A World Of Corruption

Volume 39 Issue Two February 2020

Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916

A World Of Corruption

"The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth."

Genesis 6:11-12

"For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands."

Deuteronomy 31:29

"The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Psalm 14:1-3

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will direct our focus to a world that is filled with corruption. To be sure, corruption is nothing new. The world became so evil in Noah's day that God sent a flood upon the earth. Corruption plagued the Israelites over and over again, and God punished them for this over and over again. Speaking prophetically, Moses said to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 31:29, "For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you…" By the time of King David, it was again noted that the world had fallen into a corrupt state. In fact, David noted in Psalm 14:1-3, "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one."

Just as there was widespread corruption in ancient times, there is prevalent corruption in modern times. You will find it within the realm of politics where seldom is found an honest politician. The world's elite class, consisting of the wealthy and powerful, is often plagued by dishonesty, too. Additionally, religious organizations have been marred by corrupt behavior.

A Tsunami Of Religious Corruption

The Roman Catholic Church is one of the largest religious organizations in the world. More than one billion people on this planet are counted as members of the Catholic Church. Yet, this behemoth denomination always seems to be in a state of conflict, and the level of corruption amongst its clergy and leadership is horrifying. In a report dated December 20, 2019, and published by the Associated Press, the headline declares, "Vatican office struggles to keep up with clergy abuse cases." (1) According to the article, a thousand reports of abuse committed by Catholic clergy were reported to the Vatican in 2019. Clearly exhausted and frustrated, Monsignor John Kennedy, who is the head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, stated that his office might be able to keep up with the complaints if he cloned his staff and had them work "three shifts a day or work seven days a week." He further said, "We're effectively seeing a tsunami of cases at the moment, particularly from countries where we never heard from before." (2)

The scope of the abuse within the Catholic Church is truly astonishing. This includes the story of a famous Jesuit priest by the name of Donald McGuire who was ordained in 1961 in Chicago, Ilinois. Over the years, many reports of inappropriate conduct with young boys began to surface, and the Catholic organization covered up these complaints, opting rather to move him to a different location each time his filthy proclivities were found out. (3) McGuire, who was 78-years-old at the time, was sentenced to twenty-five years in prison in 2009. (4) He died in prison in 2017, but the ghastly story told in numerous reports reveals that the Jesuits allowed this man to continue his abuse for over forty years. This was partly because Mother Teresa, a woman who is often regarded as the finest of saints, came to his aid. In a letter sent in February 1994 to the Jesuit leaders in Chicago, Mother Teresa wrote, "I have confidence and trust in Fr. McGuire and wish to see his vital ministry resume as soon as possible." (5) In a December 2019 report, it was revealed that McGuire had abused one of his victims a thousand times. The victim is now an adult, and he has struggled to recover from this terrible trauma. A lawsuit against the Catholic Church is pending. (6)

The story above is just one example of many regarding the unspeakable misdeeds of the Catholic clergy. In light of the revelations regarding this widespread abuse, numerous states have temporarily suspended the statute of limitations regarding these cases. As such, the Catholic Church has already paid out billions of dollars in lawsuit settlements. In August 2018, it was reported by Newsweek Magazine that the Catholic Church had paid out nearly four billion dollars in settlement money. (7) Now, as the church faces a new wave of lawsuits, Marketwatch estimates they could be forced to pay out an additional four billion dollars. (8)

As financial difficulties mount, CNBC reported in December 2019 that the Catholic Church had rerouted funds donated to the Catholic charity known as Peter's Pence. The money is supposed to be used to help the poor and needy, but in reality, as little as ten percent of the money has been used for the intended cause while most of it has been used to cover budget shortfalls. (9) Another portion of the fund was invested in the production of Hollywood films, including the filthy movie known as Rocketman. This biopic about the famous singer Elton John features graphic homosexual scenes. (10)

