Overcoming A Spiritual Pandemic In This Modern Age!

Volume XXXIII Issue X October 2014
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
Hebrews 12:1-2

“And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.”
Matthew 10:28

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?” 
I John 5:4-5

“He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.” 
Revelation 2:11


In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will examine the happenings of our day and the numerous obstacles that the people of the earth are facing in these perilous times. For those who dare to look, it has become an undeniable fact that we live in a very troubled world. The news headlines are now dominated by stories of drought, pestilence, wars and rumors of wars, and intense persecution of God’s people. When we read of such things, it is a natural human response to feel sad or depressed to know this planet on which we presently abide could be stricken with so much evil and wickedness. Yet, we know that in a world where there is presently a growing fear that we may soon be facing a global pandemic brought about by a virus known as Ebola, this world has been suffering from a destructive and global spiritual pandemic of sin which has grown in the hearts of mankind for thousands of years. Thankfully, this spiritual pandemic has a cure, and that cure is our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 12:1-2, we are admonished, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Just as Jesus endured the cross, we, too, will have to endure trouble and hardship in the world, but our Saviour promised us in Matthew 24:13, “But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” If you have not yet fully given your heart to God and obeyed the Gospel, I urge you to do so now. In so doing, you will find the strength to endure and overcome this world, and as the Apostle Paul wrote in Philippians 4:7, “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

A Spate Of Conflict In Our Fallen World!

In this fallen world we live in today, there is at this present time a spate of conflict which has left many people wondering how close we are to the outbreak of a third world war. In fact, Pope Francis has suggested in recent days that the conflicts we are seeing today amount to a “piecemeal” World War III. (1) Additionally, Poland’s President, Bronislaw Komorowski, has made the claim that Russia’s present ideology bears a striking resemblance to that of Nazi Germany. “We are witnessing the rebirth of nationalist ideology which violates human rights and international law under the cover of humanitarian slogans about protecting minorities,” Komorowski declared in a speech. He further went on to say, “We recognize this all too well from the 1930s.” (2) In another news headline, which further stoked fears that Russia may soon invade other regions in addition to Ukraine, it was reported that Russian President Vladimir Putin told Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko that Russian military forces could invade capital cities in five nearby countries within a two day period if Putin so desired. “If I wanted, Russian troops could not only be in Kiev [Ukraine] in two days, but in Riga [Latvia], Vilnius [Lithuania], Tallinn [Estonia], Warsaw [Poland], or Bucharest [Romania], too,” Putin allegedly said. (3) Poroshenko then warned, “If they are not stopped now, they will cross European borders and spread throughout the globe.” (4)

As the Russian government continues to assert itself, various politicians and news media sources have sought to leave the impression upon the American people that the Cold War is back. This includes Senate Intelligence Committee Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein who confirmed to a CNN reporter in July 2014 that she believes relations between the United States and Russia have soured to “Cold War levels.” (5) Representative Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas, also expressed his concern regarding what is happening in Russia. “Mr. Putin is returning to a Cold War mentality. When I was over there, you could see its nationalistic pride, a sort of resurgence to regain the glory of the old days as the Soviet Empire,” Senator McCaul stated. (6)

Striking a defiant chord, Vladimir Putin has again reiterated his determination to modernize the Russian military with sophisticated new forms of both conventional and nuclear weaponry. “We have warned many times that we would have to take corresponding countermeasures to ensure our security,” Putin declared. (7) It was also announced on September 10, 2014, that the Russian military had successfully conducted a test launch of their Bulava intercontinental nuclear missile for the first time. They revealed plans to conduct test launches again in October and November 2014. Reports indicate that a Bulava missile is capable of traveling five thousand miles and can hold six to ten nuclear warheads. (8)

Meanwhile, the terrorist group, which calls itself the Islamic State, has continued to wreak havoc in a large portion of Syria and Iraq. In recent months, this group has made headlines for its genocide of the Christian people in Iraq, and its brutal and grotesque punishments that they inflict on their enemies. In particular, operatives of the Islamic State, which is sometimes known by the acronyms ISIS or ISIL, have shown a penchant for executing reporters and aid workers by the barbaric method of beheading. To date, at least three individuals have been reportedly executed using this method, including American journalist James Foley on August 19, 2014, American journalist Steven Sotloff on September 2, 2014, (9) and British aid worker David Haines on September 13, 2014. (10)

