Volume XXXIV Issue XII December 2015
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.”
I Peter 3:8-15
“And when ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be ye not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows.”
Mark 13:7-8
“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body.”
II Corinthians 4:8-10
In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will examine the current events of our day and the footprints of the wicked one in this modern age. Ultimately, the wickedness, violence, and deception, which we encounter on a day-to-day basis, can be traced to our adversary, the devil, who according to the Scriptures found in Job, chapter 2, has been going “to and fro in the earth” and “walking up and down in it” for thousands of years. In like manner, we are warned by the Apostle Peter in I Peter 5:8, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” In recent days, the footprints of the devil have become so evident that one would have to be completely devoid of any spiritual discernment to not notice them. In fact, we are living in a period of time when the fallen angel known as Lucifer, who became Satan, is now being openly embraced.
On October 30, 2015, a new church held its grand opening service in a suburb of Houston, Texas. This is not your typical church, however. Rather, it is a church of openly practicing Luciferians and is known as the Greater Church of Lucifer. (1) Although some demonstrators did show up to protest the opening of the church, the Houston Chronicle published a report on November 1, 2015, which carries a sympathetic tone toward the Luciferians. After featuring quotes from Christian protestors, the article closes with a statement that declares, “Owners of the businesses next to the Luciferians declined to give their names, but all of them said the Luciferians were good neighbors and that they feared the protestors.” (2) In another report which was published by a local ABC television affiliate, church co-president Michael W. Ford, attempted to pass off his organization as a harmless religious entity. “We have gatherings. But they’re not services. We don’t preach. We don’t have something that we try to tell people this is reality,” Ford said. Regarding the protestors, Ford went on to say, “They have a right to do what they do. And that’s cool with us. But we have a right to believe in what we do too. And we need to co-exist.” (3)
Meanwhile, a new television show known as “Lucifer” is set to debut on the Fox network on January 25, 2016. It seems this show will attempt to depict the devil as a wicked yet likable man. According to the official description of the program found on the Fox website, “‘Lucifer’ is the story of the original fallen angel. Bored and unhappy as the Lord of Hell, Lucifer Morningstar has abandoned his throne and retired to L.A., (Los Angeles) where he owns Lux, an upscale nightclub.” The description, which further elaborates on the show’s premise, indicates that Lucifer has a crisis of conscience after a woman is murdered outside his club, and sets out on a mission to solve the crime. (4) Thus, the underlying message of the show seems to be that Lucifer, or Satan, really is not so bad after all. It is not difficult to imagine the damage that such a message could have on impressionable young minds, and undoubtedly, on the older generations, too.
Of course, we need to understand that Luciferianism is nothing new. In fact, a book was written by a famous freemason in 1871 entitled Morals and Dogma of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry which puts forth the doctrines of Luciferianism. It should be noted that the book’s author, Albert Pike, was one of the most influential freemasons to ever live, and he held the title of Sovereign Grand Commander of the Scottish Rite’s southern jurisdiction for 32 years. On page 321 of Morals and Dogma, we find the following blasphemous words, “Lucifer, the light-bearer! Strange and mysterious name to give to the Spirit of Darkness! Lucifer, the Son of the Morning! Is it he who bears the Light, and with its splendors intolerable blinds feeble, sensual, or selfish souls? Doubt it not!” (5)
It is a strange period of time we live in wherein Luciferian worship is no longer confined to the halls of secret societies. In Texas, Luciferians now worship freely and out in the open. The townspeople speak highly of them. In the coming year, “Lucifer” will boldly be brought to the television screens of the American people all across the land. For those who can discern, we understand that Lucifer is our adversary, the devil. Although Albert Pike and those who follow him may think that Lucifer holds the light, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:23, “But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!” Ultimately, it is the devil who is responsible for the misery in this world, and he often uses people as his pawns to cause that misery. Yet, as God’s children, we have no need to be afraid. Our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, who is the true light of the world, tells us in John 16:33, “… In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
Abortion Is Promoted By Hollywood!