Perhaps the Vatican's investment in movies is part of Pope Francis' broader plan to modernize the church. One thing is certain, the Pope is extraordinarily liberal. In a message given in December 2019, Francis urged Catholics to reject "rigidity." (11) He also informed his audience that we are living in a post-Christian world. "We need other maps, other paradigms, that might help us change our ways of thinking. We are not in Christianity anymore!" the Pope declared. (12)

A Corrupt Elite Class

Corruption runs deep amongst the world's most powerful people including politicians, world leaders, and Hollywood executives. In fact, a large assortment of the rich and famous can all be connected to one of the most vulgar and corrupt men of modern history. The man is the late Jeffrey Epstein, a powerful financier who was later revealed to be a human trafficker specializing in young underage girls. Epstein, who once said, "I invest in people - be it politics or science," had many friends in high places. (13) His acquaintances even included Donald Trump before he was President. Trump, for his part, sought to distance himself from Epstein last year. Speaking on behalf of the President, counselor Kellyanne Conway was quoted as saying, "The president told me this morning he hasn't talked to Epstein, he doesn't think he's talked to him or seen him in 10 or 15 years." (14)

Epstein was good friends with former American President Bill Clinton. During the years of 2002-2003, Clinton traveled on Epstein's private jet on trips to Europe, Asia, and Africa. Clinton once described Epstein as "both a successful financier and a committed philanthropist with a keen sense of global markets and an in-depth knowledge of twenty-first-century science." (15) Epstein also enjoyed a cordial friendship with Saudi Arabia's crown prince, Mohammad bin Salman. According to a report by Business Insider, the duo was so close that Epstein kept a framed photo of the crown prince hanging on the wall in his Manhattan, New York, mansion. (16)

Another powerful friend of Epstein was Prince Andrew of the British royal family who is the son of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Court documents indicate that Epstein had provided the prince with underage girls, a claim which the royal member vehemently denies. (17) However, Prince Andrew spoke during an interview in November 2019 in which he said he did not regret his friendship with Epstein. "The people that I met and the opportunities that I was given to learn either by him or because of him were actually very useful," he said. (18) Public outrage ensued after this interview which eventually forced the prince to step away from his duties as a member of the royal family. On November 20, 2019, Prince Andrew wrote in a statement, "I have asked Her Majesty (the Queen) if I can step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission." (19)

Jeffrey Epstein could have and should have been stopped long ago. He was arrested in 2007, and according to reports, Alexander Acosta, who served as a US attorney at the time, had enough evidence against Epstein to put him away for life. Instead, Acosta, who later went on to work for the Trump Administration as Secretary of Labor, arranged a plea deal in which Epstein served a 13-month sentence in a county prison which he was allowed to leave six days out of the week. (20) It was not until July 6, 2019, that Epstein was arrested again, and this time he would not survive. Held in a Manhattan, New York, jail, it was reported that Epstein supposedly tried to commit suicide on July 25, 2019. He was placed on suicide watch, but on August 10, 2019, his life reached an unceremonious end. Officially, we are told that he committed suicide, but the guards who were charged with checking on him failed to do so that night. (21) It is widely believed by many conservatives and liberals alike that Epstein was murdered in prison to keep him quiet. He, without a doubt, knew many dark secrets, and there are influential people who do not want those secrets to get out. Yet, we know that God knows all of these secrets already, and in the end, He will be the final judge of all.

Corruption permeates this modern world. Considering the never ending stories of abuse and scandal involving the most powerful people on this planet, we are left with an important question: who can we trust? We find the answer in Scripture. Although this world is saturated with evil, there is one who came to save us, and we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only one who ever lived who had not even one trace of corruption in His life. In Acts 13:37, the Apostle Paul, speaking by the inspiration of God, said in reference to the Lord Jesus, "But he, whom God raised again, saw no corruption." The Scriptures also teach that we can be set free from the corruption of this world. II Peter 1:2-4 tells us, "Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust." I urge every reader of this newsletter to turn to God, repent of your sins if you have not yet done so, obey the Scripture, and dedicate your life to Him. In so doing, you will be set free, and made the recipient of an incorruptible inheritance. This, too, was spoken of by the Apostle Peter. I Peter 1:3-4 informs, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you."

