Volume 43 Issue Ten October 2024
Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
The Struggle For Peace
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
John 14:27
The United Nations has an image problem. Founded in 1945 while the world was still reeling from World War II, the organization was touted as a means to bring peace and security to the world. Considering how many wars have been fought since then, it is a fair statement that the United Nations has not made the world more peaceful. A partial list of wars since the United Nations came into existence includes the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Soviet-Afghan War, the Gulf War, the Yugoslav Wars, the U.S. War with the Taliban in Afghanistan, the Iraq War, the Syrian Civil War, the Yemeni Civil War, the war in Sudan, the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Israel-Gaza War, and a conflict with Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, which could soon escalate into a full-scale war involving multiple countries. Against the backdrop of an increasingly volatile world, the United Nations has developed a reputation as an ineffectual entity on the geopolitical stage.
The growing dissatisfaction with the UN is evident in a piece published by Bloomberg News last year. The September 2023 piece declares in its headline “World Disappointed by the UN Now Look Elsewhere for Answers.” (1) The piece notes that China has offered to spearhead efforts to establish an alternative entity to the UN. Speaking at a speech given to the BRICS alliance, Chinese President Xi Jinping told his audience, “We should help reform global governance.” BRICS is an acronym for an intergovernmental organization that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa. (2) In early 2024, the group expanded, adding the nations of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. (3) In September 2024, Turkey announced its intention to join BRICS as well. (4)
The United Nations claims to be an entirely secular organization. The UN Charter contains no mention of Jesus Christ, and this explains why they have been unsuccessful in bringing peace and security to the world. You cannot have genuine peace without the Prince of Peace. In John 14:27, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ tells us that the peace that comes from Him is different from the false peace of the world. This verse declares, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
UN 2.0
Despite recent challenges the United Nations is determined to stay relevant. To combat its image problem, the United Nations announced a new initiative in September 2023 called “UN 2.0.” Promising a “quintet of change,” the initiative seeks to turbocharge the UN’s efforts to bring its 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development to fruition. “Halfway through the 2030 Agenda, the world is not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is not too late to change course, if we all rethink, refocus, and recharge. ‘UN 2.0’ encapsulates the Secretary-General’s vision of a modern UN family, rejuvenated by a forward-thinking culture and empowered by cutting-edge skills for the twenty-first century – to turbocharge our support to people and the planet,” declares a statement on the UN’s website. (5)
It should be noted that when the UN talks about its “family,” it envisions a family that includes every man, woman, and child in the world. Without a doubt, the UN seeks to coerce the world into joining its efforts, even if many of us are not interested in doing so. The Scriptures make it clear that Christian people belong to the family of God. Galatians 3:26 declares, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” As God’s children, we are called to be different. Romans 12:2 instructs, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” I Peter 2:9-10 tells us to be “peculiar,” declaring, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Finally, the Apostle Paul instructs us to separate ourselves from systems that are contrary to the Word of God. In II Corinthians 6:17-18 we read, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
Given the fact that we will reach 2030 in just over five years, we should all be aware of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. According to official UN documentation, the 2030 Agenda was “adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015” and “provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” (6) The UN’s blueprint consists of seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, which impact nearly every facet of the human experience. In essence, it is a blueprint for establishing a global government to which all nations and all people are subservient.
Since the United Nations has not made the progress it wants to in reaching its goals, it hopes to rapidly push their agenda forward with the UN 2.0 initiative. What does this initiative entail? A document with more than forty pages, published in September 2023, describes how the UN will use behavioral science, digital technology, innovation, data, and strategic foresight to accomplish its goals. In particular, the document explains how they plan to scoop up vast amounts of data. “Nurturing modern data capacities is about making shifts in expertise, processes, and technology so that entities improve how they collect, handle, govern, and use data from more diverse sources to generate deeper insights for better decisions – powered by advanced analytics, machine learning, and visualization techniques,” the document states. (7) It should be noted that “machine learning” refers to a technique used by artificial intelligence to teach itself and expand its capabilities. Thus, the United Nations plans to collect vast amounts of data about us and then use artificial intelligence to decide what to do with that information.
