Volume XXXVII Issue X October 2018
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
"And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness."
I John 5:19
"Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops. 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 10:26-28
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God."
John 3:19-21
In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will consider not only current events, but also secrets that are now being revealed in our present age. In I John 5:19 we are warned that, "… the whole world lieth in wickedness."This truth is evident when we read or watch the news, and much of the wickedness in our world is facilitated by deception and secrecy. In fact, many years ago, my father, Pastor David J. Meyer, once asked an occult practitioner, "What is the source of your power?" The witch curtly replied, "Secrecy!"Secret societies and organizations have been long at work, too, as evil men and women have endeavored to hide their deeds under a cloak of spiritual darkness. The Scriptures warn us that there are people who not only prefer this spiritual darkness, but they love it. John 3:19 warns us, "And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil."
Recent weeks have been interesting to say the least. New revelations have surfaced regarding the Catholic Church which show that the level of abuse committed by members of the Catholic clergy against young children and other individuals is even more widespread than previously realized. The bombshell report from a grand jury in the state of Pennsylvania which revealed that 301 Catholic priests had abused over 1000 children since the 1940s was just scratching the surface. "Many strands are coming together. It does seem like we are reaching a watershed moment," said Kathleen Sprows Cummings who is a historian of Catholicism at the University of Notre Dame. She further went on to say, "I think they're scrambling. The news is coming on so many fronts. I think they don't know quite what to do." (1)
In September 2018 a new report was released that shows more than 3,000 children in Germany were abused in a sexual manner by 1,670 Catholic clergy members from the years 1946 to 2014. The research was performed by faculty members at the universities of Giessen, Heidelberg, and Mannheim in Germany at the behest of the German Bishops conference. (2) Speaking of the report, Bishop Stephan Ackermann was quoted as saying, "We know the extent of the sexual abuse that has been demonstrated by the study. We are dismayed and ashamed by it." (3)
Abuse in the South American nation of Chile has also been prevalent. Consequently, Pope Francis officially announced the defrocking of Chilean priest Cristian Precht Banados in mid-September 2018. Speaking of the investigation that led to this decision, the Archbishop of Santiago was quoted as saying, "During the process were established verifiable reports of abusive behavior with adults and minors." Interestingly enough, all thirty-four bishops in Chile offered to resign from their positions last May after an emergency meeting at the Vatican was called. According to Chilean authorities, numerous priests and bishops are currently under investigation due to reports of abuse. (4)
In the United States, law enforcement agencies in Illinois, Missouri, Florida, New Mexico, Nebraska, New Jersey and New York have announced their intention to investigate the Catholic Church for potential abuse by Catholic clergy. (5) It remains to be seen what these investigations might reveal, but it is evident that abuse has taken place in New York State. In fact, the Diocese of Brooklyn, New York, has agreed to pay four victims of abuse 27.5 million dollars. "This is the largest settlement ever involving individual victims,"said attorney Ben Rubinowitz. He further went on to say, "We are glad to see the church finally being brought to justice. It continued for months and in certain cases for years." (6)
In response to the seemingly endless flood of scandals regarding abuse in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has called for a summit of Catholic leaders. The meetings, which will take place between February 21-24, will involve the presidents of at least 100 bishops' conferences. (7) Because the vile actions of so many Catholic clergy members have been brought to the light, Pope Francis is now forced to address this enormous crisis. However, a statement made by the Pope during a recent homily suggests that he would much rather ignore the problem. "In these times, it seems like the 'Great Accuser' has been unchained and is attacking bishops. True, we are all sinners, we bishops. He tries to uncover the sins, so they are visible in order to scandalize the people," he lamented. (8) Why would a man who espouses to be holy complain about sins being exposed? Exposing sin is one of the functions of God's Spirit, and in Matthew 10:26-27 we read, "Fear them not therefore: for there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known. What I tell you in darkness, that speak ye in light: and what ye hear in the ear, that preach ye upon the housetops." We are further instructed by the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 5:11, "And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."
By now, the public is well aware that Pope Francis often says unusual things. His latest bizarre statement came after he received a book about the late Pope John Paul II from a Polish photographer. "(Pope John Paul II) was a saint, I am the devil," Francis said. (9) Media reports portrayed his remark as a joke, but perhaps the Pontiff revealed a hidden truth about himself.
