America - A Nation Oppressed And Controlled!
Volume XXIX Issue IX September 2010
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
America - A Nation Oppressed And Controlled!
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
I John 2:15-17
"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."
Hebrews 13:14
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Revelation 21:1-8
In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again examine the current events of our time as we move ever closer to the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is so much going wrong in this world, and it is so very clear which direction we are headed. We need our faith in Jesus now more than ever, for these are very distressing times. If I didn't have the Lord with me, if I didn't have God on my side, I find it doubtful that I could even handle reading the news. It has become an endless stream of evil with one thing after another going wrong. I urge each and every one of you to yield your hearts to God and receive the salvation of Christ while you still can. Time is short!
There is a heavy foreboding throughout the world as many people can feel the pressure of these last days and sense that something very bad is going to happen. The scientific community generally attributes this to what they call global warming or climate change. In fact, Ove Hoegh-Guildberg, the director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland in Australia, recently issued the statement, "We are well on our way to the next great extinction event." (1) The overwhelming sentiment seems to be that the world is on the very brink of an irreversible tipping point. It is because of this that they surmise that drastic action must now be taken in an effort to save the planet. The truth is, though people can drive their hybrid cars, recycle, compost, and do everything possible to reduce their carbon footprints, all of these efforts will change nothing. The Bible tells us this world is going to burn, and there is nothing that Al Gore, Barack Obama, the scientists or you can do about it. Don't let that scare you though. God has promised us "a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."
The BP Spill Aftermath
On July 15th, 2010, British Petroleum finally managed to cap their leak in the Gulf of Mexico and stop the flow of oil. It was the largest accidental oil spill of all time with an estimated 4.9 million barrels gushing into the Gulf. (2) Remarkably, much of the spilled oil seems to have already disappeared. Although that may seem like good news, experts familiar with the situation are worried that much of the oil is now underwater and may be impossible to capture or clean up. (3)
Another issue is the massive amounts of a highly toxic dispersant known as Corexit 9500 that BP used on the spill. Despite an order by the Environmental Protection Agency to use the dispersant sparingly, the Coast Guard issued seventy-four waivers, which allowed over a million gallons of the dangerous substance to be used. This activity has attracted the ire of Representative Edward Markey, D-Mass., who stated in a letter, "BP often carpet bombed the ocean with these chemicals and the Coast Guard allowed them to do it." (4) Dr. William Sawyer, a toxicology expert said, "The dispersants used in the BP clean-up efforts, known as 'Corexit 9500' and 'Corexit EC9527A' are also known as deodorized kerosene. With respect to marine toxicity and potential human health risks, studies of kerosene exposures strongly indicate potential health risks to volunteers, workers, sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles, and all species which need to surface for air exchanges, as well as birds and all other mammals. Additionally, I have considered marine species which surface for atmospheric inhalation such as sea turtles, dolphins and other species which are especially vulnerable to aspiration toxicity of 'Corexit 9500' into the lung while surfacing." (5) Corexit was used in massive quantities despite the availability of less toxic dispersants such as Dispersit, which is manufactured by the U.S. Polychemical Corporation. (6)
The Road To Recovery Or The Road To Ruin?
Our leaders in Washington continue to insist that the economy is recovering. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently stated, "You are seeing a recovery. You're seeing private investment expand again, job growth starting to come back. And that's very encouraging." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke also informed us that we would see "moderate growth, a gradual decline in the unemployment rate and subdued inflation over the next several years." (7)
The "gradual decline" of unemployment in this country has been very gradual indeed. A report by the Associated Press indicates that 71,000 private-sector jobs were added in July. This is a paltry number and doesn't even put a dent in the 9.5% of unemployed workers. The United States would need to add 200,000 jobs per month to make any significant gains. And even at that pace, it would still take years to regain all the jobs that were lost since the recession began. The same report indicates that 14.6 million Americans want jobs but are unable to find work. (8)
Many economists and other financial experts are now saying we could be heading for a "double-dip" recession, which is a recession followed by a short period of growth, followed by another recession. Peter Morici, a business economist from the University of Maryland, stated, "Signs abound that the economic recovery is faltering." An economist from Yale University named Robert Shiller claims that there is more than a 50-50 chance of a double dip. Even former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan admitted that a double dip recession could happen. (9)
The housing market continued to decline in July after the market ceased to be propped up by government incentives. Home-buying applications sank to a 13-year low according to Reuters News Service. (10) Reuters also reported that homebuilder confidence was at a 15-month low, (11) and banks are repossessing homes at a record pace. Banks took control of 269,962 homes in the second quarter of 2010 and are expected to foreclose on more than one million homes this year. (12) An unfortunate consequence of the housing collapse in this country has been an increase in homelessness. In 2009, more than 170,000 families had to seek refuge in homeless shelters, which was a whopping 30% increase since 2007. (13)
Regulators at the FDIC continue to shut down banks. Recent closures include banks in Florida, Georgia, Oregon, and Washington. The number of failed banks in the United States soared to 108 in July, and we will likely see more closures throughout the year. It's interesting to note that only three banks failed in 2007, twenty-five failed in 2008, and 140 failed in 2009. (14)
Yes, they call these the days of "recovery." And during these days of recovery, we have seen headlines such as "Economists see U.S. Recovery Weakening," (15) "State Governors Face Fiscal Strain," (16) "Federal Reserve Worry List Gets Longer," (17) "U.S. Counties Confront Shortfalls With Cuts," (18) "Schwarzeneggger Declares California Fiscal Emergency," (19) "Joblessness and Housing Add Risks to U.S. Recovery," (20) "More Americans' Credit Scores Sink to New Lows," (21) and "Competing Currency Being Accepted Across Mid-Michigan." (22) Apparently, some of the citizens of Michigan have such little confidence in U.S. currency that they are instead using money made at private mints. (23)
Meanwhile, there's chatter in Washington about raising the age one can collect Social Security to age seventy. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD., stated "We're lying to ourselves and our children if we say we can maintain our current levels of entitlement spending, defense spending and taxation without bankrupting our country. We could and should consider a higher retirement age or one pegged to life span, more progressive Social Security and Medicare benefits, and a stronger safety net for the Americans who need it most." (24) U.S. News and World Reports published an article last month entitled "Eight Realities of the New Retirement." The article contained suggestions such as "continue employment," instead of retiring, and even going back to school. (25) It's starting to look like many Americans may never even get a chance to retire. A recent report from The Business Insider indicated that 36% of Americans don't contribute anything to a retirement plan, and 43% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. (26)
Perhaps you've heard that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is disappearing altogether. Recent news reports indicate that is precisely what is happening. Consider the following facts: 83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people, over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, (27) while 40 million Americans are now receiving food stamps. On the other hand, the number of millionaires increased 17.5 percent in 2009 over ten major metropolitan areas in the United States. (28)
Technology and the Death of Privacy!