In terms of innovation, the UN is planning to leverage emerging technologies to improve global health care. “Imagine a world in which innovative solutions transform health-care access for two billion people in rural and remote areas. With stronger innovation capacity, United Nations entities can support Member States in transporting medications and blood transfusions with delivery drones, facilitating virtual consultations between midwives and pregnant women on digital apps, and extending point-of-care diagnostics to isolated communities.” (8)
The UN plans to expand its use of digital technology to accomplish its goals and force more people into its multitentacled system. In particular, the UN says digital technology will be useful for “enabling learning via online platforms for the 244 million out-of-school children and young people.” Digital tech will also facilitate “financial inclusion for the 800 million women without accounts via better digital public infrastructure,” and provide “better services for refugees through mobile payments and digital registration.” (9) Thus, technology will be used to ensure that children are properly educated according to UN standards, and it will also facilitate a cashless society. The document states that the UN will “provide Member States with blueprints for a whole-of-society digital transformation approach.” (10)
The UN has ambitions to use behavioral science to fully realize its agenda, but what does this entail? The UN explains, “Nurturing behavioral science capacity is about building our knowledge of how people act, make decisions, and react to policies, processes, and incentives, in order to create better choices and positive change – in particular in the areas of inequality, exclusion, and discrimination.” (11) In other words, the UN wants to use behavioral science to manipulate the masses and ensure that the global population makes “better choices” instead of their own choices.
The Pact For The Future
The UN 2.0 initiative explains how the United Nations plans to achieve its goals, but what are those goals? In September 2024, leaders from around the world gathered at the UN headquarters in New York City for a summit called “The Pact for the Future.” The draft resolution for the gathering warns, “We are at a time of profound global transformation. We are confronted by rising catastrophic and existential risks, many caused by the choices we make. Fellow human beings are enduring terrible suffering. If we do not change course, we risk tipping into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.” The document then insists that avoiding a calamitous future will require international cooperation. "This will require a recommitment to international cooperation based on respect for international law, without which we can neither manage the risks nor seize the opportunities that we face. This is not an option but a necessity.” (12) The document then goes on to reaffirm its commitment to the 2030 Agenda and details the steps supposedly required to make the world a better place.
One of the UN’s goals is to redistribute wealth on a global scale by establishing an international tax. On page six of the document, the UN says it aims to “promote inclusive and effective international tax cooperation, which contributes significantly to national efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, as it enables countries to effectively mobilize their domestic resources, and stress that the current international tax governance structures need improvements.” The UN also wants to “explore options for international cooperation on the taxation of high-net-worth individuals in the appropriate forums.” (13)
The UN believes it can bring peace and prosperity to the world by encouraging migration. Their agenda insists that the world must “maximize the positive contribution of migrants to the sustainable development of origin, transit, destination, and host countries and strengthen international partnerships and global cooperation for safe, orderly, and regular migration to comprehensively address the drivers of irregular migration and ensure the safety, dignity and human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migration status.” (14) In other words, you can reduce “irregular migration” by allowing people to freely cross national borders regardless of whether they are doing so with or without authorization. This is an audacious and ironic plan from an organization that has a fence around its building and armed security personnel to keep unauthorized individuals out. They make it known that you are no longer under the jurisdiction of the United States and no longer on American soil once you enter the United Nations.
As would be expected, the UN believes that women must be allowed to freely abort their babies. “We recognize that the achievement of full human potential and sustainable development is not possible if women and girls are denied full human rights and opportunities,” the document states. Naturally, the UN would not want to hamper a woman’s “opportunities” with an unwanted child, so they insist that we must “ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.” (15) “Reproductive rights” is synonymous with “abortion rights.”
Thus, we see that the United Nations’ ideal world is something akin to a communist society where the wealth is redistributed, national borders are essentially open to allow the free flow of migrants, and women have universal access to abortion. Thankfully, the UN has not been able to reach its goals so far. Let’s hope and pray that it never does.
Pope Francis Stirs Controversy Again
There has never been a more controversial pontiff than Pope Francis. I have even heard from many Catholics who say they do not like his teachings, and with the latest controversy, it is easy to understand why. While the United Nations is hard at work trying to implement its 2030 Agenda and set up a global government, the Pope seems determined to unite the religions of the world. In September 2024, Francis traveled to four nations in Southeast Asia and Oceania on a twelve-day tour of interreligious dialog. This included a trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he appeared alongside Indonesia’s Islamic leader Nasaruddin Umar. The Islamic teacher, also called an imam, planted a kiss on the Pope’s forehead. In response, Pope Francis kissed the imam’s hand. The Pope told his audience that day that religions “have a role to play in helping everyone pass through the tunnels of life with our eyes turned towards the light.” He then continued, “I encourage you to continue along this path so that all of us, all of us together, each cultivating his or her own spirituality and practicing his or her religion, may walk in search of God and contribute to building open societies …” (16)
Any serious student of God’s Word should be able to spot the errors in the Pope’s way of thinking. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” This verse makes it clear that there is only one way to salvation, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only path to salvation!
