Volume XXXVIII      Issue IV      April 2019
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org

The Startling Endeavors Of Humanity

"For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows."

"He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong."

"The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect."

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will examine current events and the startling endeavors of humanity. As we consider the headlines of today, it will become evident that mankind suffers from destructive tendencies. For example, in last month's issue of this newsletter, I reported that scientists are planning to conduct experiments this spring that will involve an attempt to partially block the sun and thus reduce the effects of global warming on this planet. This story is bizarre enough, but now another report has surfaced detailing how scientists will soon be hard at work attempting to modify a dangerous strain of bird flu and make it more contagious and easily transmissible to humans, thus creating a more deadly virus. (1) This work, which is being done at the behest of the United States government, had been ongoing for years until a group of hundreds of scientists issued a statement in 2014 warning just how dangerous these experiments are. In response to the uproar, the government ordered a pause on the research at that time, but now the tests will resume. (2)

The work is to be done at two science labs. One is headed by Ron Fouchier in the Netherlands and the other by Yoshihiro Kawaoka at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. (3) This development has raised the ire of Steven Salzberg, who is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Computer Science, and Biostatistics at John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. In a piece published by Forbes Magazine, Professor Salzberg wrote, "I can't quite fathom why NIH (National Institutes of Health) seems to be so enraptured with the work of these two labs that, rather than simply deny them funding, it has ignored the warnings of hundreds of scientists and now risks creating a new influenza pandemic." (4) Dr. Marc Lipsitch, who is a professor of Epidemiology at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is also alarmed by this research and fears it could bring disastrous consequences to the whole world. "This is a global issue, and standards we set in the United States will be imitated, whether they are high or low. The people at risk are not only Americans. If there's a big pandemic, it's a big pandemic for everybody." (5)

The notion that the United States government intentionally manufactures viruses is no longer just a conspiracy theory. If the modified virus that these scientists are developing ever escapes from their laboratories, it could have unthinkable repercussions on humanity. Interestingly enough, Jesus, speaking of the days before His return, warned us in Matthew 24:7, "For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." One of the dictionary definitions for the word pestilence is: "a deadly or virulent epidemic disease." (6) Pestilence already afflicts our world, especially in Africa where outbreaks of the Ebola Virus seem to surface every few years. A present epidemic of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo began in August 2018 and has infected nearly a thousand people since that time. (7) As such, we see that pestilence is one of the many dangers our fallen world faces today, and even though science and technology are supposed to be used to eradicate disease, the scientific community could actually cause more of it.

Artificial Intelligence Is Changing The World

These days, there are stories of sophisticated facial recognition programs, self-driving cars, robots walking and working among people, and the integration of artificial intelligence with many facets of the human experience. Are these stories works of science fiction set in the distant future? No, these are stories about technology that exists today. The news headlines of today are replete with examples of how artificial intelligence, or AI, is changing the world.

Consider what is happening in Houston, Texas. In March 2019 it was announced that two Kroger supermarkets in the Houston area are now offering customers the option of having groceries delivered to their homes by self-driving robotic cars. These cars, which were developed by a company known as Nuro, are diminutive in size and apparently quite efficient. "We generally feel that when you remove passengers from the vehicle, you can make it much safer for everyone else on the road. For example, our vehicle is much smaller, it's much lighter, it sort of collapses in the unlikely event of any collision," boasted Nuro co-founder Dave Ferguson. (8) Prior to its launch in Houston, the cars were tested in the state of Arizona. During a trial run in August 2018, a customer marveled at the small size of the vehicle and reportedly told her husband, "We just got our groceries delivered by a robot." (9)

Meanwhile, the iconic drugstore chain known as Walgreens is testing new technology that watches customers as they make their selections in the snack aisle. The chain's new "smart coolers" observe customers as they shop, noting which selections are picked up, put back, and ultimately purchased. These cameras use artificial intelligence to infer the customer's gender and age and thus determine which products are popular among specific demographics. Walgreens announced in January 2019 that they are testing these coolers in Chicago, Illinois, with plans to also test the new technology in New York City and San Francisco, California. (10)

