at Zucotti Park, featured banners and posters of revolutionaries such as Karl Marx, Vladimir Lenin, Chairman Mao, and Che Guevara. (14) It has become increasingly clear that this group is hell-bent on toppling capitalism in the United States and replacing it with a socialist system.

In the last issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, I mentioned some of the groups, such as the Communist Party USA and the American Nazi Party, who have expressed support for Occupy Wall Street. Since that time, the list of supporters has grown to include even more radical and subversive groups. Amongst them are the Revolutionary Communist Party, the Black Panthers, Socialist Party USA, International Bolshevik Tendency, International Socialist Organization, Marxist Student Union, Party for Socialism and Liberation, White Revolution, the terrorist group Hezbollah, and many others. (15)

The Occupy Wall Street movement consists of a mixed multitude. In fact, according to their website, they are a "leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions." Further describing themselves, they state, "The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%." (16) What their actual demands and goals are is unclear, because it seems that each member has his own unique set of demands and goals. It is worthwhile to note that despite billing themselves as a "non-violent" movement, 31 percent of protestors who were surveyed stated they would support violence to "advance their agenda" according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. (17)

The movement has already sparked violence in many places. There are numerous reports of sexual assault at Occupy encampments around the country, including Occupy Philadelphia, Occupy Dallas, Occupy Cleveland, Occupy Baltimore, and the original protest site of the Occupy Wall Street camp at Zucotti Park in Manhattan. (18) As of this writing, many of the camps have now been shut down by the police, and throughout the United States, over 4,000 arrests have been made since the movement began. (19)

On November 17, 2011, Occupy Wall Street staged its "day of action." On this day, approximately 30,000 protestors descended upon New York City and attempted to disrupt the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street. (20) Protestors made an effort to block workers from reaching their jobs in the area by forming human chains and yelling, "Wall Street's closed!" Some workers were forced to charge their way through the protestors who were determined to stop them. The ensuing chaos prompted one woman to say, "This is horrible. I'm waiting for the tanks to come rolling in." (21)

If the Occupy Movement should fail to die out, we might actually see tanks rolling down the streets of American cities. Authorities have already shown a propensity to respond harshly to civil disobedience. Only God knows for sure what will happen, but if this movement continues to grow, we may soon see martial law in the United States. We need God's protection now more than ever, and I pray that He will protect all of his children throughout these tumultuous times.

The Growing Threat Of Gang Violence!

While the many protests occurring around the United States could potentially break out into massive demonstrations of violence at any time, another issue is already plaguing the nation. There are now an estimated 1.4 million gang members in America, which is a 40 percent increase since 2009. An FBI report has now surfaced indicating that gang members have infiltrated every branch of the U.S. military. According to the report, "Through transfers and deployments, military-affiliated gang members expand their culture and operations to new regions nationwide and worldwide, undermining security and law enforcement efforts to combat crime. Gang members with military training pose a unique threat to law enforcement personnel because of their distinctive weapons and combat training skills and their ability to transfer these skills to fellow gang members." (22)

Sadly, gang violence is on the rise nationwide. On November 4, 2011, CBS News reported that bus drivers in Detroit, Michigan, were refusing to drive their buses after one of the drivers was senselessly attacked by a group of teenagers the previous day. "Our drivers are scared, they're scared for their lives. This has been an ongoing situation about security. I think yesterday kind of just topped it off, when one of my drivers was beat up by some teenagers down in the middle of Rosa Parks and it took the police almost thirty minutes to get there, in downtown Detroit," said Henry Gaffney, spokesperson for the bus drivers' union. (23)

In Denver, Colorado, police have warned citizens to exercise caution while visiting the downtown area at night because there have been sixteen assaults since August 1, 2011, perpetrated by groups of young people in their teens and early twenties. "If you can, avoid confrontation at all costs. You don't know what's going to happen. And contact police," said Denver Police Detective John White. (24)

Another disturbing trend is an attack on elderly people by gangs for sport. A video recently surfaced which showed an elderly man waiting to catch a train in Chicago. A young man approached the older man while his friends were laughing and cheering him on. The young man then punched the elderly man and knocked him out cold, much to the delight of his cohorts. (25) A similar incident occurred in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when 84 year-old Jim Shea was brutally attacked by a gang of young thugs as he was out taking a walk. After hitting him with in the back of the head, the assailants continued to beat him for several minutes. "There was only one I really saw well because he came back to kick me. The others spent a great deal of time laughing," said Mr. Shea as he described the attack. He further went on to say, "I think it was just to get the old geezer. They were some bad kids with rancid souls." (26)

More Threats Of War!