The Pope also traveled to Singapore where he again sought to establish unity with other religions. At a gathering with young people at the Catholic Junior College in Singapore, Francis told his audience, “All religions are a path to reach God. They are – I make a comparison – like different languages, different idioms, to get there. But God is God for everyone. And since God is God for everyone, we are all children of God.” He then went on to say, “There is only one God, and our religions are languages, paths to reach God. Some are Sikh, some are Muslim, some are Hindu, some are Christian, but they are different paths.” (17)
The Pope’s teachings are contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. In John 8:44, our Saviour told His opponents, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” This point is further confirmed in Christ’s explanation of the Parable of the Tares and the Wheat. In Matthew 13:37-39, Jesus said, “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” Perhaps the Pope should spend less time kissing imams and lecturing the world about climate change and more time studying the Scriptures.
The Pathway To War
Retired four-star American General Jack Keane has made some alarming observations in recent weeks. According to a recent report, he believes that the United States of America is “on a pathway” to a third world war. (18) According to Keane, the war between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict between the State of Israel and Hezbollah, and the aggressive behavior of China are all troubling signs. “What has fundamentally changed from one administration to the other is Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea working together, collaborating, coordinating and truly helping each other. And the fact that they perceive the United States as being weak, and they’re going to take advantage of it, so they have been incentivized by their perception of us,” he opined. (19) This collaboration involves nations of dissimilar ideologies, but the one thing they all have in common is their hatred of the West.
In truth, there are multiple paths to World War III. If it becomes evident that Ukraine is ready to fall to Russia, one can only wonder if the European nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States would be willing to let Russia win the war. After all, the United States and NATO have poured billions upon billions of dollars into the war effort. It is certainly a possibility that NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine to fight in such a scenario. This, of course, is just one pathway to World War III.
We are witnessing unprecedented events in the Middle East. Even as the State of Israel has fought against Hamas in Gaza since October of last year, the Israeli military has also fought against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The events of September 2024 suggest that Israel is making a move to completely crush Hezbollah, a militant group known to be backed by Iran. On September 17, 2024, thousands of pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon suddenly exploded. It turns out that Israel had infiltrated the supply chain for these devices and had hidden explosives in them. Months later, the devices were detonated in a coordinated attack the likes of which had never been seen before. The next day, walkie talkies exploded. The two attacks injured about three thousand people and killed thirty-seven more. In the aftermath of these attacks, Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, gave a fiery speech on television promising that Israel would face repercussions for their actions. “Without a doubt, we have suffered a major blow,” Nasrallah lamented. He then insisted there would be a reckoning. “The reckoning will come. It’s nature, scope, when and where… that’s something we will definitely keep to ourselves. Within the tightest circle, even within ourselves, because we are in the most precise, sensitive, and deeply significant part of the battle,” he insisted. (20)
In the weeks that followed, Israel stepped up its attacks against Hezbollah, dealing one hard blow after another. The biggest blow would come on September 27 when Israel bombed Hezbollah’s headquarters in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The bombing leveled several buildings and killed Hassan Nasrallah. (21) In explaining their decision to launch the attack, Israel’s military said Nasrallah had “the blood of thousands… on his hands” and was “commanding more imminent attacks.” (22) In response, Iran promised that Nasrallah’s death “will not go unavenged.” (23) The world now waits with bated breath to see what Iran will do next. In any case, the events in Lebanon dramatically increase the likelihood of an all-out war in the Middle East. Given the fact that Iran is aligned with Russia and China, it could even be another path to World War III.
The world is on the precipice of great peril, and we must continue to pray without ceasing. While peace is elusive in this world, despite the plans of the United Nations, we the people of God can still have peace in our hearts. In Philippians 4:6-7, the Apostle Paul offers these encouraging words: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. If you have any prayer needs, we invite you to send us your requests. Each request is always given individual attention by our intercessors. 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. Bloomberg News, September 16, 2024, By Iain Marlow, bloomberg.com.