On September 10, 2014, American President Barack Obama gave a speech to the American people wherein he outlined his plans on how he intends to defeat ISIL. In his speech, Obama was quick to differentiate between the group that is known as the Islamic State and the people at large who hold Islamic beliefs. “Now let’s make two things clear: ISIL is not ‘Islamic.’ No religion condones the killing of innocents, and the vast majority of ISIL’s victims have been Muslim. And ISIL is certainly not a state. It was formerly an al Qaeda affiliate in Iraq, and has taken advantage of sectarian strife and Syria’s civil war to gain territory on both sides of the Iraq-Syrian border,” Obama declared. (11) Obama later went on to outline his intent to conduct airstrikes in both Iraq and Syria. “First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists. Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we’re hitting ISIL targets as Iraqi forces go on offense. Moreover, I have made it clear that we will hunt down terrorists who threaten our country, wherever they are. That means I will not hesitate to take action against ISIL in Syria, as well as Iraq. This is a core principal of my presidency: if you threaten America, you will find no safe haven.” (12) In other words, President Obama intends to rely on an Iraqi government, which saw its soldiers voluntarily lay down their weapons when members of the Islamic State first invaded their cities and towns. Even more problematic is Obama’s intention to arm “moderate” rebels in Syria who have been fighting the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. It is interesting to note that this is something that Obama wanted to do last year but was unable to do so after being rebuffed by Congress. However, now that ISIL has become part of the story, he has the excuse to do what he wanted all along. It is also important to remember that many of these so-called “moderate” rebels in Syria actually hold extremist views themselves, and some of them have been known to work in concert with the Islamic State! In fact, a commander for the Free Syrian Army, or FSA, a group which Obama considers moderate and intends to arm, has admitted that they sometimes work with ISIL. “We are collaborating with the Islamic State and the Nusra Front by attacking the Syrian Army’s gatherings in… Qalamoun,” admitted Commander Bassel Idriss of the Free Syrian Army. (13) The Nusra Front, incidentally, is a branch of al-Qaeda which operates in Syria and Lebanon. Another commander from the Free Syrian Army also admitted to these alliances. “We have reached a point where we have to collaborate with anyone against unfairness and injustice. Let’s face it, The Nusra Front is the biggest power present right now in Qalamoun and we as FSA would collaborate on any mission they launch as long as it coincides with our values,” said Commander Abu Khaled. (14)

On September 23, 2014, it was announced that the first airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria had taken place. According to a report by CNN, it was a bombing by a coalition which involved the countries of Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, and Qatar working with the United States. (15) Speaking of the airstrikes, Obama was quoted as saying, “The strength of this coalition makes it clear to the world that this is not America’s fight alone.” (16) This development has the potential to strain American relations with Russia even further since Russian officials had previously warned the United States to stay out of Syria. “The US president has spoken directly about the possibility of strikes by the US armed forces against ISIL (IS) positions in Syria without the consent of the legitimate government. This step, in the absence of a UN Security Council decision, would be an act of aggression, a gross violation of international law,” declared Russian ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich. (17) Amazingly enough, according to a report published by the New York Times on September 20, 2014, the citizens of Iraq are extremely suspicious of the United States and many Iraqis believe that the Islamic State was actually created by the American government agency known as the Central Intelligence Agency, or CIA. (18)

Will the events we now see unfolding in Russia, Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, and other areas of the world eventually lead to World War III? Only God knows for sure. However, we can be certain that these events are an indicator of where we are in time, and that we are closer to the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ with each passing day. For as it tells us in Romans 13:11, “And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.”

A Worsening Ebola Crisis!