There's a lot of amazing technology out there these days. And while this technology can be fun to play with and seemingly make our lives easier and more interesting, we need to keep in mind that the coming New World Order would be unable to operate without these amazing modern advances. We now live in a world where consumers carry a wide variety of gadgets that keep them connected to the Internet at all times. In fact, we can now use what they call "mobile broadband" to go online almost anywhere in the country as long as there are cell towers nearby.
Not only can we stay connected to the "world wide web" almost anywhere, but many people voluntarily report much of their activities to a website known as a Facebook. Facebook is a social networking site where you can post status updates to your friends and acquaintances, post pictures and videos, play games, and interact with other members of the website. Facebook is so addicting that many people are now checking it as soon as they wake up, even before using the bathroom. (29)
There has been a lot of controversy over Facebook's privacy policies these last few years. Many members grew upset after Facebook made certain information, such as friends' lists and pictures, available for everyone on the Internet to view. After receiving a lot of unwanted publicity, Facebook relented and added new privacy controls to ease the fears of its members.
But the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, doesn't seem to consider privacy all that important. In January of 2010 he stated, "People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time. We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are." (30)
It is likely that Facebook does store all the data its members submit indefinitely. It's possible that they may be holding onto your data, (which by the way, they consider their data) even after you cancel your membership and leave the site. So without even realizing it, Facebook members are leaving behind a wealth of information about themselves, their personal lives, and their families. Of course, if the federal government were to come along and request this information, I find it unlikely that Facebook would refuse to hand it over.
If you happen to be a smartphone user, your phone apps may be spying on you. According to an Associated Press article, many applications for Apple's iPhone and Google's Android operating system are pulling sensitive data off your phone and sending it to third parties. This data can include your contacts, pictures, text messages, and Internet histories. (31) I guess that explains why so many apps are "free."
CNET News has reported that HP Labs is looking to build computers that monitor every move you make. The computers would track every song you listen to, every movie you watch, every book you read, and probably every other thing you do on the machine. HP Labs director Prith Banerjee stated, "When you think about it, HP sells 75 million PCs per year. That is an incredible place through which we can monitor all kinds of things. If you look at Google, if you look at Amazon, they are only able to look at what a consumer is doing on their web page." (32)
Oppression In The Last Days!
There seems to be a horrific abuse of power these days, whether it be by school officials, law enforcement, or the federal government. Here are just a few examples:
In Providence, Rhode Island, school officials banned an eight year-old boy's hat because it was decorated with toy soldiers carrying weapons. The boy and his parents were told his hat violated a strict zero-tolerance weapons policy. (33)
In Portland, Oregon, health inspectors shut down a seven year-old's lemonade stand after discovering she didn't have a $120 license to operate it. (34)
Police officers in El Reno, Oklahoma, tasered an 86 year-old disabled grandmother not once, but twice, after she supposedly "took a more aggressive posture in her bed." The officers also stepped on the woman's oxygen hose until she began to suffer from oxygen deprivation. (35)
President Obama has been urging federal employees to cut down on business travel and commuting by car in an effort to reduce pollution. In a statement issued in July 2010, Obama said, "The government has a responsibility to use that energy wisely, to reduce consumption, improve efficiency, use renewable energy, like wind and solar, and cut costs." (36) I wonder if our President is planning to reduce his own consumption. Is he going to cut down on business travel and commute less? Is Obama going to improve personal efficiency and cut costs? No, Obama likes to fly around in huge gas guzzling planes and to ride around in big gas guzzling cars. Someone should do a study on the size of Obama's carbon footprint. It's probably enormous.
On August 6, 2010, Rasmussen Reports published the results of a shocking poll. The results indicate that 9% of Americans believe the federal government should be allowed to do whatever they want. That number itself is disturbing enough, but the results also indicated that within the U.S. Political Class, 54% believe the government "should be allowed to do most anything." (37) So basically, within our leadership and amongst those running the United States, over half of them believe there should be no limits on what they can do. At a town hall meeting last July, Democratic congressman Pete Stark of California stated, "I think that there are very few constitutional limits that would prevent the federal government from rules that could affect your private life." He further went on to say, "The federal government, yes, can do most anything in this country." (38) Clearly, the Political Class and the members of our government consider themselves an elite class, which is better than the ordinary American people.
