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

An Apocalyptic Climate

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

"But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer."

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will candidly and factually examine the events of our time which show that the people of this world are moving further away from God and toward catastrophe. When we consider the widespread upheaval, economic uncertainty, natural disasters, threats of conflict, deadly diseases, shifting ideology, and the religious confusion now at work, it becomes abundantly clear that humanity is moving ever closer to "the end of all things" as spoken of by the Apostle Peter in his first epistle.

For those who care to read news reports these days, you might notice that the scenarios they describe sound like the end of the world. For example, a headline from November 6, 2019, informs, "11,000 scientists worldwide warn of untold suffering due to climate crisis." (1) In a move meant to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the very first World Climate Conference, a letter was released which states in part, "We declare, with more than 11,000 scientist signatories from around the world, clearly and unequivocally that planet Earth is facing a climate emergency." The letter further goes on to say, "To secure a sustainable future, we must change how we live, in ways that improve the vital signs summarized by our graphs. Economic and population growth are among the most important drivers of increases in CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion; therefore, we need bold and drastic transformations regarding economic and population policies." (2) The story was covered by numerous media outlets, including Bloomberg News, which wrote in their headline, "Earth Needs Fewer People to Beat the Climate Crisis, Scientists Say." (3)

The cries for population control are only growing louder, and if the United States soon finds itself under the leadership of radical progressives, most of which would heed the words of these scientists, it is not inconceivable that new policies meant to curb population growth could be put in place. Such leadership would likely encourage more abortion and a greater embrace of homosexuality since both of these sins hamper procreation.

Ironically, the aforementioned Bloomberg News, published a different story on October 30, 2019, less than one week before covering the population control story cited above. The article from October is simply titled "The Global Fertility Crash" and goes on to explain in great detail how much of the world's population is actually shrinking because people are not having enough children. The article begins by noting that the global fertility rate has fallen from five live births per woman in the 1960s to just 2.43 live births per woman in 2017. It then goes on to state, "While the world is expected to add more than 3 billion people by 2100, according to the United Nations, that'll likely be the high point. Falling fertility rates and aging populations will mean serious challenges that will be felt more acutely in some places than others." It is strange that we now see dueling contradictory catastrophes reported by the same source. It should be noted that Bloomberg also reported that in 2017, nearly one-half of all countries in the world have seen their fertility rates drop to below replacement levels. (4)

While scientists fret over global population growth, the actual sad reality is that the human race is starting to die out. The fact that there are a growing number of guilt-ridden, self-loathing young people pledging to never have children is only making the problem worse. Amazingly enough, a small but growing movement has emerged with people despising their lives so much that they wish they had never been born. They call themselves "anti-natalists." (5) This trend was reported by The Guardian on November 14, 2019, in a story that chronicles the philosophy of a twenty-something Indian man who attempted to file a lawsuit against his parents simply because they brought him into the world. Speaking of the anti-natalist movement, the man was quoted as saying, "It was not our decision to be born. Human existence is totally pointless." While his lawsuit was quickly thrown out of court in India, the man further stated that his intent in filing it was "to instill that fear among parents in general. Because now parents don't think before having a child." (6) The report also cites anti-natalist philosopher David Benatar who wrote, "it would be better if humans (and other species) became extinct." (7) The absurd core tenet of anti-natalism is that "creating new life is always wrong." (8)

The prevailing societal angst is palpable. In fact, a word that has found its way into popular vocabulary is "apocalypse." A cursory search of the news will reveal a variety of stories about various apocalyptic scenarios, but oddly enough, the apocalypses they present are secular with no mention of God or His judgment on sinful man at all. As an example, a piece published by The Guardian on November 13, 2019, ominously announces in its headline, "Insect apocalypse poses risk to all life on Earth, conservationists warn." The story goes on to tell how bees, butterflies, and other insects are dying off in record numbers, including twenty-three species of bees and wasps that went extinct in the 1900s. Furthermore, the article cites data which claims that 50 percent of all insects have been lost since 1970, while 40 percent of known insect species today are facing extinction, too. (9) Regarding the crisis, Professor Dave Goulson of the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom was quoted as saying, "We can't be sure, but in terms of numbers, we may have lost 50 percent or more of our insects since 1970 - it could be much more. We just don't know which is scary. If we don't stop the decline of our insects, there will be profound consequences for all life on earth [and] for humans." (10) Bees and butterflies play a crucial role in the pollination of crops. Thirty-five percent of all crops require pollination to grow. (11)

