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

A Way Of Escape In Our Troubled World

"There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man."

"Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

"Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will consider the current events of our day and the desperation that is taking hold within the world's scientific community. By now, most people have heard about climate change, which has become a catch-all scapegoat for nearly every disastrous occurrence in nature. Now, the United Nations is instilling more fear and panic amongst the world's population. In a report published in May 2019, the UN makes the claim that up to one million animal species on planet earth could go extinct within decades. The report further claims that reversing this trend will require "transformative change" from the human race and a drastic overhaul of the way people produce and consume goods and services. "We are eroding the very foundations of our economies, livelihoods, food security, health, and quality-of-life worldwide," warned Robert Watson who chaired the committee responsible for the report. (1) An open letter penned by famous conservationist Jane Goodall and numerous other well-known individuals agrees with the United Nations' assessment. "We must radically change the way we live, including how we use energy to power our societies, grow our food, and manage our waste," the letter declares. (2)

We should always be wary when experts talk about "radical" or "transformative" change. The changes these people speak of invariably involve taking away the rights and the freedoms of individuals for the sake of the so-called common good, and we know that ultimately the United Nations seeks to establish a one world government. Such a government would no doubt implement sweeping restrictions in an effort to reverse climate change and the loss of biodiversity, and it could result in new population control measures, even limiting how many children a family is allowed to have. The aforementioned Mr. Watson was quoted as saying, "There are also two big indirect drivers of biodiversity loss and climate change - the number of people in the world and their growing ability to consume." (3)

Despite all the talk of reversing climate change and stopping biodiversity loss, there is an underlying truth that the scientific community seems to be aware of yet reluctant to admit outright. This truth is the simple fact that the planet we live on today is not going to last forever. Although scientists may be reticent to tell the world that the planet's days are numbered, there has been a marked increase in space exploration plans in recent years. Amid these plans which are now underway, we sometimes find some rather peculiar statements. Such is the case in an opinion piece written by Buzz Aldrin, a former astronaut whom they say once walked on the moon. "Mars is waiting to be discovered, not by clever robots and rovers - though I support NASA's unmanned missions - but by living, breathing, walking, talking, caring and daring men and women," Aldrin wrote. He later went on to write, "The United States' eyes - and our unified commitment - should focus on opening the door, in our time, to the great migration of humankind to Mars." (4)

Could Buzz Aldrin be referring to a plan for humanity to escape from a planet that is dying? I do not believe that it is a coincidence that some of the wealthiest men in the world are now feverishly working to develop spacecraft. These men include Tesla Motors' founder Elon Musk, who also owns a space exploration company known as SpaceX, and Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, who is funding the development of spaceships at another company he owns called Blue Origin. (5) Speaking at an event in May 2019, Bezos told his audience of grand plans to build colonies in outer space. "Space is the only way to go," Bezos said after warning that the earth's resources will one day run out. Describing the elaborate space colonies that he envisions, Bezos then said, "People are going to want to live here." (6)

Another billionaire with big ambitions is Richard Branson. The wealthy Englishman, who is well-known for founding Virgin Records, Virgin Airways, and Virgin Mobile among numerous other ventures, also has a space exploration company called Virgin Galactic. Speaking of space exploration, Branson was quoted as saying, "Our future success as a species rests on the planetary perspective. The perspective that we know comes sharply into focus when that planet is viewed from the black sky of space." (7) Virgin Galactic, which has already built space vehicles intended for tourists, is hoping to begin launching people to the edge of outer space later this year. "Hopefully by the end of the year I'll be going up, and then we'll start taking other people up," Branson said. (8) Blue Origin is also hoping to begin launching human beings into space in 2019. (9)

While it may seem enticing for some to escape this troubled planet and make a new world somewhere else, the fact of the matter is that humanity cannot outrun or outsmart God. Ultimately, this planet is facing destruction just as scientists suspect, but God has an escape plan for his people. In II Peter 3:12-13 we read, "Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." Jesus Himself told us what we must do to escape the ultimate destruction of this planet. In Luke 21:36, our Saviour tells us, "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man." We also know that not only is Jesus Christ the way to salvation, but He is also the way to escape. For as it tells us in John 14:6. "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The Deluge In America

The spring of 2019 has been an eventful time for the United States. While it is not unusual to hear of flooding in some areas of the country, the extent of flooding experienced in the Midwestern United States and other regions since March has been mind-boggling. Since that time the rain has just kept falling and falling and falling. In late May 2019, it was reported that flooding in the states of Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Nebraska and Iowa has forced some residents to evacuate their homes. (10) An emergency was declared in the state of Arkansas by Governor Asa Hutchinson just prior to the Arkansas River reaching a record level of 38.3 feet. The National Weather Service estimates that the river could reach a level of 42.5 feet by May 28, 2019. (11) Meanwhile, residents in Tulsa, Oklahoma, have been warned that they may need to evacuate as well. "So far this month, nearly 12 inches of rain has soaked Tulsa, Oklahoma. The city averages nearly 6 inches for the entire month," said meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski. (12) The city of Wichita, Kansas, has also received almost 12 inches of rain in May 2019. (13)

According to a statement released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, a full two-thirds of the states in the continental United States could experience flooding this year. "This is shaping up to be a potentially unprecedented flood season, with more than 200 million people at risk for flooding in their communities," said Ed Clark of NOAA. (14) The soggy conditions in the United States have been problematic for American farmers looking to plant their crops. As of this writing, farmers have been able to plant only 49 percent of their corn crops so far this year and just 19 percent of their soybeans. (15) Should this trend continue, the American people could see a substantial increase in food prices in the coming months.