As if it is not bad enough that Fox will soon bring its depiction of Lucifer to living rooms across America, another television program recently aired which prominently featured an abortion. In this case it was the popular drama known as “Scandal” which is shown on the ABC network. In the episode of the program, which aired on November 19, 2015, the show’s main character was seen lying down in a medical facility and undergoing an abortion procedure even as the song known as “Silent Night” played in the background. (6) To add insult to injury, a voiceover by the character’s father on the show was heard to say, “Family is a burden… a pressure point, soft tissue, an illness, an antidote to greatness. You think you’re better off with people who rely on you, depend on you, but you’re wrong, because you will inevitably end up needing them, which makes you weak, pliable. Family doesn’t complete you. It destroys you.” (7)
The filthy organization known as Planned Parenthood, which is the largest provider of abortions in the United States, was thrilled with the television program. “Tonight, the millions of people who tune into ‘Scandal’ every Thursday night learned that our rights to reproductive health care are under attack. Never one to shy away from critical issues, [showrunner] Shonda Rhimes used her platform to tell the world that if Planned Parenthood lost funding for contraception counseling, STI testing, cancer screenings and safe, legal abortion – millions of people would suffer,” Planned Parenthood said in a statement. The statement further went on to say, “We applaud Shonda Rhimes tonight – and every Thursday night – for proving that when women are telling our stories, the world will pause and watch. We just hope those in Congress – and throughout the nation – who are steadfast on rolling the clock back on reproductive health care access are taking note.” (8) It is worth noting that the showrunner, Shonda Rhimes, is a member of the board of directors for the Planned Parenthood affiliate in Los Angeles, California. (9)
The offending episode of “Scandal” came just months after the release of a pro-abortion feature length film known as “Grandma.” In the film, actress Lily Tomlin plays an aging lesbian who helps her 18 year-old granddaughter raise the money that she needs to undergo an abortion. The film has been well-received by critics, even to the point that there has been some discussion that Tomlin should win an Academy Award for her performance. (10) It has become clear that Hollywood has launched an assault on family values. There is something drastically wrong in this country when television and film can promote the slaughter of innocent children and people applaud Hollywood for doing so. I cannot help but think of the words we find in Isaiah 5:20 which declare, “Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!”
Is Barack Obama Loyal To Islam?
Since the very beginning of his first presidential campaign, accusations have been levied against Barack Obama which assert that our current president is a Muslim. This is a claim that he and his liberal supporters have vehemently denied, but is Obama loyal to Islam? In a speech given on June 4, 2009, Obama told a crowd in Cairo, Egypt, “I’m a Christian, but my father came from a Kenyan family that includes generations of Muslims. As a boy, I spent several years in Indonesia and heard the call of the azaan at the break of dawn and at the fall of dusk.” (11) In an interview with George Stephanopoulos, which took place on September 7, 2008, Obama declared that he finds it deeply offensive that some folks might suspect he’s not actually a Christian. “What I think is fair to say is that coming out of the Republican camp, there have been efforts to suggest that perhaps I’m not what I say I am when it comes to my faith, something which I find deeply offensive, and that has been going on for a pretty long time.” (12) Oddly enough, Obama made a very strange comment at the G-20 Summit closing news conference on November 16, 2015. The video recording of the event, which was published by C-Span, shows Obama uttering the following words: “And so, I think on the one hand, non-Muslims cannot stereotype, but I also think the Muslim community has to think about how we make sure that children are not being infected with this twisted notion that somehow they can kill innocent people and that is justified by religion.” (13) Take careful note of his usage of the word “we” in the above sentence, which seems to suggest quite clearly that Obama is a member of the Muslim community. Perhaps that is the reason why it seems like Barack Obama is so loyal to Islam.