In November 2011 the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA, issued a report indicating that they believe Iran has been working on the development of nuclear weapons. (27) In response to the report, Barack Obama has threatened to enact more sanctions against Iran. However, the nations of China and Russia have opposed such measures. "Any additional sanctions against Iran will be interpreted by the international community as a means of changing the regime in Tehran. This approach is unacceptable to us, and Russia does intend to review this proposal," stated Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov of Russia. Hong Lei, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry in China, was quoted by AFP as saying that sanctions "cannot fundamentally solve the Iran issue." (28)

The sanctions already in place against Iran have proven to be more ineffective than world leaders had hoped partly because nations, such as China, do not strictly enforce them. "The Chinese-Iranian relationship has, in fact, been deepening over the last few years. The Chinese government not only dilutes the sanctions in the United Nations Security Council by sort of providing Iran with diplomatic cover, but it doesn't enforce the sanctions it even does agree to in the Security Council," said Michael Singh, a former senior director for Middle East affairs at the National Security Council. (29) Mr. Singh also claims that China has been assisting Iran with its nuclear program. "Chinese companies have been found supplying Iran with critical parts like carbon fiber, for example, for its centrifuges. In addition, China has been involved in Iran's ballistic missile program -- which remember, is part of a nuclear weapons program according to the IAEA reports," Singh said. (30) It is worthwhile to note that China is the largest supplier of arms to Iran. China also built a missile plant in Iran last year. (31)

With tensions mounting between Israel and Iran, it seems as though the Middle East is now a powder keg waiting to explode. In the wake of the controversy surrounding the IAEA report, rumors are now swirling that Israel may attack Iran before the end of the year. (32) Regarding the possibility of an attack against Iran, Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu stated, "We will make every effort to recruit the international community. Nonetheless, Israel would like to make clear that all options are on the table." Other Israeli politicians, such as Zevulun Orlev, spoke in support of an attack against Iran. "The state of Israel cannot allow itself to live under a nuclear threat from a state whose leaders declare openly that they plan to destroy us," Orlev stated. Commenting further, Orlev said, "If the world does not act, we cannot sit with our hands folded. However, we cannot talk about how to attack, because if the State of Israel reaches the conclusion that it will do what it will do, no one needs to know about it." (33)

In response to the possibility that Israel may launch an attack against Iran, U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned there may be "unexpected consequences." "To go beyond (sanctions and diplomacy) raises our concerns about the unintended consequences that could result. ... There are going to be economic consequences to that, that could impact not just our economy but the world economy," Panetta said. (34) Meanwhile, Iran has responded to the threats by claiming they have 30,000 trained Syrian and Palestinian men waiting to infiltrate Israel and carry out suicide missions. (35) Iran has also been running military exercises designed to improve its ability to protect its airspace and nuclear facilities. (36)

2011 - A Disastrous Year!

The year of 2011 continues to be an active year for earthquakes, even as it draws to a close. Recent significant quakes include a 6.0-magnitude quake in New Zealand on November 18, a 6.3-magnitude quake in Indonesia on November 14, a 5.6-magnitude quake in Turkey on November 9, a 6.9-magnitude quake in Japan on November 8, a 5.5-magnitude quake in Afghanistan on November 7, and a 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Oklahoma on November 6, which was the most powerful temblor ever recorded in the state. (37) Sadly, nearly 17,000 people have lost their lives due to earthquakes so far this year. (38)

From the swarm of tornadoes that struck earlier in the spring to the endless drought in the southern regions and the costly cleanup of Hurricane Irene, the United States was greatly battered and beaten by disasters in 2011. In fact, Barack Obama has declared disasters eighty-nine times as of late October. This is a new record. (39) The disasters have also been the costliest on record, with events that exceeded a billion dollars in damages occurring fourteen times so far this year. (40)

One state that has been hit particularly hard this year is Oklahoma. "Since January, we've been setting records. People are just kind of amazed and shocked," said Rick Smith, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service. In the early months of the year, they experienced their coldest temperature ever at 31 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. The state also set a new record for the most snow in a 24-hour period at 27 inches and recorded a hailstone six inches in diameter. As mentioned earlier, the earthquake of November 6 was the most powerful ever recorded in state history, and it was just one of thirty-two earthquakes that struck in a single week. When an Oklahoma City television station asked a preacher what he thought of all the record-breaking disasters and weather, he replied, "I think it's pointing up to the end of time." (41)