The constant barrage of alarming stories have left throngs of people with a very gloomy outlook on life. This is evident in an article written by reporter Cara Buckley for the New York Times. In her November 15, 2019, piece, which is entitled "Apocalypse Got You Down? Maybe This Will Help," Buckley writes, "The barrage of cataclysmic planetary news, the galloping wildfires, the smack of 90-degree New York autumn days all felt so at odds with the regular tickings of human life that I often felt quite mad. I felt complicit by merely existing. After all, I belonged to the species that was taking most of the other ones down." In seeking a remedy for guilt-infused angst, Buckley then encourages her readers to "embrace the pain, but don't stop there. Seek out a spiritual path to forge gratitude, compassion, and acceptance…" (12) The author mentions Buddhism but neglects to disclose the real solution that can truly help people who are feeling lost and hopeless. The solution is faith in Jesus Christ. Yes, the world is going to end someday, and many people are now starting to catch on to this plain fact. What should we do? Jesus instructs us in Luke 21:28, "And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

Judgments Of Fire, Water, And Drought

The Bible is filled with examples of God's judgment. We know that God judged the world with a flood of water during Noah's day, He judged the Israelites time and time again for idolatry, and the Scriptures tell us plainly that this whole world will be judged by fire in the end. Despite what the Word of God clearly declares, few people in this modern age still believe that God would ever pour out judgment on this world. Thus, we come to an important question. What if He already is?

The world we live in today is tremendously imbalanced. At any given moment, there are regions of the world that are enduring catastrophic flooding while others experience catastrophic drought and sometimes wildfires. If you live in a region of the world with nice weather and climate, count yourself blessed. For many others, life is filled with hardship as people around the world battle against God's creation.

To say that 2019 was a difficult year for farmers in the United States is an understatement. Springtime brought flooding and devastation, and now that we are reaching the end of the year, we are starting to get a fuller picture of how bad it has been. In August 2019 the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, reported that farmers were unable to plant more than 19.4 million acres of farmland this year. This was an increase of 17.49 million more unplanted acres than last year with most of the unplanted fields lying dormant in twelve Midwestern states. "Agricultural producers across the country are facing significant challenges and tough decisions on their farms and ranches. We know these are challenging times for farmers, and we have worked to improve flexibility of our programs to assist producers prevented from planting," said Bill Northey, the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation at the USDA. (13) As a result of poor crop production, a full 40 percent of all farm income in the United States will come from federal aid and insurance in 2019. (14)

In places such as California, wildfires occur every year, and to listen to some experts talk, it is obvious that they expect it to get much worse in the days to come. According to Stephen Pyne, a fire historian and professor at Arizona State University, the world is entering a "fire age." As would be expected, he places some of the blame on climate change. "Climate change acts as a performance enhancer, and understandably, it claims most of the attention because it's global and its reach extends beyond flames to oceans, mass extinctions and other knock-on effects. But climate change is not enough by itself to account for the plague of megafires," Pyne explained. (15) It is interesting that he chose to use the word "plague," which calls to mind Biblical imagery.

If you told the people of Australia that the world is entering a fire age, they might be inclined to agree. According to reports in November 2019, an "unprecedented" number of Australian bushfires were burning out of control, with almost one hundred of such fires burning in the state of New South Wales. "We've simply never had this number of fires burn in New South Wales at the same time," bemoaned New South Wales Fire Service Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons. (16) According to CNN, the clouds of smoke from the fires in New South Wales and Queensland could be seen from as far away as New Zealand. Ominous warnings were issued in mid-November. "The only safe place to be is somewhere else," said Stuart Ellis of the Australasian Fire Emergency Service Authorities Council. As it stands, people are starting to realize that these fires are not normal. "If anyone tells you, 'This is part of a normal cycle' or 'We've had fires like this before,' smile politely and walk away, because they don't know what they're talking about," said Greg Mullins, the former Commissioner of the New South Wales Fire and Rescue Department. (17)