The Precarious State Of The World

As 2019 gradually fades in our memories, the impact of global distemper cannot be understated. According to a recently published report, forty-seven countries around the world were roiled by protests and civil unrest last year. "The pent-up rage that has boiled over into street protests over the past year has caught most governments by surprise," declared a report by risk analysis firm Verisk Maplecroft. The problem is only expected to get worse. "With protests continuing to rage across the globe, we expect both the intensity of civil unrest, as well as the total number of countries experiencing disruption, to rise over the coming twelve months," the report continues. (22) The authors of the assessment expect to see turmoil in Venezuela, Iran, Libya, China, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Thailand, Guinea, Nigeria, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Chile, the Palestinian region, and Ethiopia. (23) How are the present global affairs described by prominent figures? Former Prime Minister of Finland, Alexander Stubb, has warned that this planet is contending with a "new world disorder." (24) Financial markets forecaster Gerald Celente used this same phrase in December 2019 when he said, "People are up in arms, the world's on fire, and what's it all about, mostly? Income inequality, corruption, violence, I've never seen anything like this before. It's the new world disorder." (25)

The organization known as the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is not feeling particularly optimistic about the world's future either. The group, which is headed by thirteen Nobel laureates, moved its metaphorical "Doomsday Clock" forward by twenty seconds in January 2020. The group claims we are now less than two minutes from midnight, figuratively speaking, with midnight representing the end of the world. (26) "The Doomsday Clock is a globally recognized indicator of the vulnerability of our existence. It's a striking metaphor for the precarious state of the world, but most frighteningly, it's a metaphor backed by rigorous scientific scrutiny," said the former President of Ireland, Mary Robinson. (27) Remarkably, the decision to move the clock forward was made in November 2019, but according to the group's members, the world's condition has continuously deteriorated in just that short time. "I have to admit [that] we set the clock in November. This was before recent military actions by the U.S. and Iran, Iran's statements or threat that it might leave the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and North Korea's abandonment of talks with the United States," said Washington University professor Sharon Squassoni. (28)

To The Brink Of War And Back Again

Given the events that have transpired in recent weeks, it is not difficult to see why so many people are on edge. On December 31, 2019, protestors stormed the United States embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, and set fire to the reception area. American authorities quickly surmised that Iran was responsible for the attack, and a livid President Trump wrote on Twitter, "Iran will be held fully responsible for lives lost, or damage incurred, at any of our facilities. They will pay a very BIG PRICE! This is not a warning. It is a threat. Happy New Year!" As would be expected, Iran denied responsibility for this incursion. (29) It was just a few short days later on January 3, 2020, when President Trump ordered the killing of the second most powerful man in Iran, General Qassem Soleimani. (30) As news of the assassination broke, fear and uneasiness gripped the world. "We are waking up in a more dangerous world. Military escalation is always dangerous," said France's deputy minister for foreign affairs, Amelie de Montchalin. (31) Searches for "World War 3" on Google's Internet search engine skyrocketed with the query being performed at a rate one hundred times greater than normal. (32) Predictably, leaders in Iran were irate and promised swift retaliation. A report published on January 4, 2020, indicated that Iran had already selected thirty-five American targets in the Middle East and vowed to "punish Americans wherever they are" within its reach. (33) Not to be outdone, Trump informed the world via Twitter that American forces had already pinpointed fifty-two targets in Iran that would potentially be attacked if Iran made good on its threats. (34)

The extensive assault threatened by Iran never materialized. However, Iran did launch more than a dozen ballistic missiles at American military bases in Iraq on January 7, 2020. (35) No loss of life was reported, but thirty-four United States soldiers have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries. (36) Hours after the missiles were launched, Iran's Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, wrote on Twitter, "Iran took and concluded proportionate measures of self-defense under Article 51 of UN Charter targeting base from which cowardly armed attack against our citizens and senior officials were launched. We do not seek escalation or war; but will defend ourselves against any aggression." (37)

Is the danger now over? Tensions remain high to say the least. On January 26, 2020, the United States Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, was hit by three rockets. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but it is believed that Iranian-backed military forces were responsible. (38) The situation is made even more volatile by the fact that the Iraqi government has asked the United States to withdraw all troops from their country. (39) In another interesting twist, a bounty has been placed on President Trump's head. Iranian lawmaker Ahmad Hamzeh promised that anyone who successfully kills the American President will be rewarded with three million dollars. (40) With so much animosity now at work, God only knows what the future holds.