Perhaps one of the most astounding discoveries regarding our government was uncovered by a twelve year-old girl. BridgeAnne d'Avigon started a genealogical research project at age ten. Upon completion, she discovered that every President of the United States is related to each other except for one. With the exception of Martin Van Buren, each president can be traced back to King John of England, including our current president, Barack Obama. (39) This is either one of the most extraordinary coincidences in the history of mankind, or it indicates there is an unseen force influencing and manipulating the presidential office of the United States.
War and More War!
The war in Afghanistan has now dragged on for nearly nine years. Despite the fact that the U.S. military possesses amazing technology and all sorts of advanced weaponry, they have been unable to overthrow the Taliban and win that conflict. Sadly, sixty-three U.S. soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan last month. According to an Associated Press report, the month of July 2010 was the deadliest month on record in the Afghan war for the United States. (40) You would think that after nine long years of war, things would be getting better and not worse.
Not only is the U.S. military having difficulty winning the Afghan war, they're spending billions of dollars in the process. Last month, Barack Obama signed a spending bill to finance a surge in troops. The price tag on that bill is nearly 59 billion dollars with 37 billion of that going to the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts. The U.S. Congress has appropriated over a trillion dollars for war since 2001. (41)
Meanwhile, tensions between the United States and Iran remain high. When the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, was asked if the U.S. military had any contingency plans to attack Iran, he confirmed that such plans do exist. In response, Iran has claimed they have already dug mass graves for U.S. troops in advance preparation of any American attack. (42) The hostility between Iran and the United States has prompted Toyota Motor Corp to cease all exports to Iran. (43) The UN Security Council, the United States, and the European Union have all enacted or expanded sanctions against Iran. In retaliation to those sanctions, the Iranian government has announced they will no longer use U.S. dollars or euros. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi reportedly said, "These currencies are filthy and we will no longer sell our oil in dollar and euro." (44) As we watch things continue to intensify between the United States and Iran, one can only wonder how long it will be before we see World War III.
North Korea also remains a potential threat. After the United States and South Korea performed joint naval drills together in a show of force, North Korea responded by firing 110 rounds of artillery near its disputed sea border with South Korea. (45) This reaction was much less drastic than the previously issued threat to mount a nuclear response against the United States and South Korea. (46)
I have an article in front of me with the headline, "Chinese Missile Could Shift Pacific Power Balance." The article reports that China is in the process of perfecting a new missile called the Dong Feng 21D. This missile is so advanced that it can be launched from land and accurately hit moving aircraft carriers at a distance of 900 miles. This new missile is causing considerable worry among those in Washington and in the U.S. military. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued the following statement, "When considering the military-modernization programs of countries like China, we should be concerned less with their potential ability to challenge the U.S. symmetrically -- fighter to fighter or ship to ship -- and more with their ability to disrupt our freedom of movement and narrow our strategic options." (47) It's quite obvious that China has aspirations of taking over the role of "world's greatest superpower."
The Dark Rise of Vampirism!
A recent report by AFP, entitled "Vampires Get Their Teeth Into U.S. Public," highlights a disturbing trend. More and more teenagers and young adults now consider themselves vampires. According to the article, hundreds of "vampires" are gathering together to attend balls every few months. One such vampire, known as Seregon O'Dalley, stated, "It's like a religion. There are houses, and pageants, and clans, and kinds of presidents, ministers." The article also reports that she loves the taste of blood. "Every once in a while I drink blood. I make a prick on my finger and take the blood," she says. (48) Vampirism has been growing in popularity over the last few years due to the Twilight series of books and movies and the HBO television show known as "True Blood."
While Twilight may seem harmless to some, it serves as an introduction to vampire culture for many young people. Additionally, the movies have instilled a grievous amount of lust within not only teenage girls, but also within grown women in their 20s, 30s, and even in their 40s, as they swoon over the often shirtless male stars. As for "True Blood" the show is rated TV-MA and is reportedly so full of sex and violence that many of the show's fans affectionately refer to it as "vamporn." Quite obviously, Christians should stay away from it.
The Earth in Distress!
On July 5, 2010, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured an interesting little tidbit in its Earthweek section. Apparently, religious leaders in India's holy city of Varanasi decided to perform "frog weddings" in an attempt to please their rain gods. "This is an age-old tradition that if frogs are wedded, then Indra Dev will be pleased and monsoon will come," organizer Munna Lal Yadav said. (49) Since that time there have been floods and landslides all over Asia.