In closing, I wish to thank all of you for your continued support of this ministry. It takes a great deal of faith to carry on in the face of so much uncertainty, yet I know that God is with us and He will carry us through any adversity we may encounter. With this issue, we will be closing out the year 2011. It is the first full year without my beloved father, Pastor David J. Meyer, at the helm. I miss him tremendously every day, and I am sure many of you do as well. In the coming months we plan to release more recordings of my father's work, and we are hopeful that we can release a collection of his sermon transcripts at some point in the following year. Please remember to send in your renewal form enclosed with this newsletter to ensure that you do not miss a single issue of the Last Trumpet in 2012. We at Last Trumpet Ministries will endeavor to do the very best job we can with the tasks we have been assigned in an effort to assist our readers to watch and pray as we eagerly await our Savior's return. If you have any prayer requests, please feel to send them our way. Our intercessors always give each request individual attention, and we have seen and experienced answered prayers. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.


Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements
01. STV, April 19, 2011, By STV, http://news.stv.tv.
02. Tecca.com, June 27, 2011, By Mike Wehner, http://tecca.com.
03. CNN, November 8, 2011, By CNN Wire Staff, http://cnn.com.
04. Tecca.com, November 3, 2011, By Mike Wehner, http://tecca.com.
05. World Net Daily, October 29, 2011, By Joe Kovacs, http://wnd.com.
06. CNN, October 31, 2011, By Susanne Garguilo, http://cnn.com.
07. Digital Journal, October 26, 2011, By John Thomas Didymus, http://digitaljournal.com.
08. Ibid.
09. Digital Journal, February 18, 2009, By Carol Forsloff, http://digitaljournal.com.
10. HealthDay, October 10, 2011, By HealthDay, http://news.yahoo.com.
11. Wikipedia Article, "I Kissed a Girl," http://wikipedia.org.
12. Associated Press, October 9, 2011, By Dinesh Ramde, Milwaukee, WI.
13. Star Tribune, November 14, 2011, By Rose French, http://startribune.com.
14. The New American, November 18, 2011, By William F. Jasper, http://thenewamerican.com.
15. PJ Media, October 31, 2011, By PJ Media, http://pjmedia.com.
16. Occupy Wall Street Website, November 18, 2011, By OccupyWallSt, http://occupywallst.org.
17. The Wall Street Journal, October 18, 2011, By Douglas Schoen, http://wsj.com.
18. National Review, November 18, 2011, By Penny Nance, http://nationalreview.com.
19. OccupyArrests.com, List of Arrests, http://occupyarrests.com.
20. Occupy Wall Street Website, November 18, 2011, By OccupyWallSt, http://occupywallst.org.
21. CBS News, November 17, 2011, By CBS News, New York, NY.
22. Business Insider, October 22, 2011, By Robert Johnson, http://businessinsider.com.
23. CBS News, November 4, 2011, By CBS News, Detroit, MI.
24. KDVR News, November 17, 2011, By Tammy Vigil, Denver, CO.
25. Chicago Tribune, November 11, 2011, By Deanese Williams-Harris, http://chicagotribune.com.
26. Philly.com, October 20, 2011, By Stephanie Farr, http://philly.com.
27. Reuters News Service, November 11, 2011, By Fredrik Dahl, Vienna, Austria.
28. AFP, November 12, 2011, By Stephen Collinson, http://afp.com.
29. Fox News, November 10, 2011, By Eric Shawn and Ben Evansky, http://foxnews.com.
30. Ibid.
31. The Washington Times, November 2, 2011, By Bill Gertz, http://washingtontimes.com.
32. The Daily Mail, November 10, 2011, By Tim Shipman, http://dailymail.co.uk.
33. The Jerusalem Post, November 16, 2011, By Lahav Harkov, http://jpost.com.
34. Fox News, November 18, 2011, By Jennifer Griffin, http://foxnews.com.
35. Ynet News, November 11, 2011, By Dudi Cohen, http://ynetnews.com.
36. Associated Press, November 19, 2011, By Associated Press, Tehran, Iran.
37. Wikipedia, "Earthquakes in 2011," http://wikipedia.org.
38. Ibid.
39. ABC News, October 28, 2011, By Amy Bingham, http://abcnews.go.com.
40. Huffington Post, November 20, 2011, By Paul Yeager, http://huffingtonpost.com.
41. Reuters News Service, November 10, 2011, By Steve Olafson, Oklahoma City, OK.

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

Comments regarding this newsletter or topic suggestions may be submitted to editor@lasttrumpetnewsletter.org.
If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.

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