A Cashless World Is Closer Than Ever
When news broke in the summer of 2017 that a company in River Falls, Wisconsin, would begin implanting microchips in its employees' hands, people were startled and shaken. Was this news a portent of the end times? Would a microchip soon become mandatory to conduct business transactions? People were worried. However, the news eventually faded and most people have forgotten that this even happened. As such, I feel compelled to remind everyone that, yes, private American citizens have been microchipped, and we are closer to a cashless society than ever before. What has happened since Three Square Market implanted microchips in their employees last year? According to a report by MIT Technology Review, which was published on August 17, 2018, more employees have received the chip since that time, and the recipients are quite enamored with it. "This company embeds microchips in its employees, and they love it," the headline declares. (10) Over the course of the last year, thirty additional employees have received the chip, which is the size of a grain of rice and facilitates cashless transactions, entry into the office building, and various other functions. As such, about one third of the 250 employees at the company now have the chip."You get used to it; it's easy," said company president Patrick McMullan, who reportedly enjoys using his chip to pay for cans of soda. Another official at the company stated, "It's just become a part of my routine." (11)
I suspect that the reason some people are drawn to implantable microchips is because having one makes them feel like little gods. They walk up to a building and the door opens. They go to a vending machine, wave their hand, and their desired product is dispensed. The ability to quickly get the things you want with just a wave of a hand must feel very powerful and enticing to people. While Christians have wondered for decades if a one world government would one day attempt to compel everyone to receive a microchip, thousands of people have already done so of their own free will. For example, 3,500 people living in the European nation of Sweden have microchips in their hands. (12) Why is there such a willingness to receive a microchip amongst Swedes? Sweden is a country that is both technologically advanced and highly secular. A report published in 2015 found that Sweden is the "least religious nation" in the Western world, where eight out of ten people are either "not religious" or "convinced atheists." (13) Thus, Sweden is an ideal proving ground for futuristic technology and a cashless society. Here let it be noted that only 18 percent of Sweden's population still uses cash. Jonas Hedman, who is an associate professor at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark, stated that he and his colleagues believe Sweden will become the first cashless society in 2023. "Niklas Arvidsson, Bjorn Segendorf, and I collectively identified March 24, 2023, as when Sweden would become a cashless society. When we say a 'cashless society,' we refer to a society where cash is not a generally accepted means of payment. There might still be bank notes and coins left, but you won't be able to use them in the practical sense," Hedman opined. He later went on to say, "From a research perspective, I don't really have an opinion whether this is good or bad. This is the path that Sweden and other countries are heading towards and there is nothing we can do to revert the course. It will have different consequences; some are positive, some are negative. An advantage of a cashless society is that it will be easier to trace criminal activities and we might be able to block some of them. The disadvantage is that everyone can be traced. We will be more traced than we are today. We will lose our privacy. But of course, with Apple, Facebook, Google and others, we have already lost our privacy." (14)
I have long believed that the way a cashless society will be introduced to the world is by a gradual process. There will be no need to ban cash outright, but rather cash will be made difficult to use because merchants, businesses, and government agencies will not accept it. This is already beginning to happen in New York City. According to a recent story published by USA Today, one New Yorker became frustrated one summer day when he attempted to find lunch. The first three restaurants he considered would not accept cash, and that was all that he had. "I don't think it's cool that you walk into a place and can't buy anything," the man said. (15)
Oddly enough, the government in the state of New Jersey recently attempted to pass a law that would require all retail businesses in the state to accept cash. The bill which made this proposal was overwhelmingly approved last June by a vote of 71 to 4. However, the new law has been shelved after Amazon.com and Walmart exerted pressure on the New Jersey government. (16) It is obvious that Amazon has a remarkable amount of clout since they now have the ability to sway governing bodies and manipulate laws. Their founder, Jeff Bezos, is considered the richest man in the world at this present time.
Amazon's objection to the New Jersey law no doubt has to do with the fact that the online retail juggernaut is planning to open cashless grocery stores all over the United States. The Amazon Go stores, which do not require the customer to check out with a cashier, allow people to simply select what they want and walk out. The stores use a smartphone program from Amazon along with a sophisticated system of cameras and sensors to track what each customer buys. Three of these stores already exist in the Seattle, Washington, area, and now a new location has opened in Chicago, Illinois. (17) An Amazon Go store will soon be coming to an undisclosed location in New York, (18) andBloomberg News has reported that Amazon could open up to 3,000 of these stores by 2021. (19)
Even as cashless payments are normalized around the world, some critics worry that this trend is alienating large segments of the population. In China, it has become quite common for people to pay for goods and services using their smartphones. In January 2017 it was reported that 469 million Chinese people were registered for mobile payments, a number that is greater than the entire population of the United States. However, nearly 70 percent of people who live in China's rural areas do not use the Internet and many of them do not have smartphones. (20) These people may soon find themselves unable to pay for goods and services because they simply do not have the equipment to do so. In such a situation, I would not be at all surprised if the government offered a free microchip implant as a solution.
The technologically advanced nation-state of Singapore is moving toward a cashless society, too. One issue that has arisen, however, is that there are many different cashless payments systems in use and vying for customers. To solve this problem, a QR (Quick Response) code system, which unifies twenty-seven different payment systems, has been introduced. (21) QR codes are odd looking barcodes that are contained in a square and feature unique squiggles and markings. Such codes can be scanned by many smartphones and thus facilitate mobile payments.