In Pakistan, the floods are reportedly the worst they have ever had. One hundred thirty-two people have been killed, hundreds are still missing, and fifteen million more have been displaced. A flood in China's Gansu killed at least 127 people while entire villages have been covered in water, mud, and rocks. China has seen its worst flooding in a decade this year with over 1,100 people killed and hundreds more still missing. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, floods have killed 132 people and injured 500 more. (50)
As always, the daily earthquakes continue. Earthquakes have become so common that they are now considered part of the norm and generally don't garner a lot of attention from the news media. While it's true that many earthquakes are not deadly, shouldn't the fact that the earth is constantly rumbling be a cause of concern to the world's population? While people continue to deny any significance of the quakes, they will grow in frequency and intensity as we move through these last days. Recent significant earthquakes include a 7.1-magitude quake in Ecuador on August 12, 2010, a 7.3-magnitude quake in Vanuatu on August 10, 2010, and a 7.0 quake in Papua, New Guinea, on August 4, 2010. (51)
In closing, I urge all of you to put your trust and hope in our Almighty God. I know that reading about what is happening in this world may be hard to bear, but we must remember that this world we presently live in is only temporary. Jesus has promised us Paradise, and when we get there we won't need to worry about earthquakes, floods, oil spills, wars between the nations, or economic distress. All of the problems and issues discussed in this newsletter will be non-existent, and we will live in perfect harmony with God and His people. If you have not yet completely yielded your heart to God, I urge you to do so now. Thank you to all who support this ministry. Your prayers and contributions are greatly appreciated as we seek to get the end time Gospel message to as many people as possible. As usual, if you have any prayer requests, you are welcomed to send them to us, and our teams of intercessors will give each request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samuel David Meyer
Acknowledgements
01. McClatchy Newspapers, July 04, 2010, By Les Blumenthal, Washington, D.C.
02. AFP, August 2, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
03. McClatchy Newspapers, July 30, 2010, By Curtis Morgan.
04. Associated Press, August 1, 2010, By H. Josef Hebert and Michael Kunzelman, New Orleans, LA.
05. PRNewswire, May 11, 2010, By PRNewswire, New Orleans, LA.
06. Wired, May 5, 2010, By Brandon Keim.
07. AFP, July 24, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
08. Associated Press, August 6, 2010, By The Associated Press.
09. Associated Press, July 31, 2010, By Tom Raum, Washington, D.C.
10. Reuters News Service, July 14, 2010, By Lynn Adler, New York, NY.
11. Reuters News Service, July 19, 2010, By Corbett B. Daly, Washington, D.C.
12. Reuters News Service, July 15, 2010, By Lynn Adler, New York, NY.
13. McClatchy News Service, June 17, 2010, By Tony Pugh, Washington, D.C.
14. Associated Press, July 30, 2010, By Marcy Gorden, Washington, D.C.
15. Reuters News Service, July 10, 2010, By Pedro Nicolaci da Costa, Washington, D.C.
16. Reuters News Service, July 12, 2010, By Ros Krasny, Boston, MA.
17. Reuters News Service, July 11, 2010, By Emily Kaiser, Washington, D.C.
18. Reuters News Service, July 9, 2010, By Lisa Lambert, Washington, D.C.
19. Reuters News Service, July 28, 2010, By Jim Christie, San Francisco, CA.
20. Reuters News Service, July 8, 2010, By David Lawder, Washington, D.C.
21. Associated Press, July 12, 2010, By Eileen AJ Connelly, New York, NY.
22. ConnectMidMichigan, July 12, 2010, By ConnectMidMichigan, http://connectmidmichigan.com.
23. Ibid.
24. McClatchy Newspapers, July 9, 2010, By David Lightman, Washington, D.C.
25. U.S. News And World Reports, July 10, 2010, By Philip Moeller.
26. The Business Insider, July 15, 2010, By Michael Snyder.
27. Ibid.
28. ABC News, August 5, 2010, By Rich Blake.
29. AFP, July 7, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
30. ReadWriteWeb, January 9, 2010, By Marshall Kirkpatrick, http://readwriteweb.com.
31. Associated Press, July 28, 2010, By Jordan Robertson, Las Vegas, NV.
32. CNET News, August 6, 2010, By Ina Fried, http://cnet.com.
33. Associated Press, June 18, 2010, By Michelle R. Smith, Providence, RI.
34. The Oregonian, August 04, 2010, By Helen Jung.
35. Courthouse News Service, June 24, 2010, By Tim Hull.
36. Associated Press, July 20, 2010, By Erica Werner, Washington, D.C.
37. Rasmussen Reports, August 6, 2010, By Rasmussen Reports.
38. Ibid.
39. Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 16, 2010, By Megha Satyanarayana, Santa Cruz, CA.
40. Associated Press, July 30, 2010, By Robert H. Reid, Kabul, Afghanistan.
41. AFP, July 29, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
42. Associated Press, August 10, 2010, By Associated Press, Tehran, Iran.
43. The Japan Times, August 12, 2010, By The Japan Times, Nagoya, Japan.
44. AFP, August 10, 2010, By AFP, Tehran, Iran.
45. Associated Press, August 9, 2010, By Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, South Korea.
46. Associated Press, July 24, 2010, By Jim Gomez, Hanoi, Vietnam.
47. Associated Press, August 5, 2010, By Eric Talmadge, Aboard the USS George Washington.
48. AFP, July 20, 2010, By Paola Messana, New York, NY.
49. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 5, 2010, By Steve Newman.
50. Associated Press, August 8, 2010, By Ashraf Khan and Aijaz Hussain.
51. US Geological Survey, August 12, 2010, http://usgs.gov.
Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed at http://pastormeyer.org.
http://lasttrumpetministries.org
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
America - A Nation Oppressed And Controlled!
"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever."
I John 2:15-17
"For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come."
Hebrews 13:14
"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."