The Internet, which is widely used by multitudes of people, has allowed us access to a vast array of news sources. No longer restricted by what we can read on paper, there are thousands upon thousands of news stories available online each and every day. What may come as a surprise; however, is the fact that many of the stories now published by news outlets do not have a human author. Instead, computer systems enabled with artificial intelligence are writing the news. Such was the case during Switzerland's November 2018 election when an AI program known as Tobi wrote 40,000 news stories. (11) Another AI program known as Heliograf has been writing for the Washington Post since 2014. A variety of major news outlets have also followed suit. Bloomberg has an AI system they call Cyborg, and Reuters has a program they call Lynx Insight. Additionally, the Los Angeles Times uses artificial intelligence to write news reports about earthquakes. Speaking of this rapid transformation in the manner news is published, Professor Damien Radcliffe from the University of Oregon was quoted as saying, "We've seen a greater acceptance of the potential for artificial intelligence, or robo-journalism, in newsrooms around the world. These systems can offer speed and accuracy and potentially support the realities of smaller newsrooms and the time pressures of journalists." (12)

Artificial intelligence is also quite adept at writing fake news, too. A new system known as GPT2 is so sophisticated that it can read a small portion of text and then generate entire pages of fiction that mimic the style and mood of the original words. Its capabilities surprise even the program's developers who have taken the unusual step of not releasing their product to the general public because of fears that it would be widely abused. (13)

We see a small glimpse of what artificial intelligence can do today. In the future, this technology will likely be far more advanced. Remarkably, American President Donald Trump signed an executive order on February 11, 2019, which promotes and urges further development of artificial intelligence. (14) The President's order seeks to ensure that the United States remains the world's leader in the development of such technology. "Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to drive growth of the United States economy, enhance our economic and national security, and improve the quality of life. The United States is the world leader in AI research and development (R&D) and deployment. Continued American leadership in AI is of paramount importance to maintaining the economic and national security of the United States and to shaping the global evolution of AI in a manner consistent with our Nation's values, policies, and priorities," section 1 of the order declares. (15)

Mind-Bending Computer Technology

Even as artificial intelligence continues to make inroads into our everyday lives, computers themselves are rapidly advancing as well. In March 2019 Business Insider reported that the computer processor manufacturer known as Intel is currently building a new supercomputer for the United States Department of Energy. This new computer, which has been named Aurora, will be able to process one quintillion calculations per second. One quintillion is a number that is equal to one billion times one billion. It is believed that this supercomputer, which is scheduled for completion in 2021, will be used for a wide array of applications, including space simulations, drug research, and weapons testing. (16) Such a computer would also, no doubt, be very useful to an antichrist one world government attempting to track and monitor billions of people.

In another strange twist, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg recently told an audience at Harvard University that his company is working to develop equipment that will allow human brains to interface with computers. The technology will be able to literally read your mind and allow users to perform computer functions by merely thinking of them. As Zuckerberg described their plans, he attempted to assuage privacy concerns. "Presumably, this would be something that someone would choose to use as a product." (17) It should be obvious, though, that just because the use of such technology is voluntary in the beginning does not mean that it will not be made compulsory later.

Meanwhile, a neuroscientist by the name of Dr. Moran Cerf, who is a professor at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, is hard at work designing a so-called "smart chip" for the human brain. The professor claims that his chip will dramatically increase human intelligence. "Make it so that it has an Internet connection, and goes to Wikipedia, and when I think this particular thought, it gives me the answer," Dr. Cerf said. (18) According to the report published by CBS News, Dr. Cerf claims this technology could be ready in as little as five years. (19) I believe this is an attempt to override the limitations of the human brain and elevate man to a god-like status. Interestingly enough, in recent years thousands of people have received microchip implants. These microchips are usually implanted in people's hands. Now we see that Dr. Cerf wants to put chips in people's heads. As such, we see the potential for microchips and computer chips to control both human action and human thought.

The technology that surrounds us in this modern age is closing in and becoming increasingly invasive. The end result could very well be a tech-driven totalitarian state where privacy simply no longer exists. Yet, we know the One who can interrupt plans. Ultimately, it is God who is in control. For as it tells us in Psalm 33:10, "The LORD bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: he maketh the devices of the people of none effect." Similarly, Job 5:12 assures, "He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise." We also know that God helps His people and is able to shield us from the evil to come. Psalm 115:11 declares, "Ye that fear the LORD, trust in the LORD: he is their help and their shield."