Deadly Diseases For Man And Beast

All is not well in China. In 2019 a devastating outbreak of swine fever decimated their pig herds. This deadly virus has no cure and almost always results in death for the animals that are infected. China is home to an estimated 400 million swine, and pork is such an important staple to the Chinese people that the government maintains emergency stockpiles of the meat, which are known as the national strategic pork reserves. (41) It is believed that as many as 55 percent of all pigs in China were wiped out last year, resulting in an exponential increase in the cost of pork. (42) Interestingly enough, all of this was happening during what was called "the year of the pig" according to the Chinese calendar. Swine fever has wreaked havoc elsewhere in the world including Russia, Vietnam, the Phillippines and Indonesia. The European nations of Romania, Poland, and Bulgaria have also been affected by the disease. (43) As of January 2020, one-quarter of the global pig population has been lost. (44)

After a rough year of the pig, China is now contending with another deadly disease, and this one afflicts human beings. In January 2020 news broke of a new strain of coronavirus. Officially known as "2019 novel coronavirus," or "2019-nCoV" for short, the virus belongs to the same family as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. (SARS) The disease is spreading rapidly right now with the news changing so frequently that it is impossible to keep up with it. As of this writing on January 28, 2020, at least 106 people have died from this strain of coronavirus, and more than 4,500 have been infected. (45) The epicenter of the disease is a Chinese city called Wuhan, which in an unprecedented move, has been entirely quarantined by the Chinese government. (46) National Public Radio reported on January 27, 2020, that 45 million people in Wuhan and other Chinese locations have been quarantined at this time. (47) However, efforts by the Chinese government to contain the spread of 2019-nCoV may be too little too late. Business Insider reports that 5 million people left the city of Wuhan before the city was quarantined. (48) Evidently, Chinese officials anticipate more trouble ahead. Workers in Wuhan are working frantically to build new hospitals, one of which will have 1,000 beds for sick patients while the second facility will have 1,300 beds. (49)

China is taking extraordinary measures to contain the new strain of coronavirus. The question we should be asking is "Why?" Do they know something that we do not? Research published by the scientific journal known as The Lancet suggests that China may have intentionally downplayed the severity of the virus. Close scrutiny of medical records shows that the very first case of infection could have occurred in October 2019, a date that is far earlier than Chinese officials acknowledge. Furthermore, it has been widely claimed that the virus is most deadly to older people and those with compromised immune systems. Yet, this research found that more than half of the early cases of the disease infected people younger than age 64 with half of the people in intensive care units being between ages 25 and 49. (50) In another intriguing twist, a report from the Washington Times notes that the city of Wuhan, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, is home to "China's most advanced virus research laboratory." The facility has worked with other forms of coronaviruses, including SARS, in the past. (51)

The 2019-nCoV strain of coronavirus has been detected in fifteen countries so far and there are presently five confirmed cases in the United States. (52) Additionally, at least one hundred people in twenty-six American states are being tested and monitored. (53) It should be noted, however, that no one outside of China has died from this virus as of this writing. Conversely, 8,200 people in the United States have died from influenza viruses during this current flu season. (54) There are always dangers present even if they are not being reported nonstop by the news media. As such, we should continue to trust God and pray without ceasing.

Thank you all for your kind support of this newsletter. We have received great feedback over the course of the last month, and we are thrilled that the January issue of the Last Trumpet was enjoyed by so many. Please remember that we are here to pray for you and your needs. Each prayer request is always given individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

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 at http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate.