Turning to Venice, Italy, raging floods came to the famous canal city in November 2019. According to reports, it was the worst flooding at the popular tourist destination since 1966. A story from November 13, 2019, described the scene as "apocalyptic devastation." During this deluge, high tide reached 74 inches, and 85 percent of the city was flooded. The devastation prompted Venice Mayor Luigi Brugnaro to say, "Venice is on its knees." (18)

Meanwhile, in southern Africa, drought has ravaged the land and has left millions of people in danger of starvation. "We've had the worst drought in 35 years in central and western areas during the growing season," lamented Margaret Malu of the World Food Program. (19) An estimated 11 million people in the countries of Angola, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Zambia, Madagascar, Malawi, Namibia, Eswatini, and Lesotho are facing a food supply emergency, while the United Nations claims that 45 million people in the region are in a "severely food insecure" situation. (20)

The situation is also extremely dire in the country of South Africa. According to a hydrologist, Dr. Gideon Groenewald, South Africa is now facing the worst drought in a thousand years. (21) In the Northern Cape province, residents are growing increasingly desperate. The drought has decimated animal herds, fields have withered away, and water sources such as streams have completely dried up. "The drought is having devastating impact on the people emotionally and spiritually because financially, all is almost lost," said Jaco Heymans, a minister from the Dutch Reformed Church. He further went on to say, "Many people have already canceled their insurance policies and their medical aid in order to just survive. Primary concern is to keep the animals alive, so everything that is spared goes into feeding sheep." (22)

Remarkably, it is possible for regions of the world to suffer from drought and flooding at the same time. Such is the case in Africa's Somalia. In August 2019 it was reported that Somalia is facing its third drought in less than a decade, thus placing two million people at a severe risk of hunger. (23) Yet, in November 2019 flooding came to Somalia and washed away the homes and possessions of many residents. Safiyo Sheikh Ali, who is the mayor of a city called Beledweyne, did not mince words. "This is a catastrophic situation," she said. Somali President Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed assessed the damage and then declared that the situation was "beyond our capacity." (24) The unusual and dangerous combination of drought and flooding has left 6.3 million people facing food shortages. (25)

Finally, looking again at California, this American state received happy news in March 2019 when it was declared that a long drought, which had lasted more than seven years, had finally ended. (26) Now, a report dated November 14, 2019, and published by the Fresno Bee, informs that drought might be returning to California. At the time of publication, 81 percent of the state was facing "abnormally dry conditions." (27)

When we consider the strange and severe patterns of weather and climate, we see an apocalyptic tone here, too. Jesus specifically warned us in Mark 13:8 that there would be "famines and troubles" during the end times. Furthermore, although the word "famine" is often associated with drought, it can also be caused by flooding, pestilence, and even war. In the end, the entire human race needs God's mercy, grace, and help. For as it tells us in Psalm 121:1-2, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

The Broad Way To Destruction

Tragically, at this pivotal moment in human history when we need God's help more than ever, multitudes of people are turning away from the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus warns us in Matthew, chapter 7, that all of humanity is traveling on a road heading towards eternity. He also tells us that humanity has the propensity to choose the wrong path. Matthew 7:13-14 tells us, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it." Research published by Pew Research Center on October 17, 2019, shows that the number of people in the United States who profess to be Christian continues to fall. In fact, the headline for the research asserts, "In U.S. Decline of Christianity Continues at Rapid Pace." (28) The piece goes on to tell us that while 65 percent of Americans still claim to be Christians today, that number has fallen from 77 percent in 2009. This is an enormous change over the course of just one decade. Those who are categorized as nones, which includes atheists, agnostics, and people who say they have no religious inclination whatsoever, has increased to 26 percent of the American population. (29) "The rate at which Christians are declining is very striking. And the share of Americans who have no religion is growing very rapidly, which is just as striking," said Greg Smith, who is the associate director of research at Pew. (30) While Christians may be dismayed at these numbers and atheists and agnostics may be pleased, it should be noted that this very situation is a fulfillment of Bible prophecy, which indicates we are moving closer to the end of time. II Thessalonians 2:1-3 explains, "Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition."