In last month’s issue of the Last Trumpet, I provided in-depth coverage of the current Ebola outbreak which has been plaguing western Africa for months. While I certainly wish I had good news to report regarding this health crisis, recent news headlines indicate that the problem is quickly growing worse. Speaking at a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee in mid-September 2014, Beth Bell, a director at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, was quoted as saying, “If we do not act now to stop Ebola, we could be dealing with it for years to come. The best way to protect the U.S. is to stop the outbreak in West Africa.” (19) Dr. Kent Brantly, a man who was famously infected with Ebola while working in Liberia and was cured after being treated in Atlanta, Georgia, also warned that the problem is worsening. “From the time I fell sick, just two months ago, the death toll has tripled. In nine months down the road, we are looking at hundreds of thousands, not just in cases, but deaths.” (20) In the meantime, the CDC has released new projections which are quite dire to say the least. These projections suggest that in a worst-case scenario, there would be 21,000 people infected with Ebola by September 30, 2014, and 1.4 million people infected by January 20, 2015. They also believe that cases of Ebola infection in Africa have been vastly underreported and are about 2.5 times worse than what has been recorded. (21) To further exacerbate the problem, supplies have run dry of an experimental drug known as ZMapp, which has shown some success in treating Ebola. Mapp Biopharmaceutical, the company which manufactures the drug, claims not only have they completely exhausted their supply, but it takes months to create a new batch. (22)

On September 16, 2014, American President Barack Obama declared his plan of action to stop the spread of Ebola. (23) In his announcement, Obama declared the following: “Here’s the hard truth. In West Africa, Ebola is now an epidemic of the likes that we have not seen before. It’s spiraling out of control. It is getting worse. It’s spreading faster and exponentially. Today, thousands of people in West Africa are infected. That number could rapidly grow to tens of thousands. And if the outbreak is not stopped now, we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of people infected with profound political and economic and security implications for all of us.” (24) In an effort to combat Ebola, Obama announced that three thousand American troops would be deployed to West Africa. It was also announced that a command center would be established in the Liberian capital city of Monrovia. (25)

Obviously, there is great concern that the Ebola virus could spread to the United States. In a statement issued on September 19, 2014, the CDC advised all airlines to treat any bodily fluids on planes as infectious, even on domestic flights. In the bulletin sent to airlines, the CDC states, “A U.S. Department of Transportation rule permits airlines to deny boarding to air travelers with serious contagious diseases that could spread during flight, including travelers with possible Ebola symptoms. This rule applies to all flights of U.S. airlines, and to direct flights (no change of planes) to or from the United States by foreign airlines.” The bulletin later goes on to say, “Cabin crew should follow routine infection control precautions for onboard sick travelers. If in-flight cleaning is needed, cabin crew should follow routine airline procedures using personal protective equipment available in the Universal Precautions Kit. If a traveler is confirmed to have had infectious Ebola on a flight, CDC will conduct an investigation to assess risk and inform passengers and crew of possible exposure.” Finally, the bulletin declares, “Treat all body fluids as though they are infectious.” (26) It has also been revealed that the United States Department of Health and Human Services, or HHS, made an inquiry to officials in the state of Oklahoma to assess the state’s ability to treat patients infected with Ebola. “This may just be a routine inquiry, but it strikes me as curious given the recent outbreak of Ebola cases in West Africa. At this point, there is no need to panic, but it would be helpful to get some accurate information from our state and federal health organizations so we know how severe the threat may be,” said Oklahoma State Representative Mike Ritze. (27)

Worries have also surfaced that the strain of Ebola wreaking havoc in Africa may be airborne. Although it is generally believed that Ebola is only transmitted through contact with bodily fluids from those who are infected, a recent report published by the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota, or CIDRAP, suggests it is possible that Ebola is transmitted through the air. “Being at first skeptical that Ebola virus could be an aerosol-transmissible disease, we are now persuaded by a review of experimental and epidemiologic data that this might be an important feature of disease transmission, particularly in healthcare settings,” the report states. The authors of the report suggest that health workers should wear respirators and protective equipment while treating Ebola, rather than just masks. (28)