Revelation 21:1-8
In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will once again examine the current events of our time as we move ever closer to the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. There is so much going wrong in this world, and it is so very clear which direction we are headed. We need our faith in Jesus now more than ever, for these are very distressing times. If I didn't have the Lord with me, if I didn't have God on my side, I find it doubtful that I could even handle reading the news. It has become an endless stream of evil with one thing after another going wrong. I urge each and every one of you to yield your hearts to God and receive the salvation of Christ while you still can. Time is short!
There is a heavy foreboding throughout the world as many people can feel the pressure of these last days and sense that something very bad is going to happen. The scientific community generally attributes this to what they call global warming or climate change. In fact, Ove Hoegh-Guildberg, the director of the Global Change Institute at the University of Queensland in Australia, recently issued the statement, "We are well on our way to the next great extinction event." (1) The overwhelming sentiment seems to be that the world is on the very brink of an irreversible tipping point. It is because of this that they surmise that drastic action must now be taken in an effort to save the planet. The truth is, though people can drive their hybrid cars, recycle, compost, and do everything possible to reduce their carbon footprints, all of these efforts will change nothing. The Bible tells us this world is going to burn, and there is nothing that Al Gore, Barack Obama, the scientists or you can do about it. Don't let that scare you though. God has promised us "a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness."
The BP Spill Aftermath
On July 15th, 2010, British Petroleum finally managed to cap their leak in the Gulf of Mexico and stop the flow of oil. It was the largest accidental oil spill of all time with an estimated 4.9 million barrels gushing into the Gulf. (2) Remarkably, much of the spilled oil seems to have already disappeared. Although that may seem like good news, experts familiar with the situation are worried that much of the oil is now underwater and may be impossible to capture or clean up. (3)
Another issue is the massive amounts of a highly toxic dispersant known as Corexit 9500 that BP used on the spill. Despite an order by the Environmental Protection Agency to use the dispersant sparingly, the Coast Guard issued seventy-four waivers, which allowed over a million gallons of the dangerous substance to be used. This activity has attracted the ire of Representative Edward Markey, D-Mass., who stated in a letter, "BP often carpet bombed the ocean with these chemicals and the Coast Guard allowed them to do it." (4) Dr. William Sawyer, a toxicology expert said, "The dispersants used in the BP clean-up efforts, known as 'Corexit 9500' and 'Corexit EC9527A' are also known as deodorized kerosene. With respect to marine toxicity and potential human health risks, studies of kerosene exposures strongly indicate potential health risks to volunteers, workers, sea turtles, dolphins, breathing reptiles, and all species which need to surface for air exchanges, as well as birds and all other mammals. Additionally, I have considered marine species which surface for atmospheric inhalation such as sea turtles, dolphins and other species which are especially vulnerable to aspiration toxicity of 'Corexit 9500' into the lung while surfacing." (5) Corexit was used in massive quantities despite the availability of less toxic dispersants such as Dispersit, which is manufactured by the U.S. Polychemical Corporation. (6)
The Road To Recovery Or The Road To Ruin?
Our leaders in Washington continue to insist that the economy is recovering. U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner recently stated, "You are seeing a recovery. You're seeing private investment expand again, job growth starting to come back. And that's very encouraging." Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke also informed us that we would see "moderate growth, a gradual decline in the unemployment rate and subdued inflation over the next several years." (7)
The "gradual decline" of unemployment in this country has been very gradual indeed. A report by the Associated Press indicates that 71,000 private-sector jobs were added in July. This is a paltry number and doesn't even put a dent in the 9.5% of unemployed workers. The United States would need to add 200,000 jobs per month to make any significant gains. And even at that pace, it would still take years to regain all the jobs that were lost since the recession began. The same report indicates that 14.6 million Americans want jobs but are unable to find work. (8)
Many economists and other financial experts are now saying we could be heading for a "double-dip" recession, which is a recession followed by a short period of growth, followed by another recession. Peter Morici, a business economist from the University of Maryland, stated, "Signs abound that the economic recovery is faltering." An economist from Yale University named Robert Shiller claims that there is more than a 50-50 chance of a double dip. Even former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan admitted that a double dip recession could happen. (9)
The housing market continued to decline in July after the market ceased to be propped up by government incentives. Home-buying applications sank to a 13-year low according to Reuters News Service. (10) Reuters also reported that homebuilder confidence was at a 15-month low, (11) and banks are repossessing homes at a record pace. Banks took control of 269,962 homes in the second quarter of 2010 and are expected to foreclose on more than one million homes this year. (12) An unfortunate consequence of the housing collapse in this country has been an increase in homelessness. In 2009, more than 170,000 families had to seek refuge in homeless shelters, which was a whopping 30% increase since 2007. (13)
Regulators at the FDIC continue to shut down banks. Recent closures include banks in Florida, Georgia, Oregon, and Washington. The number of failed banks in the United States soared to 108 in July, and we will likely see more closures throughout the year. It's interesting to note that only three banks failed in 2007, twenty-five failed in 2008, and 140 failed in 2009. (14)
Yes, they call these the days of "recovery." And during these days of recovery, we have seen headlines such as "Economists see U.S. Recovery Weakening," (15) "State Governors Face Fiscal Strain," (16) "Federal Reserve Worry List Gets Longer," (17) "U.S. Counties Confront Shortfalls With Cuts," (18) "Schwarzeneggger Declares California Fiscal Emergency," (19) "Joblessness and Housing Add Risks to U.S. Recovery," (20) "More Americans' Credit Scores Sink to New Lows," (21) and "Competing Currency Being Accepted Across Mid-Michigan." (22) Apparently, some of the citizens of Michigan have such little confidence in U.S. currency that they are instead using money made at private mints. (23)
Meanwhile, there's chatter in Washington about raising the age one can collect Social Security to age seventy. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-MD., stated "We're lying to ourselves and our children if we say we can maintain our current levels of entitlement spending, defense spending and taxation without bankrupting our country. We could and should consider a higher retirement age or one pegged to life span, more progressive Social Security and Medicare benefits, and a stronger safety net for the Americans who need it most." (24) U.S. News and World Reports published an article last month entitled "Eight Realities of the New Retirement." The article contained suggestions such as "continue employment," instead of retiring, and even going back to school. (25) It's starting to look like many Americans may never even get a chance to retire. A recent report from The Business Insider indicated that 36% of Americans don't contribute anything to a retirement plan, and 43% of Americans have less than $10,000 saved for retirement. (26)
Perhaps you've heard that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and the middle class is disappearing altogether. Recent news reports indicate that is precisely what is happening. Consider the following facts: 83 percent of all U.S. stocks are in the hands of 1 percent of the people, over 1.4 million Americans filed for personal bankruptcy in 2009, (27) while 40 million Americans are now receiving food stamps. On the other hand, the number of millionaires increased 17.5 percent in 2009 over ten major metropolitan areas in the United States. (28)
Technology and the Death of Privacy!