Incidentally, Islamic indoctrination could be coming soon to a public school near you. In November 2015, a story broke which indicates that seventh grade students in Huntington Beach, California, were taught a new song in school which promotes Islam. The song, which was written by a schoolteacher, contains the lyrics, “Like a sandstorm on the desert sending camels into motion, like how a single faith can make a heart open, they might have only one god, but they can make an explosion.” (14) Needless to say, parents were not happy about the song their children were taught at school. One mother was quoted as saying, “I believe by singing this song, the children feel comfortable believing that Allah might be the only god and maybe that they should start following him.” (15)
A World Of Conflict And Strife!
At this present time, we live in a world where many people are angry. It is a world of conflict and strife, wars, and rumors of wars, and it seems as though the world is now a powder keg that could explode at any moment. When we attempt to comprehend the state of our world, we quickly realize what a muddled mess it has become. This is especially true in the Middle Eastern country of Syria which has been caught up in a brutal civil war that has claimed the lives of more than 250,000 people (16) since it began on an ominous day known as the Ides of March, or March 15, 2011. (17) Inspired by the Arab Spring uprisings, which led to the ouster of ruling governments in nations such as Tunisia and Egypt, protestors in Syria began calling for the resignation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Assad, however, was unwilling to go down without a fight, and soon began using lethal force against the protestors. Before long, war had broken out in Syria as the protestors began to fight back, and by June 2013 about 90,000 people had been killed. (18) In August 2013 allegations that Bashar al-Assad had used chemical weapons, which caused the death of hundreds of people, led to threats of military intervention against the Syrian government from American President Barack Obama. However, Obama backed away from his threats after Assad agreed to destroy his chemical weapons, and the war continued on. (19)
The regime of Bashar Assad has been difficult to topple. Unlike fallen regimes in other countries such as Egypt, Assad benefits from the support of Iran, which has poured billions of dollars into supporting Assad while also providing weapons and military advisors. (20)
Meanwhile, a group calling itself the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, seized the opportunity provided by the chaos in Syria and the vacuum of power in the neighboring country of Iraq to seize control of a large portion of these nations while brutally killing anyone who opposed them, including a very significant number of Christians. Sadly, the Islamic State has executed more than 10,000 people in Iraq and Syria since June 2014. (21)
Trying to sort out who is fighting who is a very confusing process. The United States government has backed the Syrian rebels who are fighting Assad and has even provided weapons to help aid the battle. However, al-Qaeda fighters, who belong to the group that we are told perpetrated the attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001, are also fighting the Assad regime. Even some ISIS fighters are fighting against Assad and have worked alongside the rebel group known as the Free Syrian Army, according to a report published in July 2015. (22) Thus, when Obama provides support to the so-called “moderate” rebels of Syria, he is actually providing support to enemies of the United States. In this case, the old adage, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” most certainly does not apply!
On September 30, 2015, the nation of Russia, which is one of Syria’s most important allies, began dropping bombs in Syria. (23) The United States government and most Western media outlets made the claim that Russia is attacking Syrian rebel fighters who oppose Bashar Assad. Russia, on the other hand, made the claim that they are attacking ISIS.