Meanwhile, here in the United States, the American people are grappling with another infectious disease known as Enterovirus D68. This virus, which is usually quite rare, has spread to thirty American states since August 2014. (29) Symptoms of infection can vary in severity and the virus is known to usually infect children. It is particularly dangerous because it often causes severe difficulty breathing. “I remember as a kid my goldfish jumped out of the bowl. That’s how he looked to me – like a goldfish gasping for breath,” said the father of a boy who had been infected with the virus. (30) Here let it be noted that Barack Obama issued an executive order on July 31, 2014, which revises the list of Quarantinable Communicable Diseases. The new addition to the list is, “Severe acute respiratory syndromes, which are diseases that are associated with fever and signs and symptoms of pneumonia or other respiratory illness, are capable of being transmitted from person to person, and that either are causing, or have the potential to cause, a pandemic, or, upon infection, are highly likely to cause mortality or serious morbidity if not properly controlled. This subsection does not apply to influenza.” (31) Based on the language found in the executive order, it certainly seems that the American government is concerned about a possible pandemic in the United States. Is there something Obama is not telling us?

A Climate Change Protest In New York City!

In recent decades, politicians, celebrities, scientists, and the news media have pounded the notion into the heads of the people that climate change is destroying the planet. As a consequence, many people are fearful of what might happen due to what they perceive to be an impending threat, and as such, they often lash out in anger or fear. Such was the case in New York City on September 21, 2014, when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets in New York City to protest what they deem to be inaction regarding the global warming crisis. (32) The protest was attended by prominent figures such as former American Vice President Al Gore, Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-Moon, and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio. (33) The event, which was given the name the “People’s Climate March,” also featured a heavy turnout from socialists seeking to overthrow capitalism in the United States while selling their wares to protestors. (This is quite ironic since the selling of their items was being done in a capitalistic manner.) (34) Prominent signs and banners at the event proclaimed such messages as, “Capitalism is killing the planet. Fight for socialist future,” and “Capitalism is destroying the planet… we need revolution, nothing less.” (35) The Socialists Workers Party was also on hand to distribute flyers advertising an event which promised to explain “Why you should join the socialists and change the world.” (36) In yet another ironic twist, the protestors which claim to care so much about the environment left behind huge mountains of trash in New York City, including many piles of single-use disposable food containers and empty beverage cups and cans. (37)

I have said it before and I will say it again, if climate change is really as severe of a problem as it is often made out to be, it is a problem that this world will never solve. This is especially true since the nation of China, which is now the world’s leading polluter, would never cooperate with any plans that dampen their economic success. It is, however, a very efficient way to manipulate the masses into being more compliant. We should also remember that many of the events now attributed to global warming, including destructive weather, drought, and famine, would have been attributed to the judgment of God in times past. Yet, for society at large in this modern age, it is completely inconceivable that God would ever do such a thing, insomuch that they would rather blame every bad thing that happens on global warming or climate change.

The Drought In California Could Get Worse!

By now, most people are aware of the fact that there is a serious drought in the state of California. This is problematic for many reasons and has left many farm workers in the state of California without work while straining the supply of food in the United States. Sadly, this drought has not improved over the summer months and could grow even worse in the near-term future, according to weather forecasts. As of September 16, 2014, 100 percent of the state of California is suffering from drought with 95 percent of that drought being classified as “severe” and 58 percent of the drought being classified as “exceptional.” (38) Weather forecasts from the National Weather Service for the state of California call for below-average rainfall and above-average temperatures in the coming months, which will likely worsen the drought in the region. (39)

In response to the drought, the state government of California has announced plans to spend $200 million on relief for those who have been affected by the drought. This is in addition to $100 million that has already spent in 2014. Governor Jerry Brown also urged the citizens of California to conserve their water. “There’s many ways we can better use the water we have. You can’t manufacture water,” Governor Brown said. (40)

Satanic Manifestations In The United States!

It is no secret that the United States is facing many challenges in this modern age. Unfortunately, a flagrant satanic presence has now risen up in this country as satanists become more vocal and out in the open. Oddly enough, satanists appear to be especially drawn to the state of Oklahoma. In fact, it was announced that a satanic black mass would be held at the Oklahoma City civic center on September 21, 2014. All eighty-eight tickets for the event were sold. (41) Speaking of the event, Adam Daniels of the satanic church known as Dakhma of Angra Mainyu was quoted as saying, “One of the dictates of the church is not only to educate the members but to educate the public, and to debunk the Hollywood-projected image of our beliefs.” One of the activities at the event was a so-called satanic exorcism which supposedly was performed to draw the Holy Spirit from a follower’s body. (42)