Turmoil In American Religion

In years past, the United States of America was commonly referred to as a "Christian nation." It is a country that is well known for its religious institutions and traditions, but recent trends indicate that religious adherence in America is beginning to fade. According to a recent poll conducted by the National Opinion Research Center, or NORC, the number of Americans who claim no religious affiliation and are commonly referred to as nones has now reached a number that is equivalent to those who call themselves evangelical Christians. The research revealed that 23.1 percent of those who were surveyed claimed to have no religion, while those who called themselves evangelicals comprised 22.8 percent of the respondents. (20) A Gallup study in 2018 revealed that church attendance in America is steadily falling, too. In 2008, 42 percent of poll respondents said that they attended church services "weekly or almost every week." By the year 2017, that number had fallen to 38 percent. (21) Because of this trend, between 6,000 and 10,000 churches in the United States cease to exist each year. (22) As church leaders grow increasingly desperate, some have taken the unusual step of leasing their building space to other businesses in an effort to stay solvent. "Churches close when they can't get beyond that unless they have some extraordinary other way to get people to come attend," said Larry Duggins, who runs an organization called Missional Wisdom Foundation, which helps churches find business partners. (23)

To be sure, if a church is not preaching the truth from God's Word, it is no great loss if they close their doors, and sadly, for many religious groups, their biggest concern seems to be collecting money. Considering how often we hear of scandals within religious institutions, it is not a great surprise that people are leaving in droves. The Roman Catholic Church, in particular, has been engulfed in scandal in recent years. An article published in August 2018 revealed that 6,721 Catholic priests in the United States were reported for sexual abuse between the years 1950 and 2016. During that same period, 18,565 victims came forward. In Australia, there have been 4,444 allegations of sexual abuse perpetrated by Catholic clergy and officials during the years of 1980 through 2015. In total, 848 priests were defrocked by the Vatican, and 2,500 more were otherwise punished between the years 2004 and 2014. (24) More recently, Australian Cardinal George Pell was sentenced to six years in prison for the abuse of two 13-year-old choirboys. (25) As a result of the endless flood of scandals, a large percentage of Catholic people are considering leaving their church. According to a Gallup survey, 37 percent of American Catholics who responded to the poll are reconsidering whether or not they should remain faithful to their religion. (26)

Sadly, Roman Catholicism is not the only religious denomination facing scandal today. The Southern Baptist Convention has also been investigated. During this investigation, it was discovered that hundreds of Baptist staff and clergy members in the United States had been reported for sexual abuse over the course of the last twenty years. It is believed that there are more than 700 victims. (27)

Another religious denomination facing controversy today is the United Methodist Church although for an entirely different reason. In February 2019 the religious group held a major convention to vote on whether or not to allow same-sex marriage and the ordination of homosexuals as clergy. Traditionally, the group agreed with God's unchangeable Word that homosexual behavior is forbidden. The vote, which should not even have been necessary, decided by a tally of 438 to 384 to maintain a Biblical view on homosexual behavior, which means that the prohibition on homosexual clergy will stand. (28) The losing minority, however, is hopping mad. "Three out of four millennials who live in the U.S. support same-sex marriage and do not want to be a part of a church that makes their friends feel like second-class Christians," complained Adam Hamilton, who is a minister at a Methodist church in Kansas. He further went on to say, "Many of you have children and grandchildren who cannot imagine that we're voting this way today. They wonder, have these people lost their minds?" (29) The reality is that whatever men or women may think or however they may feel and regardless of what the majority may want, it does not change the Word of God.

In Luke 18:8 Jesus asks, "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" It is a question that might cause some uneasiness, yet, Jesus Himself answers it in Matthew 28:20 when He told his disciples, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world." This promise assures us that not only will God be with us, but also that Jesus will have a people even until the very end.

The Age Of Gender Confusion

Without a doubt, we live in an age of confusion. With that confusion has risen an abundance of dissatisfaction regarding gender. There are women who want to be men, men who want to be women, and those who claim to be neither male nor female, but rather, gender non-conforming or non-binary. The Scriptures clearly state that there are two genders. Genesis 1:27 informs, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them."