Russia’s bombings in Syria have been a source of great consternation for those who are battling Assad in Syria. This hostility eventually led the government of Turkey, which is a nation that borders Syria, to shoot down a Russian fighter jet on November 24, 2015. (24) Turkey justified their maneuver by saying that the Russian plane had violated its airspace. According to reports, the aircraft had been in Turkish airspace for only two to three seconds before the Turkish air force shot it down, while sources in the Turkish military claim the Russians pilots of the aircraft were warned ten times over a span of five minutes to turn back. (25) As would be expected, Russian President Vladimir Putin was outraged over the attack. “Of course our military is doing heroic work against terrorism… But the loss today is a stab in the back, carried out by the accomplices of terrorists,” Putin declared. (26) In response to Turkey’s actions, the Russian military announced that they would no longer work with Turkey, and they have deployed a Moskva guided missile cruiser to the eastern Mediterranean Sea in an effort to protect Russian jets as they carry out their missions in Syria. “We warn that every target posing a potential threat will be destroyed,” said Sergey Rudskoy, who is a lieutenant general in the Russian military. (27)
As a result of the chaos, more than four million people have fled the nation of Syria since the beginning of the civil war. (28) Many of these refugees have traveled to Europe, and since that time controversy has ensued. For example, the European nation of Sweden has taken in thousands of refugees. However, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom has warned that if the influx of refugees should continue, it could lead to the collapse of the country. “I think most people feel that we cannot maintain a system where perhaps 190,000 people will arrive every year – in the long run, our system will collapse. And that welcome is not going to receive popular support,” Wallstrom stated. (29) Prime Minister Viktor Orban of Hungary has also been critical of the influx of refugees and migrants into Europe and made the claim that billionaire George Soros and his associates are the ones who are really responsible for the migrant crisis. “His name is perhaps the strongest example of those who support anything that weakens nation states; they support everything that changes the traditional European lifestyle. These activists who support immigrants inadvertently become part of this international human-smuggling network,” Orban declared. (30)
Severe mistrust of refugees, particularly those who are Muslims, has taken hold after a series of attacks attributed to ISIS were carried out in Paris, France, on November 13, 2015. The attacks, which struck restaurants, a concert hall, and a sports stadium, resulted in the death of over 120 people and sparked an international outrage. “The terrorists, the murderers, raked several café terraces with machine-gun fire before entering (the concert hall.) There were many victims in terrible, atrocious conditions in several places,” said police prefect Michel Cadot. (31) Regarding the attacks, French President Francois Hollande was quoted as saying, “As I speak, terrorist attacks of unprecedented proportions are underway in the Paris area. There are dozens killed, there are many injured. It is a horror.” Hollande then told the people of France that a state of emergency had been declared and the borders of the nation would be closed. Speaking later at the Bataclan music hall, where one of the attacks had earlier transpired, Hollande told the people “To all those who have seen these awful things, I want to say we are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities, they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow.” (32)
Just as the attacks of September 11, 2001, in the United States resulted in a loss of freedom for the American people as the Patriot Act, Homeland Security, and the Transportation Security Administration came into being, the attacks in Paris have resulted in a loss of freedom for the people of France. The state of emergency has been extended for three months, and as such, French authorities are now able to force people to stay in their homes, search homes without a warrant, and shut down websites on the Internet. (33)
In the wake of the attacks on Paris and the claim that one of the perpetrators was an ISIS operative masquerading as a Syrian refugee, many states have rebuffed American President Barack Obama’s plan to bring in thousands of Syrian refugees to the United States. As of November 19, 2015, thirty-one states in America have declared that they will not take refugees. Only the states of Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Pennsylvania, Vermont, and Washington have said they will welcome Syrian refugees. (34) However, Stephen I. Vladeck, a law professor at the American University in Washington, D.C., has said that states may be able to do very little to prevent the refugees from crossing their borders. “Legally, states have no authority to do anything because the question of who should be allowed in this country is one that the Constitution commits to the federal government. So a state can’t say it is legally objecting, but it can refuse to cooperate, which makes this thing much more difficult,” Vladeck stated. (35)
The plight of the Syrian refugees is very sad, and in all likelihood the vast majority of them have no intention of causing harm. Having said that, it would be far more logical for Islamic countries to take Islamic refugees. Yet, five of the wealthiest Islamic countries, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain, have declined to accept any Syrian refugees at all. (36) This holds true even as 100,000 air conditioned tents sit vacant in Saudi Arabia. It is estimated that these tents could serve as shelters for three million people. (37)
In closing, it is evident that we live in a world where awful things happen on a frequent basis. Yet, we can overcome the wickedness in this world through the strength of our Almighty God who gives us the victory over sin, death, and hell. For as it tells us in James 4:6-10, “But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep: let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.” How can we overcome our adversary? Resist the devil, and draw nigh to God. If you have not yet given your heart to God and dedicated your life to Him, I urge you to do so now. When you do so, He will lift you up.