There's a lot of amazing technology out there these days. And while this technology can be fun to play with and seemingly make our lives easier and more interesting, we need to keep in mind that the coming New World Order would be unable to operate without these amazing modern advances. We now live in a world where consumers carry a wide variety of gadgets that keep them connected to the Internet at all times. In fact, we can now use what they call "mobile broadband" to go online almost anywhere in the country as long as there are cell towers nearby.
Not only can we stay connected to the "world wide web" almost anywhere, but many people voluntarily report much of their activities to a website known as a Facebook. Facebook is a social networking site where you can post status updates to your friends and acquaintances, post pictures and videos, play games, and interact with other members of the website. Facebook is so addicting that many people are now checking it as soon as they wake up, even before using the bathroom. (29)
There has been a lot of controversy over Facebook's privacy policies these last few years. Many members grew upset after Facebook made certain information, such as friends' lists and pictures, available for everyone on the Internet to view. After receiving a lot of unwanted publicity, Facebook relented and added new privacy controls to ease the fears of its members.
But the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, doesn't seem to consider privacy all that important. In January of 2010 he stated, "People have really gotten comfortable not only sharing more information and different kinds, but more openly and with more people. That social norm is just something that has evolved over time. We view it as our role in the system to constantly be innovating and be updating what our system is to reflect what the current social norms are." (30)
It is likely that Facebook does store all the data its members submit indefinitely. It's possible that they may be holding onto your data, (which by the way, they consider their data) even after you cancel your membership and leave the site. So without even realizing it, Facebook members are leaving behind a wealth of information about themselves, their personal lives, and their families. Of course, if the federal government were to come along and request this information, I find it unlikely that Facebook would refuse to hand it over.
If you happen to be a smartphone user, your phone apps may be spying on you. According to an Associated Press article, many applications for Apple's iPhone and Google's Android operating system are pulling sensitive data off your phone and sending it to third parties. This data can include your contacts, pictures, text messages, and Internet histories. (31) I guess that explains why so many apps are "free."
CNET News has reported that HP Labs is looking to build computers that monitor every move you make. The computers would track every song you listen to, every movie you watch, every book you read, and probably every other thing you do on the machine. HP Labs director Prith Banerjee stated, "When you think about it, HP sells 75 million PCs per year. That is an incredible place through which we can monitor all kinds of things. If you look at Google, if you look at Amazon, they are only able to look at what a consumer is doing on their web page." (32)
Oppression In The Last Days!
There seems to be a horrific abuse of power these days, whether it be by school officials, law enforcement, or the federal government. Here are just a few examples:
In Providence, Rhode Island, school officials banned an eight year-old boy's hat because it was decorated with toy soldiers carrying weapons. The boy and his parents were told his hat violated a strict zero-tolerance weapons policy. (33)
In Portland, Oregon, health inspectors shut down a seven year-old's lemonade stand after discovering she didn't have a $120 license to operate it. (34)
Police officers in El Reno, Oklahoma, tasered an 86 year-old disabled grandmother not once, but twice, after she supposedly "took a more aggressive posture in her bed." The officers also stepped on the woman's oxygen hose until she began to suffer from oxygen deprivation. (35)
President Obama has been urging federal employees to cut down on business travel and commuting by car in an effort to reduce pollution. In a statement issued in July 2010, Obama said, "The government has a responsibility to use that energy wisely, to reduce consumption, improve efficiency, use renewable energy, like wind and solar, and cut costs." (36) I wonder if our President is planning to reduce his own consumption. Is he going to cut down on business travel and commute less? Is Obama going to improve personal efficiency and cut costs? No, Obama likes to fly around in huge gas guzzling planes and to ride around in big gas guzzling cars. Someone should do a study on the size of Obama's carbon footprint. It's probably enormous.