In closing, I know there is much more that could be said about the events of this modern age, and we will cover many more topics in subsequent issues of the Last Trumpet if the Lord wills. Until then I urge every reader of this newsletter to take to heart the words of the Apostle Paul, who instructs us in I Thessalonians 5:21-23, “Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Thank you to all who support this ministry. We could not do what we do without your kindness and generosity. If you have any prayer requests, great or small, please feel welcome to send them our way. We always give each prayer request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Samuel David Meyer



Editor's Note: This newsletter was written before news broke that the Ebola virus has reached the United States. We will be following the situation closely, and Lord willing, we will continue our coverage of the Ebola crisis next month in the November 2014 issue of the Last Trumpet. We must continue to watch and pray, for these are very perilous times.


Acknowledgements

01. Reuters News Service, September 13, 2014, By Stefano Rellandini, Redipuglia, Italy.
02. Reuters News Service, September 10, 2014, By Bethan John, Stephen Brown, and Alison Williams, Berlin, Germany.
03. The Daily Mail, September 18, 2014, By Will Stewart, http:// dailymail.co.uk.
04. Ibid.
05. National Journal, July 20, 2014, By Dustin Volz, http://nationaljournal.com.v\
06. CNN, July 30, 2014, By Shannon Travis, http://cnn.com.
07. Associated Press, September 10, 2014, By Vladimir Isachenkov, Moscow, Russia.
08. Reuters News Service, September 10, 2014, By Thomas Grove and Louise Ireland, Moscow, Russia.
09. CNN, September 9, 2014, By Pamela Brown, http://cnn.com.
10. CNN, September 14, 2014, By Greg Botelho, http://cnn.com.
11. The Weekly Standard, September 10, 2014, By Daniel Halper, http://weeklystandard.com.
12. Ibid.
13. The Daily Star Lebanon, September 8, 2014, By Elise Knutsen, http://dailystar.com.lb.
14. Ibid.
15. CNN, September 23, 2014, By Josh Levs, Holly Yan, and Jim Sciutto, http://cnn.com.
16. Ibid.
17. BBC News, September 11, 2014, By BBC News, http://bbc.com.
18. The New York Times, September 20, 2014, By David D. Kirkpatrick, http://nytimes.com.
19. USA Today, September 16, 2014, By Liz Szabo, http://usatoday.com.
20. Ibid.
21. The New York Times, September 23, 2014, By Denise Grady, http://nytimes.com.
22. Associated Press, September 22, 2014, By Associated Press, Madrid, Spain.
23. Associated Press, September 16, 2014, By Lauren Neergaard and Jim Kuhnhenn, Washington, D.C.
24. AFP News, September 16, 2014, By Stephen Collinson, Atlanta, Georgia.
25. Ibid.
26. The Washington Examiner, September 21, 2014, By Paul Bedard, http://washingtonexaminer.com.
27. KFOR News, September 16, 2014, By Dallas Franklin, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, http://kfor.com.
28. Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, September 17, 2014, By Lisa M. Brosseau, ScD, and Rachael Jones, PhD, http://cidrap.umn.edu.
29. CNN, September 23, 2014, By Elizabeth Cohen, http://cnn.com.
30. Ibid.
31. Official Executive Order, July 31, 2014, By Barack Obama, http://whitehouse.gov.
32. The New York Times, September 21, 2014, By Lisa W. Foderaro, http://nytimes.com.
33. Ibid.
34. The Blaze, September 21, 2014, By Oliver Darcy, http://theblaze.com.
35. Ibid.
36. Ibid.
37. The Gateway Pundit, September 22, 2014, By Jim Hoft, http://thegatewaypundit.com.
38. U.S. Drought Monitor, September 18, 2014, By U.S. Drought Monitor, http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu.
39. CBS Local News, September 21, 2014, By CBS Local News, http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com.
40. Associated Press, September 23, 2014, By Fenit Nirappil, Sacremento, California.
41. The Christian Post, September 14, 2014, By Stoyan Zaimov, http://christianpost.com.
42. Ibid.

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.

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