To further coax the population of Singapore to embrace cashless payments, a special event was held in August 2018 which taught elderly members of the community how to use smartphones and mobile devices to conduct cashless transactions. Nearly five hundred people attended the event. "I learnt how to use Facebook, now I must learn how to go cashless; otherwise I will be left behind," one participant said. (22) Dr. Koh Poh Koon, who is the Senior Minister of State for Trade and Industry in Singapore, was pleased with the turn-out. "This was encouraging as it showed us that residents, young and old, are willing to try and step out of their comfort zone," he said. (23) Without a doubt, times are changing, and the world is growing ever closer to a global cashless society.
An Acrimonious Condition In The United States
In these tumultuous times, it is evident that the United States is suffering from great instability. The country has been divided by a great partisan rift, and a madness has taken over the hearts and minds of many people. The festering hatred is constantly manifesting, and it is getting uglier by the day.
On September 9, 2018, a 35-year-old man by the name of Farzad Vincent Fazeli attacked Republican Congressional candidate Rudy Peters during an appearance in Castro Valley, California. The attacker abruptly began shouting profanities denigrating President Donald Trump then he told Mr. Peters that he was going to kill him. The attacker brandished a knife but was subdued before anyone could be harmed. "It's a shame. People are just polarized right now, and this country's divided and it's just a mess. It shouldn't be that way,"Peters declared. (24)
According to an article published by Newsweek Magazine on September 22, 2018, the anarchist group known as Antifa has called for the slaughter of agents from the government agency known as the Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. A representative from Antifa wrote online that he hopes this "chapter in American history will also include the moment when revolutionaries rose up with the masses and slaughtered the fascistic Border Patrol dogs and their bosses, slaying them with revolutionary fire and justice." (25)
Representative Steve Scalise, who is a Republican from Louisiana and is well-known for surviving an assassination attempt in July 2017, (26) recently offered a harsh assessment of the acrimonious condition in the United States. "The number of attacks and death threats against government officials has been increasing at an alarming rate," Scalise wrote. He further went on to write, "There are many examples of this. These include: my own experience of being shot and seriously wounded; Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai receiving threats on his life, and the lives of his family; and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and White House press secretary Sarah Sanders being shouted at and compelled to leave restaurants. Some additional examples: Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi was spit on. The office of Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, is currently suffering through calls that encouraged sexual assault over her future vote on Supreme Court nominee Judge Brett Kavanaugh. And just this week we saw a Republican congressional candidate fight off an attempted stabbing."(27) Needless to say, now is a dangerous time to consider a career in politics.
Will the giant rift in the United States ever be mended? It is hard to imagine, and depending on the results of the midterm elections in the United States this coming November, the condition could deteriorate further. The election will determine whether or not the Democrats take control of the House of Representatives and the Senate. If they are successful in doing so, there will likely be a great deal of frustration amongst Republicans. If Republicans maintain control of the House and the Senate, we would likely see a national temper tantrum amongst liberals that would no doubt turn ugly very quickly. Furthermore, I believe there are powerful elitists who would love to foment strife and like nothing more than to tear the United States to shreds. Yet, I know that ultimately, God is in control. He is the one who allows world leaders to take their positions, and sometimes he will put leaders in place to bless the people or to judge the people. Daniel 2:20-22 tells us, "Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him."
America's Drug Crisis
The drug crisis in the United States of America has reached a shocking level. According to a report released in August 2018, more people died in 2017 from opioid overdoses than those who were killed with guns or those who died in car crashes. (28) Drug abuse has become so rampant that the life expectancy of the American population has actually been declining. In 2016 more than 63,000 Americans died from drug overdoses. (29) In 2017 the number of overdose related deaths increased significantly to 72,000. This was reported to be the "highest drug death toll" in American history. (30) "It is widely estimated that life expectancy has declined in the United States in recent years - largely because of drug abuse," declared United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions. (31)
Unfortunately, drug pushers in the United States are not always gang members working the street corners in major American cities. In many cases, drug addiction is the result of inappropriate pain medication prescriptions dealt by doctors to their patients. "Since January 2017, we have charged more than 200 doctors and another 220 other medical personnel for opioid related crimes. Just 16 of those doctors prescribed more than 20.3 million pills illegally. Last summer we set a record for the largest health care fraud enforcement action in American history. This summer, we broke that record," Sessions said. (32) Researchers have also discovered that 28.5 percent of all opioid prescriptions between the years 2006 and 2016 were written for patients who had no recorded pain. (33)
The abuse of prescription opioids in the United States has been traced back to pharmaceutical companies. In 2017, state officials in Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, North Dakota, Texas, and Tennessee filed lawsuits against drug maker Purdue Pharma, the company which is responsible for the prescription opioid known as OxyContin. The lawsuits allege that Purdue Pharma downplayed the risks of using their drug while greatly exaggerating the benefits of it. (34) In September 2018, the state of Colorado also initiated a lawsuit against Purdue Pharma."Purdue's habit-forming medications coupled with their reckless marketing have robbed children of their parents, families of their sons and daughters, and destroyed the lives of our friends, neighbors, and co-workers. While no amount of money can bring back loved ones, it can compensate for the enormous costs brought about by Purdue's intentional misconduct," stated Colorado's Attorney General Cynthia Coffman. (35)
I suspect the reason that many people turn to drugs is because they either feel a void in their lives or they are tormented by evil spirits. Considering the fact that suicide rates have also been increasing in the United States, it is obvious that a multitude of people today are suffering from a notion that life is too painful and futile. The book of Ecclesiastes addresses the perceived futility of life. In Ecclesiastes 2:11 we read, "Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun." Yet, by the final chapter of the book, the author realizes what it is truly important. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 tells us, "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil." I firmly believe that only God can fill the emptiness that humanity so often feels. I urge every reader of this newsletter to turn to God, repent of your sins if you have not yet done so, and put your trust in Him.