In the July 2017 issue of the Last Trumpet, I reported that Oregon would soon become the first state in the United States to allow people to select a third gender on their identification cards and drivers licenses. This change was brought about mainly due to the efforts of one man named Jamie Shupe. At the time in 2017, Mr. Shupe claimed that he was neither male nor female, but rather a non-binary person. He reveled in the manner by which he was disrupting the status quo, stating, "All the Bible-thumpers believe that there's only males and females according to the Bible. I'm the person who destroyed that in the United States." (30) In 2017, he became the very first United States citizen to legally be declared non-binary. Amazingly enough, this man has changed his mind and now insists that he is not non-binary after all, but rather a man. After enduring numerous treatments with the aim of modifying his gender, Shupe said in March 2019, "Now I want to live again as the man that I am." He later went on to say, "My psyche is eternally scarred, and I've got a host of health issues from the grand medical experiment." (31) Now, this man who was once praised by liberals is completely rejected by them including those who identify as LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender.) There are many others who have undergone procedures to change their bodies permanently. They, like Mr. Shupe, could one day come to regret their decisions.

Sadly, a new trend has emerged in America wherein parents are raising so-called "genderless" babies. Instead of raising boys as boys and girls as girls, the young children are being raised as neither until they are old enough to tell their parents what gender they think they are. "We don't want our children pigeon-holed. We don't want our children to not be able to be as successful as they potentially could be," stated a child psychiatrist who specializes in "genderless" children. (32)

It is an undeniable fact that impressionable children are being targeted for programming by the LGBT movement. In fact, drag queens, which are flamboyant male entertainers who dress as women in over-the-top outfits and exaggerated makeup, have been making appearances at public libraries all across the United States in order to read stories to children. These events, which are known as "Drag Queen Story Hour" or "Drag Queen Story Time," happen on a regular basis. One of the drag queens who reads to young children even has the audacity to call himself "Annie Christ." In case it is not obvious, this name, which is blasphemous, is supposed to sound like "anti-Christ." (33) As would be expected, these events have been controversial, and in March 2019 the Houston Public Library was forced to issue an apology to the public when it was made known that a drag queen who had made an appearance at their facility was a registered sex offender. "We were made aware today that one participant for Drag Queen Story Time who read at the September 29, 2018, Drag Queen Story Time has a criminal background that should have prevented him from participating in the program," the library said in a statement. The library further went on, "In our review of our process and of this participant, we discovered that we failed to complete a criminal background check as required by our own guidelines. We deeply regret this oversight and the concern this cause our customers. We realize this is a serious matter." (34) This is indeed an astonishing thing; children are being targeted and brainwashed, and parents all over the United States are okay with it. These young people certainly need prayer.

In closing, it is painfully evident that we all need God's help in these trying times. Following a harsh winter with much snowfall, a large portion of the Midwestern United States is suffering from disastrous flooding due to rainfall and snowmelt. The flooding has been unusually harsh in the state of Nebraska where seventy-four cities and sixty-five counties declared an emergency in March 2019. (35) According to a report by USA Today, the expansive flooding could impact 200 million Americans nationwide. "The flooding this year could be worse than what we have seen in previous years… even worse than the historic floods we saw in 1993 and 2011," said National Weather Service deputy director Mary Erickson. (36) The devastating floods are expected to last throughout spring. "The extensive flooding we've seen in the past two weeks will continue through May and become more dire and may be exacerbated in the coming weeks as the water flows downstream," said Ed Clark, director of the National Water Center in Alabama. (37) Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds in speaking of these floods was quoted as saying, "We're in for the long haul. We're just getting started." (38)

Truly, we need God's help now more than ever. We live in a time of trouble, yet we know that our Saviour will carry us through the floods, both natural and spiritual, if we put our trust in Him. In Matthew 7:24-25, Jesus our Saviour assures us, "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock." I encourage every reader of this newsletter to heed the words of our Lord. If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.

Thank you to our kind supporters who make this newsletter possible. If you have any prayer requests, you are welcomed as always to send them our way. Our intercessors give each request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.