Thank you all for your support of this ministry. We at Last Trumpet Ministries are grateful to have this opportunity to serve you. This issue will be the final edition of this newsletter for the year 2015. Please remember to send in your renewal form if you would like to remain on our mailing list for the year of 2016. The coming year will no doubt bring many amazing things, and we will do our best to keep you apprised of this world’s current events according to the ability which God has given us. As always, if you have any prayer requests, we are here and ready to pray for you and your needs. We give each prayer request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samuel David Meyer
Acknowledgements
01. Houston Chronicle, November 1, 2015, By Harvey Rice, http://chron.com.
02. Ibid.
03. ABC13 News, October 30, 2015, By Tracy Clemons, http://abc13.com.
04. Fox Television, http://fox.com/lucifer.
05. Morals and Dogma, By Albert Pike, 1871.
06. Life News, November 24, 2015, By Steven Ertelt, http://lifenews.com.
07. The Atlantic, November 20, 2015, By Lenika Cruz, http://theatlantic.com.
08. People Magazine, November 20, 2015, By James Hibbard, http://people.com.
09. Life News, November 24, 2015, By Steven Ertelt, http://lifenews.com.
10. Life News, November 24, 2015, By Micaiah Bilger, http://lifenews.com.
11. FactCheck.org, December, 4, 2009, By Brooks Jackson, http://factcheck.org.
12. Ibid.
13. C-Span, November 16, 2015, By Brian Temples, http://c-span.org.
14. Fox News, November 20, 2015, By Todd Starnes, http://foxnews.com.
15. Ibid.
16. BBC News, October 9, 2015, Produced By Lucy Rodgers, David Gritten, James Offer, and Patrick Asare, http://bbc.com.
17. Google Search Engine, http://google.com.
18. BBC News, October 9, 2015, Produced By Lucy Rodgers, David Gritten, James Offer, and Patrick Asare, http://bbc.com.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Breitbart, September 25, 2015, By Edwin Mora, http://breitbart.com.
22. Al-Masdar News, July 8, 2015, By Leith Fadel, http://almasdarnews.com.
23. BBC News, September 30, 2015, By BBC News, http://bbc.com.
24. NBC News, November 24, 2015, By Aziz Akyavas, F. Brinley Bruton, Alexey Eremenko, Richard Engel, and Jim Miklaszewski, http://nbcnews.com.
25. Ibid.
26. Mirror, November 24, 2015, By Anthony Bond, http://mirror.co.uk.
27. RT News, November 24, 2015, By RT News, http://rt.com.
28. BBC News, October 9, 2015, Produced By Lucy Rodgers, David Gritten, James Offer, and Patrick Asare, http://bbc.com.
29. RT News, October 30, 2015, By RT News, http://rt.com.
30. Bloomberg Business News, October 30, 2015, By Andras Gergely, http://bloomberg.com.
31. Reuters News Service, November 14, 2015, By Ingrid Melander and Marine Pennetier, http://reuters.com.
32. The Washington Post, November 13, 2015, By Swati Sharma, http://washingtonpost.com.
33. The Independent, November 19, 2015, By Andrew Griffin, http://independent.co.uk.
34. CNN, November 19, 2015, By Ashley Fantz and Ben Brumfield, http://cnn.com.
35. Ibid.
36. Breitbart, September 5, 2015, By Donna Rachel Edmunds, http://breitbart.com.
37. The Washington Times, September 15, 2015, By Kellen Howell, http://washingtontimes.com.
To learn more about the history of our ministry and our founder, Pastor David J. Meyer, please visit http://pastormeyer.org.
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