On August 6, 2010, Rasmussen Reports published the results of a shocking poll. The results indicate that 9% of Americans believe the federal government should be allowed to do whatever they want. That number itself is disturbing enough, but the results also indicated that within the U.S. Political Class, 54% believe the government "should be allowed to do most anything." (37) So basically, within our leadership and amongst those running the United States, over half of them believe there should be no limits on what they can do. At a town hall meeting last July, Democratic congressman Pete Stark of California stated, "I think that there are very few constitutional limits that would prevent the federal government from rules that could affect your private life." He further went on to say, "The federal government, yes, can do most anything in this country." (38) Clearly, the Political Class and the members of our government consider themselves an elite class, which is better than the ordinary American people.
Perhaps one of the most astounding discoveries regarding our government was uncovered by a twelve year-old girl. BridgeAnne d'Avigon started a genealogical research project at age ten. Upon completion, she discovered that every President of the United States is related to each other except for one. With the exception of Martin Van Buren, each president can be traced back to King John of England, including our current president, Barack Obama. (39) This is either one of the most extraordinary coincidences in the history of mankind, or it indicates there is an unseen force influencing and manipulating the presidential office of the United States.
War and More War!
The war in Afghanistan has now dragged on for nearly nine years. Despite the fact that the U.S. military possesses amazing technology and all sorts of advanced weaponry, they have been unable to overthrow the Taliban and win that conflict. Sadly, sixty-three U.S. soldiers lost their lives in Afghanistan last month. According to an Associated Press report, the month of July 2010 was the deadliest month on record in the Afghan war for the United States. (40) You would think that after nine long years of war, things would be getting better and not worse.
Not only is the U.S. military having difficulty winning the Afghan war, they're spending billions of dollars in the process. Last month, Barack Obama signed a spending bill to finance a surge in troops. The price tag on that bill is nearly 59 billion dollars with 37 billion of that going to the Iraq and Afghanistan war efforts. The U.S. Congress has appropriated over a trillion dollars for war since 2001. (41)
Meanwhile, tensions between the United States and Iran remain high. When the chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, was asked if the U.S. military had any contingency plans to attack Iran, he confirmed that such plans do exist. In response, Iran has claimed they have already dug mass graves for U.S. troops in advance preparation of any American attack. (42) The hostility between Iran and the United States has prompted Toyota Motor Corp to cease all exports to Iran. (43) The UN Security Council, the United States, and the European Union have all enacted or expanded sanctions against Iran. In retaliation to those sanctions, the Iranian government has announced they will no longer use U.S. dollars or euros. First Vice President Mohammad Reza Rahimi reportedly said, "These currencies are filthy and we will no longer sell our oil in dollar and euro." (44) As we watch things continue to intensify between the United States and Iran, one can only wonder how long it will be before we see World War III.
North Korea also remains a potential threat. After the United States and South Korea performed joint naval drills together in a show of force, North Korea responded by firing 110 rounds of artillery near its disputed sea border with South Korea. (45) This reaction was much less drastic than the previously issued threat to mount a nuclear response against the United States and South Korea. (46)
I have an article in front of me with the headline, "Chinese Missile Could Shift Pacific Power Balance." The article reports that China is in the process of perfecting a new missile called the Dong Feng 21D. This missile is so advanced that it can be launched from land and accurately hit moving aircraft carriers at a distance of 900 miles. This new missile is causing considerable worry among those in Washington and in the U.S. military. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued the following statement, "When considering the military-modernization programs of countries like China, we should be concerned less with their potential ability to challenge the U.S. symmetrically -- fighter to fighter or ship to ship -- and more with their ability to disrupt our freedom of movement and narrow our strategic options." (47) It's quite obvious that China has aspirations of taking over the role of "world's greatest superpower."
The Dark Rise of Vampirism!
A recent report by AFP, entitled "Vampires Get Their Teeth Into U.S. Public," highlights a disturbing trend. More and more teenagers and young adults now consider themselves vampires. According to the article, hundreds of "vampires" are gathering together to attend balls every few months. One such vampire, known as Seregon O'Dalley, stated, "It's like a religion. There are houses, and pageants, and clans, and kinds of presidents, ministers." The article also reports that she loves the taste of blood. "Every once in a while I drink blood. I make a prick on my finger and take the blood," she says. (48) Vampirism has been growing in popularity over the last few years due to the Twilight series of books and movies and the HBO television show known as "True Blood."
While Twilight may seem harmless to some, it serves as an introduction to vampire culture for many young people. Additionally, the movies have instilled a grievous amount of lust within not only teenage girls, but also within grown women in their 20s, 30s, and even in their 40s, as they swoon over the often shirtless male stars. As for "True Blood" the show is rated TV-MA and is reportedly so full of sex and violence that many of the show's fans affectionately refer to it as "vamporn." Quite obviously, Christians should stay away from it.
The Earth in Distress!
On July 5, 2010, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel featured an interesting little tidbit in its Earthweek section. Apparently, religious leaders in India's holy city of Varanasi decided to perform "frog weddings" in an attempt to please their rain gods. "This is an age-old tradition that if frogs are wedded, then Indra Dev will be pleased and monsoon will come," organizer Munna Lal Yadav said. (49) Since that time there have been floods and landslides all over Asia.