Even as much of the country contends with significant flooding, portions of the United States have been experiencing an unusually high number of tornadoes. In early May 2019, it was reported that the state of Mississippi had experienced eighty-three tornadoes from January to April, a number that is about four times greater than usual. (16) During this same period, nearby states also saw an uptick in tornadoes, with Alabama experiencing seventy-one, Georgia experiencing fifty-three, and Missouri experiencing forty-four. (17) In April 2019, nearly 250 tornadoes formed in the United States, some of which came in large clusters. Seventy tornadoes touched down between April 13-15, and ninety-six more of these powerful storms formed between April 17-19. Seventeen more formed from April 22-25. (18) May was a busy month for tornadoes, too. Sixty-seven tornadoes were reported from May 17-20 in the states of Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Kansas, and Nebraska. (19) On a national level, 248 tornadoes were verified by the National Weather Service between May 17-26. (20) While the United States has experienced many tornadoes over the years, an article from the Omaha World-Herald has warned that these storms are now happening in swarms more frequently than they did in prior days. (21)

Without a doubt, the United States has suffered from a great deal of strange weather and natural disasters. From the polar vortex of last winter and the mountains of snow that came with it, we have now moved on to flooding and tornadoes. The scriptures tell us that God sometimes uses storms to get people's attention. Isaiah 29:6 declares, "Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire." Conversely, Isaiah 25:4 reassures, "For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall."

The Days Of Pestilence Continue

By now, avid students of the Bible are well aware that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, warned that there would be times of pestilence on this earth. This is a problem that humanity continues to grapple with, and for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, it only seems to be getting worse. The African country has been battling the deadly Ebola virus, and it was reported on April 28, 2019, that a record-breaking twenty-six people had died from Ebola infections in just one day. (22) On May 2, 2019, deaths from Ebola infections exceeded one thousand for the first time. (23) Health workers have been unable to stop the spread of the disease in part because so many people in the Congo refuse to cooperate and in some cases are actually attacking and killing medical personnel. As of early May, there had been 119 attacks since January 2019 with eighty-five health workers being wounded or killed. "Every time we have managed to regain control over the virus and contain its spread, we have suffered major, major security events. We are anticipating a scenario of continued intense transmission," said Michael Ryan of the World Health Organization. (24) By May 26, 2019, The death toll from Ebola in the Congo had reached 1,277. (25)

Even as the Congolese people battle Ebola, a deadly virus has surfaced in China. This virus functions very similarly to Ebola, but rather than infecting people it has primarily infected swine. The disease, which is known as African swine fever and first hit China in August 2018, has resulted in the culling of at least one million pigs in the Asian country, and it is estimated that one hundred times more could be lost due to this incurable disease. (26) Interestingly enough, more than half of the world's pigs are raised in China, and the Chinese people seem to have an insatiable appetite for pork. Pork is such an important part of China's economy that a doubling of its cost would result in an inflation rise of 5.4 percent. (27) The African swine fever has already caused a ripple effect around the world. With so many herds of swine lost, China has increased its pork imports, thus causing an increase in price in both the United States and the European Union. (28) Coincidentally, according to the Chinese calendar, it is currently "the year of the pig." Could God be judging China for its harsh persecution of Christians?

The Shifting Values Of The American People

If it seems as if the values of America's young people are different from previous generations, it is not your imagination. Recent articles have surfaced showing that many of today's young people have an entirely different mindset. For example, a poll of American college students found that 41 percent of respondents do not believe that hate speech should be protected by the first amendment of the United States Constitution. (29) This is troubling. While I have no appreciation for hateful and harmful words, in today's society, the term "hate speech" can be highly subjective. In fact, if you quoted certain verses from the Bible, many people would probably classify them as hate speech. For example, the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 1:26-27, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." These verses are contrary to popular opinion and would be rejected by most liberals and even some church-goers today. As the younger generations slowly take over the American government, it would not be surprising to see restrictions on free speech put in place. They might even try to censor God's unchangeable Word, although such an endeavor would ultimately be fruitless. Jesus said in Mark 13:31, "Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away." Nevertheless, we see that a growing number of American people do not appreciate the rights they have, and as such, they may someday lose them.