02. Ibid.
03. BBC News, February 1, 2024, By BBC News, bbc.com.
04. AFP, September 3, 2024, By AFP, english.alarabiya.net.
05. The United Nations, UN 2.0 - Quintet of Change, un.org.
06. The United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals, sdgs.un.org.
07. The United Nations, Our Common Agenda - UN 2.0, September 2024, un.org.
08. Ibid.
09. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. United Nations General Assembly, Agenda Item 123, September 20, 2024, un.org.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Western Journal, September 5, 2024, By Samuel Short, westernjournal.com.
17. The Pillar, September 13, 2024, By the Piller, pillercatholic.com.
18. Fox Business, September 6, 2024, By Agustin Hays, foxbusiness.com.
19. Ibid.
20. CNN, September 19, 2024, By Tamara Qiblawi, cnn.com.
21. BBC News, September 28, 2024, By David Gritten, bbc.com.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
Source
Despite recent challenges the United Nations is determined to stay relevant. To combat its image problem, the United Nations announced a new initiative in September 2023 called “UN 2.0.” Promising a “quintet of change,” the initiative seeks to turbocharge the UN’s efforts to bring its 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development to fruition. “Halfway through the 2030 Agenda, the world is not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. It is not too late to change course, if we all rethink, refocus, and recharge. ‘UN 2.0’ encapsulates the Secretary-General’s vision of a modern UN family, rejuvenated by a forward-thinking culture and empowered by cutting-edge skills for the twenty-first century – to turbocharge our support to people and the planet,” declares a statement on the UN’s website. (5)
It should be noted that when the UN talks about its “family,” it envisions a family that includes every man, woman, and child in the world. Without a doubt, the UN seeks to coerce the world into joining its efforts, even if many of us are not interested in doing so. The Scriptures make it clear that Christian people belong to the family of God. Galatians 3:26 declares, “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.” As God’s children, we are called to be different. Romans 12:2 instructs, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” I Peter 2:9-10 tells us to be “peculiar,” declaring, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” Finally, the Apostle Paul instructs us to separate ourselves from systems that are contrary to the Word of God. In II Corinthians 6:17-18 we read, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
Given the fact that we will reach 2030 in just over five years, we should all be aware of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda. According to official UN documentation, the 2030 Agenda was “adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015” and “provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity for people and the planet, now and into the future.” (6) The UN’s blueprint consists of seventeen Sustainable Development Goals, which impact nearly every facet of the human experience. In essence, it is a blueprint for establishing a global government to which all nations and all people are subservient.
Since the United Nations has not made the progress it wants to in reaching its goals, it hopes to rapidly push their agenda forward with the UN 2.0 initiative. What does this initiative entail? A document with more than forty pages, published in September 2023, describes how the UN will use behavioral science, digital technology, innovation, data, and strategic foresight to accomplish its goals. In particular, the document explains how they plan to scoop up vast amounts of data. “Nurturing modern data capacities is about making shifts in expertise, processes, and technology so that entities improve how they collect, handle, govern, and use data from more diverse sources to generate deeper insights for better decisions – powered by advanced analytics, machine learning, and visualization techniques,” the document states. (7) It should be noted that “machine learning” refers to a technique used by artificial intelligence to teach itself and expand its capabilities. Thus, the United Nations plans to collect vast amounts of data about us and then use artificial intelligence to decide what to do with that information.
In terms of innovation, the UN is planning to leverage emerging technologies to improve global health care. “Imagine a world in which innovative solutions transform health-care access for two billion people in rural and remote areas. With stronger innovation capacity, United Nations entities can support Member States in transporting medications and blood transfusions with delivery drones, facilitating virtual consultations between midwives and pregnant women on digital apps, and extending point-of-care diagnostics to isolated communities.” (8)
The UN plans to expand its use of digital technology to accomplish its goals and force more people into its multitentacled system. In particular, the UN says digital technology will be useful for “enabling learning via online platforms for the 244 million out-of-school children and young people.” Digital tech will also facilitate “financial inclusion for the 800 million women without accounts via better digital public infrastructure,” and provide “better services for refugees through mobile payments and digital registration.” (9) Thus, technology will be used to ensure that children are properly educated according to UN standards, and it will also facilitate a cashless society. The document states that the UN will “provide Member States with blueprints for a whole-of-society digital transformation approach.” (10)
The UN has ambitions to use behavioral science to fully realize its agenda, but what does this entail? The UN explains, “Nurturing behavioral science capacity is about building our knowledge of how people act, make decisions, and react to policies, processes, and incentives, in order to create better choices and positive change – in particular in the areas of inequality, exclusion, and discrimination.” (11) In other words, the UN wants to use behavioral science to manipulate the masses and ensure that the global population makes “better choices” instead of their own choices.