In Pakistan, the floods are reportedly the worst they have ever had. One hundred thirty-two people have been killed, hundreds are still missing, and fifteen million more have been displaced. A flood in China's Gansu killed at least 127 people while entire villages have been covered in water, mud, and rocks. China has seen its worst flooding in a decade this year with over 1,100 people killed and hundreds more still missing. In Indian-controlled Kashmir, floods have killed 132 people and injured 500 more. (50)
As always, the daily earthquakes continue. Earthquakes have become so common that they are now considered part of the norm and generally don't garner a lot of attention from the news media. While it's true that many earthquakes are not deadly, shouldn't the fact that the earth is constantly rumbling be a cause of concern to the world's population? While people continue to deny any significance of the quakes, they will grow in frequency and intensity as we move through these last days. Recent significant earthquakes include a 7.1-magitude quake in Ecuador on August 12, 2010, a 7.3-magnitude quake in Vanuatu on August 10, 2010, and a 7.0 quake in Papua, New Guinea, on August 4, 2010. (51)
In closing, I urge all of you to put your trust and hope in our Almighty God. I know that reading about what is happening in this world may be hard to bear, but we must remember that this world we presently live in is only temporary. Jesus has promised us Paradise, and when we get there we won't need to worry about earthquakes, floods, oil spills, wars between the nations, or economic distress. All of the problems and issues discussed in this newsletter will be non-existent, and we will live in perfect harmony with God and His people. If you have not yet completely yielded your heart to God, I urge you to do so now. Thank you to all who support this ministry. Your prayers and contributions are greatly appreciated as we seek to get the end time Gospel message to as many people as possible. As usual, if you have any prayer requests, you are welcomed to send them to us, and our teams of intercessors will give each request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Samuel David Meyer
Acknowledgements
01. McClatchy Newspapers, July 04, 2010, By Les Blumenthal, Washington, D.C.
02. AFP, August 2, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
03. McClatchy Newspapers, July 30, 2010, By Curtis Morgan.
04. Associated Press, August 1, 2010, By H. Josef Hebert and Michael Kunzelman, New Orleans, LA.
05. PRNewswire, May 11, 2010, By PRNewswire, New Orleans, LA.
06. Wired, May 5, 2010, By Brandon Keim.
07. AFP, July 24, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
08. Associated Press, August 6, 2010, By The Associated Press.
09. Associated Press, July 31, 2010, By Tom Raum, Washington, D.C.
10. Reuters News Service, July 14, 2010, By Lynn Adler, New York, NY.
11. Reuters News Service, July 19, 2010, By Corbett B. Daly, Washington, D.C.
12. Reuters News Service, July 15, 2010, By Lynn Adler, New York, NY.
13. McClatchy News Service, June 17, 2010, By Tony Pugh, Washington, D.C.
14. Associated Press, July 30, 2010, By Marcy Gorden, Washington, D.C.
15. Reuters News Service, July 10, 2010, By Pedro Nicolaci da Costa, Washington, D.C.
16. Reuters News Service, July 12, 2010, By Ros Krasny, Boston, MA.
17. Reuters News Service, July 11, 2010, By Emily Kaiser, Washington, D.C.
18. Reuters News Service, July 9, 2010, By Lisa Lambert, Washington, D.C.
19. Reuters News Service, July 28, 2010, By Jim Christie, San Francisco, CA.
20. Reuters News Service, July 8, 2010, By David Lawder, Washington, D.C.
21. Associated Press, July 12, 2010, By Eileen AJ Connelly, New York, NY.
22. ConnectMidMichigan, July 12, 2010, By ConnectMidMichigan, http://connectmidmichigan.com.
23. Ibid.
24. McClatchy Newspapers, July 9, 2010, By David Lightman, Washington, D.C.
25. U.S. News And World Reports, July 10, 2010, By Philip Moeller.
26. The Business Insider, July 15, 2010, By Michael Snyder.
27. Ibid.
28. ABC News, August 5, 2010, By Rich Blake.
29. AFP, July 7, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
30. ReadWriteWeb, January 9, 2010, By Marshall Kirkpatrick, http://readwriteweb.com.
31. Associated Press, July 28, 2010, By Jordan Robertson, Las Vegas, NV.
32. CNET News, August 6, 2010, By Ina Fried, http://cnet.com.
33. Associated Press, June 18, 2010, By Michelle R. Smith, Providence, RI.
34. The Oregonian, August 04, 2010, By Helen Jung.
35. Courthouse News Service, June 24, 2010, By Tim Hull.
36. Associated Press, July 20, 2010, By Erica Werner, Washington, D.C.
37. Rasmussen Reports, August 6, 2010, By Rasmussen Reports.
38. Ibid.
39. Santa Cruz Sentinel, February 16, 2010, By Megha Satyanarayana, Santa Cruz, CA.
40. Associated Press, July 30, 2010, By Robert H. Reid, Kabul, Afghanistan.
41. AFP, July 29, 2010, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
42. Associated Press, August 10, 2010, By Associated Press, Tehran, Iran.
43. The Japan Times, August 12, 2010, By The Japan Times, Nagoya, Japan.
44. AFP, August 10, 2010, By AFP, Tehran, Iran.
45. Associated Press, August 9, 2010, By Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, South Korea.
46. Associated Press, July 24, 2010, By Jim Gomez, Hanoi, Vietnam.
47. Associated Press, August 5, 2010, By Eric Talmadge, Aboard the USS George Washington.
48. AFP, July 20, 2010, By Paola Messana, New York, NY.
49. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, July 5, 2010, By Steve Newman.
50. Associated Press, August 8, 2010, By Ashraf Khan and Aijaz Hussain.
51. US Geological Survey, August 12, 2010, http://usgs.gov.
Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed at http://pastormeyer.org.
http://lasttrumpetministries.org
posted by shummer60 at Monday, September 06, 2010
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