Furthermore, a large portion of the American population have accepted socialism. We have already seen socialists rise to prominence in government including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, and presidential candidate Bernie Sanders. To further demonstrate this shift in American values, a report from Gallup, which was published on May 20, 2019, declares in its headline, "Four in 10 Americans Embrace Some Form of Socialism." (30)

The American people should be careful for what they wish. In most cases, the rise of socialism or communism leads to a secular society where the government becomes the god of the people and is responsible for providing for its citizens' needs. Such systems lead to oppression, which we have seen in countries such as Cuba, North Korea, and China. Here let it be noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping gave a speech to the youth of his country on April 30, 2019, and urged the young people to give their devotion and love to the Communist Party. "It's very shameful if a person isn't patriotic or even deceives or betrays the motherland. There is no place for such a person to stand anywhere," Xi declared. He further went on to say, "In contemporary China, the essence of patriotism is to combine one's love for the country with love for the party and socialism. Chinese youth in the new era shall listen to the words of the party and follow the steps of the party." (31)

The Biggest Controversy In America

Since abortion became legal in the United States in 1973, it has remained one of the most controversial topics in modern day America. There has been talk from ostensibly pro-life politicians for decades regarding new measures to restrict abortion. Yet, for many years, nothing significant was being done about it. Now, a battle is raging hot in America as some politicians are now in earnest trying to stop abortion. To be sure, God abhors abortion. It is a heinous act of murder perpetrated on the most vulnerable people of all: the unborn.

In recent months, some American states such as Kentucky, Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio, have passed "fetal heartbeat bills," which prohibit abortions from being performed by medical personnel after a heartbeat can be detected from the developing baby. (32) This is usually around six weeks of gestation, which means these laws effectively ban most abortions since most women do not know they are pregnant after only six weeks. Sadly, these laws are usually struck down in the American court system in rather short order after being deemed by judges to be "unconstitutional."

On May 7, 2019, the state of Georgia joined the fray when Governor Brian Kemp signed a fetal heartbeat bill that restricted abortions in his state. (33) In the days leading up to this event, rage ensued in America, particularly within the ranks of the movie and television industry in Hollywood, California. Yet, the governor was undeterred by threats from Hollywood stars and was quoted as saying, "I can't govern because I'm worried about what someone in Hollywood thinks about me. I ran the last two years on these issues, and I got elected with the largest number of votes in the history of the state of Georgia, and I'm doing what I told people I would do." (34) In the days prior to the bill's signing, fifty Hollywood actors, led by actress Alyssa Milano, sent a letter to Governor Kemp threatening to boycott the state if he dares to sign the bill into law. "We cannot in good conscience continue to recommend our industry remain in Georgia if H.B. 481 becomes law," the letter declares. The message then later goes on to threaten, "We can't imagine being elected officials who had to say to their constituents, 'I enacted a law that was so evil, it chased billions of dollars out of our state's economy.' It's not the most effective campaign slogan, but rest assured we'll make it yours should it come to pass." (35) These people in Hollywood have a moral compass that is so askew they believe a law designed to save children's lives is evil! Signers of the letter include actresses and actors Alyssa Milano, Amy Schumer, Amber Tamblyn, Rosie O'Donnell, Sarah Silverman, Christina Applegate, Alec Baldwin, Don Cheadle, Patton Oswalt, Ben Stiller, Sean Penn, and numerous others. (36)

The state of Alabama enacted the strictest anti-abortion law in the country on May 15, 2019. The law bans nearly all abortions and makes it a felony for a doctor to perform the procedure in the state of Alabama. As Governor Kay Ivey signed the bill, she told her observers, "To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that every life is a sacred gift of God." (37) Unfortunately, it is highly unlikely that this law will survive court challenges. If by some miracle it does, it is set to go in effect in six months. (38) Oddly enough, some conservative voices have suggested that the Alabama law goes too far. This includes Utah Senator Mitt Romney, (39) and more surprisingly televangelist Pat Robertson. "I think Alabama has gone too far. It's an extreme law, and they want to challenge Roe vs. Wade, but my humble view is that this is not the case we want to bring to the Supreme Court because I think this one will lose," Robertson opined. (40) As it stands, the battle for life rages. If the American people do not stop killing their babies, God is going to stop them from doing so one day.

In closing, the times we live in are uncertain, and we can see that many distressing things are happening each and every month. Yet, even in our distress, we know that God is with us and that His Spirit is always there to comfort us. II Corinthians 1:3-4 tells us, "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God." I urge every reader of this newsletter to repent of your sins if you have not yet done so and dedicate your life to God. In so doing, He will bring you comfort despite the desperation of the times.

Please keep me in prayer in the months ahead. On May 1, 2019, I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, a disease of the eyes. In the subsequent days, I underwent laser eye surgery in my right eye on May 3 and then again in my left eye on May 24. It was a month of many challenges for me, and it was very difficult to write this newsletter. God helped me though, as He always has, and I believe He always will.

Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. May God bless and keep you all. If you have any prayer requests, as always, you are welcome to send them our way. Our team of intercessors give each prayer request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.