The Pact For The Future
The UN 2.0 initiative explains how the United Nations plans to achieve its goals, but what are those goals? In September 2024, leaders from around the world gathered at the UN headquarters in New York City for a summit called “The Pact for the Future.” The draft resolution for the gathering warns, “We are at a time of profound global transformation. We are confronted by rising catastrophic and existential risks, many caused by the choices we make. Fellow human beings are enduring terrible suffering. If we do not change course, we risk tipping into a future of persistent crisis and breakdown.” The document then insists that avoiding a calamitous future will require international cooperation. "This will require a recommitment to international cooperation based on respect for international law, without which we can neither manage the risks nor seize the opportunities that we face. This is not an option but a necessity.” (12) The document then goes on to reaffirm its commitment to the 2030 Agenda and details the steps supposedly required to make the world a better place.
One of the UN’s goals is to redistribute wealth on a global scale by establishing an international tax. On page six of the document, the UN says it aims to “promote inclusive and effective international tax cooperation, which contributes significantly to national efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, as it enables countries to effectively mobilize their domestic resources, and stress that the current international tax governance structures need improvements.” The UN also wants to “explore options for international cooperation on the taxation of high-net-worth individuals in the appropriate forums.” (13)
The UN believes it can bring peace and prosperity to the world by encouraging migration. Their agenda insists that the world must “maximize the positive contribution of migrants to the sustainable development of origin, transit, destination, and host countries and strengthen international partnerships and global cooperation for safe, orderly, and regular migration to comprehensively address the drivers of irregular migration and ensure the safety, dignity and human rights of all migrants, regardless of their migration status.” (14) In other words, you can reduce “irregular migration” by allowing people to freely cross national borders regardless of whether they are doing so with or without authorization. This is an audacious and ironic plan from an organization that has a fence around its building and armed security personnel to keep unauthorized individuals out. They make it known that you are no longer under the jurisdiction of the United States and no longer on American soil once you enter the United Nations.
As would be expected, the UN believes that women must be allowed to freely abort their babies. “We recognize that the achievement of full human potential and sustainable development is not possible if women and girls are denied full human rights and opportunities,” the document states. Naturally, the UN would not want to hamper a woman’s “opportunities” with an unwanted child, so they insist that we must “ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences.” (15) “Reproductive rights” is synonymous with “abortion rights.”
Thus, we see that the United Nations’ ideal world is something akin to a communist society where the wealth is redistributed, national borders are essentially open to allow the free flow of migrants, and women have universal access to abortion. Thankfully, the UN has not been able to reach its goals so far. Let’s hope and pray that it never does.
Pope Francis Stirs Controversy Again
There has never been a more controversial pontiff than Pope Francis. I have even heard from many Catholics who say they do not like his teachings, and with the latest controversy, it is easy to understand why. While the United Nations is hard at work trying to implement its 2030 Agenda and set up a global government, the Pope seems determined to unite the religions of the world. In September 2024, Francis traveled to four nations in Southeast Asia and Oceania on a twelve-day tour of interreligious dialog. This included a trip to Jakarta, Indonesia, where he appeared alongside Indonesia’s Islamic leader Nasaruddin Umar. The Islamic teacher, also called an imam, planted a kiss on the Pope’s forehead. In response, Pope Francis kissed the imam’s hand. The Pope told his audience that day that religions “have a role to play in helping everyone pass through the tunnels of life with our eyes turned towards the light.” He then continued, “I encourage you to continue along this path so that all of us, all of us together, each cultivating his or her own spirituality and practicing his or her religion, may walk in search of God and contribute to building open societies …” (16)
Any serious student of God’s Word should be able to spot the errors in the Pope’s way of thinking. In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” This verse makes it clear that there is only one way to salvation, and that is through the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the only path to salvation!
The Pope also traveled to Singapore where he again sought to establish unity with other religions. At a gathering with young people at the Catholic Junior College in Singapore, Francis told his audience, “All religions are a path to reach God. They are – I make a comparison – like different languages, different idioms, to get there. But God is God for everyone. And since God is God for everyone, we are all children of God.” He then went on to say, “There is only one God, and our religions are languages, paths to reach God. Some are Sikh, some are Muslim, some are Hindu, some are Christian, but they are different paths.” (17)
The Pope’s teachings are contrary to the teachings of Jesus Christ. In John 8:44, our Saviour told His opponents, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” This point is further confirmed in Christ’s explanation of the Parable of the Tares and the Wheat. In Matthew 13:37-39, Jesus said, “He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” Perhaps the Pope should spend less time kissing imams and lecturing the world about climate change and more time studying the Scriptures.