Acknowledgments

01. Associated Press, December 20, 2019, By Nicole Winfield, http://apnews.com.

02. Ibid.

03. Associated Press, December 31, 2019, By Michael Rezendes, http://apnews.com.

04. Chicago Tribune, February 12, 2009, By Jeff Coen, http://chicagotribune.com.

05. Associated Press, December 31, 2019, By Michael Rezendes, http://apnews.com.

06. Ibid.

07. Newsweek Magazine, August 25, 2018, By Emily Zogbi, http://newsweek.com.

08. Associated Press, December 2, 2019, By Associated Press, http://marketwatch.com.

09. CNBC, December 11, 2019, By Dan Mangan, http://cnbc.com.

10. National Catholic Register, December 6, 2019, By Edward Pentin, http://ncregister.com.

11. Associated Press, December 21, 2019, By Nicole Winfield, http://apnews.com.

12. The Wall Street Journal, December 21, 2019, By Francis X. Rocca, http://wsj.com.

13. Business Insider, January 16, 2020, By Taylor Nicole Rogers, http://businessinsider.com.

14. Ibid.

15. Ibid.

16. Ibid.

17. Ibid.

18. Time Magazine, November 18, 2019, By Sanya Mansoor and Suyin Haynes, http://time.com.

19. The New York Times, November 20, 2019, By Mark Landler, http://nytimes.com.

20. Business Insider, January 16, 2020, By Taylor Nicole Rogers, http://businessinsider.com.

21. The New York Times, November 19, 2019, By Michael Gold, Danielle Ivory, and Nicole Hong, http://nytimes.com.

22. Fox News, January 16, 2020, By Frank Miles, http://foxnews.com.

23. Ibid.

24. CNBC, January 17, 2020, By Silvia Amaro, http://cnbc.com.

25. The Street, December 27, 2019, By Daniela Cambone, http://thestreet.com.

26. National Public Radio, January 23, 2020, By David Welna, http://npr.org.

27. Ibid.

28. Ibid.

29. CNBC, December 31, 2019, By Thomas Franck, http://cnbc.com.

30. Reuters News Service, January 3, 2020, By Samia Nakhoul, http://reuters.com.

31. The Independent, January 3, 2020, By Andrew Griffin, http://independent.co.uk.

32. Ibid.

33. Reuters News Service, January 4, 2020, By Parisa Hafezi, http://reuters.com.

34. Associated Press, January 4, 2020, By Douglass K. Daniel and Jonathan Lemire, http://apnews.com.

35. The New York Times, January 7, 2020, By The New York Times, http://nytimes.com.

36. National Public Radio, January 24, 2020, By David Welna, http://npr.org.

37. The New York Times, January 7, 2020, By The New York Times, http://nytimes.com.

38. The Guardian, January 26, 2020, By Agencies, http://theguardian.com.

39. NBC News, January 10, 2020, By Patrick Smith, http://nbcnews.com.

40. Times Of Israel, January 21, 2020, By Agencies and TOI Staff, http://timesofisrael.com.

41. The Washington Post, January 6, 2020, By Mark Essig, http://washingtonpost.com.

42. Ibid.

43. Bloomberg News, August 12, 2019, By Megan Durisan, http://bloomberg.com.

44. The Washington Post, January 6, 2020, By Mark Essig, http://washingtonpost.com.

45. CBS News, January 28, 2020, By CBS News, http://cbsnews.com.

46. Ibid.

47. National Public Radio, January 27, 2020, By Emily Feng, http://npr.org.

48. Business Insider, January 27, 2020, By Ashley Collman, http://businessinsider.com.

49. AFP, January 27, 2020, By Sebastian Ricci, http://news.yahoo.com.

50. Vox, January 27, 2020, By Julia Belluz, http://vox.com.

51. The Washington Times, January 26, 2020, By Bill Gertz, http://washingtontimes.com.

52. CBS News, January 28, 2020, By CBS News, http://cbsnews.com.

53. Ibid.

54. Morning Consult, January 27, 2020, By Yusra Murad, http://morningconsult.com.

To learn more about the history of our ministry and our founder, Pastor David J. Meyer, please visit http://pastormeyer.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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