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. Your kindness is greatly appreciated. It is our hope that the work we do at Last Trumpet Ministries is a blessing to you all. As usual, you are welcomed and encouraged to send your prayer requests. Our team of intercessors always give each prayer request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samuel David Meyer
This newsletter is made possible by the kind donations of our supporters. If you would like to help us, you may send your contribution to our postal address or donate online athttp://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate.
Acknowledgments
01. The Atlantic, September 14, 2018, By Sigal Samuel, http://theatlantic.com.
02. DW News, September 12, 2018, By DW News, http://dw.com.
03. Ibid.
04. CNN, September 17, 2018, By Shelby Rose, Claudia Dominguez, and Susannnah Cullinane, http://cnn.com.
05. Christian Headlines, September 7, 2018, By Jack Jenkins, http://christianheadlines.com.
06. AFP, September 18, 2018, By AFP, http://news.yahoo.com.
07. Associated Press, September 12, 2018, By Associated Press, http://nbcnews.com.
08. LifeSite News, September 11, 2018, By Doug Mainwaring, http://lifesitenews.com.
09. Associated Press, September 23, 2018, By Associated Press, http://timesofisrael.com.
10. MIT Technology Review, August 17, 2018, By Rachel Metz, http://technologyreview.com.
11. Ibid.
12. The Conversation, June 20, 2018, By Moa Petersen, http://theconversation.com.
13. The Local, April 13, 2015, By The Local, http://thelocal.se.
14. Knowledge at Wharton, August 31, 2018, http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu.
15. USA Today, September 20, 2018, By Kimberly Palmer, http://usatoday.com.
16. Philly.com, Posted September 17, 2018, By Christian Hetrick, http://philly.com.
17. TechCrunch, September 17, 2018, By Brian Heater, http://techcrunch.com.
18. CNN, September 7, 2018, By Nathaniel Meyersohn, http://cnn.com.
19. Bloomberg News, September 19, 2018, By Spencer Soper, http://bloomberg.com.
20. Foreign Policy Magazine, September 11, 2018, By Rui Zhong, http://foreignpolicy.com.
21. Channel NewsAsia, September 17, 2018, By Tang See Kit, http://channelnewsasia.com.
22. The Straits Times, August 26, 2018, By Rachel Au-Yong, http://straitstimes.com.
23. Ibid.
24. San Francisco Chronicle, September 11, 2018, By Megan Cassidy, http://sfchronicle.com.
25. Newsweek, September 22, 2018, By Alexandra Hutzler, http://newsweek.com.
26. The Daily Caller, September 7, 2018, By Peter Hasson, http://dailycaller.com.
27. Fox News, September 13, 2018, By Steve Scalise, http://foxnews.com.
28. Salon, August 19, 2018, By Nicole Karlis, http://salon.com.
29. USA Today, September 24, 2018, By John Fritze and Deirdre Shesgreen, http://usatoday.com.
30. CNS News, September 13, 2018, By Melanie Arter, http://cnsnews.com.
31. Ibid.
32. Ibid.
33. PBS, September 10, 2018, By Laura Santhanam, http://pbs.org.
34. Vox, June 7, 2017, By German Lopez, http://vox.com.
35. The Washington Post, September 8, 2018, By Lindsey Bever, http://washingtonpost.com.
To learn more about the history of our ministry and our founder, Pastor David J. Meyer, please visit 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.
Our new music CD entitled "Victory in Jesus" is now available. For more information, please visit http://ltmstudios.org/music.
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