The Pathway To War
Retired four-star American General Jack Keane has made some alarming observations in recent weeks. According to a recent report, he believes that the United States of America is “on a pathway” to a third world war. (18) According to Keane, the war between Russia and Ukraine, the conflict between the State of Israel and Hezbollah, and the aggressive behavior of China are all troubling signs. “What has fundamentally changed from one administration to the other is Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea working together, collaborating, coordinating and truly helping each other. And the fact that they perceive the United States as being weak, and they’re going to take advantage of it, so they have been incentivized by their perception of us,” he opined. (19) This collaboration involves nations of dissimilar ideologies, but the one thing they all have in common is their hatred of the West.
In truth, there are multiple paths to World War III. If it becomes evident that Ukraine is ready to fall to Russia, one can only wonder if the European nations of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the United States would be willing to let Russia win the war. After all, the United States and NATO have poured billions upon billions of dollars into the war effort. It is certainly a possibility that NATO troops could be sent to Ukraine to fight in such a scenario. This, of course, is just one pathway to World War III.
We are witnessing unprecedented events in the Middle East. Even as the State of Israel has fought against Hamas in Gaza since October of last year, the Israeli military has also fought against Hezbollah in Lebanon. The events of September 2024 suggest that Israel is making a move to completely crush Hezbollah, a militant group known to be backed by Iran. On September 17, 2024, thousands of pagers carried by Hezbollah operatives in Lebanon suddenly exploded. It turns out that Israel had infiltrated the supply chain for these devices and had hidden explosives in them. Months later, the devices were detonated in a coordinated attack the likes of which had never been seen before. The next day, walkie talkies exploded. The two attacks injured about three thousand people and killed thirty-seven more. In the aftermath of these attacks, Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, gave a fiery speech on television promising that Israel would face repercussions for their actions. “Without a doubt, we have suffered a major blow,” Nasrallah lamented. He then insisted there would be a reckoning. “The reckoning will come. It’s nature, scope, when and where… that’s something we will definitely keep to ourselves. Within the tightest circle, even within ourselves, because we are in the most precise, sensitive, and deeply significant part of the battle,” he insisted. (20)
In the weeks that followed, Israel stepped up its attacks against Hezbollah, dealing one hard blow after another. The biggest blow would come on September 27 when Israel bombed Hezbollah’s headquarters in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. The bombing leveled several buildings and killed Hassan Nasrallah. (21) In explaining their decision to launch the attack, Israel’s military said Nasrallah had “the blood of thousands… on his hands” and was “commanding more imminent attacks.” (22) In response, Iran promised that Nasrallah’s death “will not go unavenged.” (23) The world now waits with bated breath to see what Iran will do next. In any case, the events in Lebanon dramatically increase the likelihood of an all-out war in the Middle East. Given the fact that Iran is aligned with Russia and China, it could even be another path to World War III.
The world is on the precipice of great peril, and we must continue to pray without ceasing. While peace is elusive in this world, despite the plans of the United Nations, we the people of God can still have peace in our hearts. In Philippians 4:6-7, the Apostle Paul offers these encouraging words: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. If you have any prayer needs, we invite you to send us your requests. Each request is always given individual attention by our intercessors. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Samuel David Meyer
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Acknowledgments
01. Bloomberg News, September 16, 2024, By Iain Marlow, bloomberg.com.
02. Ibid.
03. BBC News, February 1, 2024, By BBC News, bbc.com.
04. AFP, September 3, 2024, By AFP, english.alarabiya.net.
05. The United Nations, UN 2.0 - Quintet of Change, un.org.
06. The United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals, sdgs.un.org.
07. The United Nations, Our Common Agenda - UN 2.0, September 2024, un.org.
08. Ibid.
09. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Ibid.
12. United Nations General Assembly, Agenda Item 123, September 20, 2024, un.org.
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Ibid.
16. Western Journal, September 5, 2024, By Samuel Short, westernjournal.com.
17. The Pillar, September 13, 2024, By the Piller, pillercatholic.com.
18. Fox Business, September 6, 2024, By Agustin Hays, foxbusiness.com.
19. Ibid.
20. CNN, September 19, 2024, By Tamara Qiblawi, cnn.com.
21. BBC News, September 28, 2024, By David Gritten, bbc.com.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
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