While many are turning away from the Christian faith, witchcraft and paganism are surging in popularity. Such religions are frequently promoted in mainstream news reports. One example of which is a story by the New York Times from October 2019, which proclaims in its headline, "Witches Are Having Their Hour." The story features an interview with a witch from Brooklyn, New York, who explains the close connection that witchcraft has with feminism. "The witch is a feminine archetype who has authority over herself. She doesn't get power in relationship to other people. She has power on her own terms. And because of that she is, I believe, the ultimate feminist icon," the witch explained. She further went on to say, "With every wave of feminism, there is a renewed interest in the witch." (31) It is not a coincidence that both witchcraft and feminism are popular with the Millennial generation. Nor is it a coincidence that the most flagrant sin of this generation is that of abortion. Abortion is tied to feminism, which is, by extension, tied to witchcraft.

Even as the percentage of professing Christians drops in the United States, a group that calls itself The Satanic Temple claims to have 100,000 members and is now officially recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501c3 tax-exempt church. (32) The group has also infiltrated the United States military. In particular, a group of adherents have been holding meetings at the United States Naval Academy. The meetings are allowed as those involved refrain from speaking about politics. "Midshipmen have the right to assemble to discuss their beliefs as they choose, but to be clear, in accordance with Department of Defense Policy, military members will not engage in partisan political activities, and will avoid the inference that their activities may appear to imply DoD approval or endorsement of a political cause," said spokeswoman Commander Alana Garas. (33)

Without a doubt, a flood of evil and dark spirits have been released throughout the world in recent days. Another indication of this darkness recently occurred in Rome, Italy, where a statue of the disgusting so-called "god" known as Moloch was placed in front of the Colosseum so that all who entered would have to pass by its presence. (34) In Biblical times, Moloch, or Molech as it is sometimes rendered in Scripture, was well-known as a god who demanded child sacrifice. This devilish deity eventually found its way into Israelite culture, thanks in part to King Solomon, and brought a curse upon the people. No people in their right mind would ever erect a statue of something so distasteful, which just goes to show, spiritual insanity is rearing its ugly head.

Amazingly enough, pagan worship was on full display at the Vatican in October 2019 when replicas of a pagan goddess from South America were brought to Rome and openly worshipped at the Vatican garden in the presence of Pope Francis! The statues, which display a naked pregnant goddess known as Pachamama, are said to represent "Mother Earth." (35) The public display of idolatry was not appreciated by many Catholics. Eventually, the statues were stolen and thrown into the Tiber River but were subsequently recovered by the police. Pope Francis apologized for the so-called vandalism, but Cardinal Gerhard Muller broke rank with the Pope and said, "The great mistake was to bring the idols into the church, not to put them out." (36)

The Floodgates Have Opened

With each passing year, we see that homosexuality has become more mainstream and accepted in the United States. Many politicians, including President Donald Trump, have expressed their support for the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) community. Movies and television shows now prominently feature homosexual characters, a development that has prompted celebration from the LGBT advocacy group known as GLAAD. According to statistics released by the organization, a full 10.2 percent of all characters appearing on television this year are either homosexual, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender. While GLAAD is pleased with this development, they are not satisfied yet. "There's a lot of great numbers to celebrate, but there's still work to be done," said GLAAD's Megan Townsend. The group is calling on Hollywood to increase the percentage of LGBT television characters to 20 percent next year. (37) Clearly, the American people have an appetite for this type of content. In fact, recent backlash ensued when it was learned that Delta Airlines had removed same-sex love scenes from two movies featured on its in-flight entertainment system. Delta quickly apologized and promised to restore the scenes. (38)

In another development, Democratic candidate for President of the United States Pete Buttigieg has been rising in the polls. As most people know by now, Buttigieg is a homosexual. The latest polling numbers prompted Yahoo News to publish a story with the headline, "Is America ready for a gay president?" (39) According to a poll conducted by Gallup last May, 76 percent of respondents said they would vote for a gay candidate. Amongst Democrats, the percentage was 83 percent. (40) According to polling data from November 19, 2019, Buttigieg has taken a lead in some of the polls in Iowa, (41) and in a Saint Anselm College poll for the state of New Hampshire, Buttigieg has taken a 10 percentage point lead over his next two closest rivals, former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. (42) Election day is still a long way off. Nevertheless, the floodgates have opened, and the United States of America is undergoing a dramatic change.

In closing, we see the signs all around us that we are drawing nearer to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Yet, despite the trouble in this world and the apocalyptic climate of our time, we know that there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God. Romans 8:35-39 reassures us, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." I encourage you all to put your hope and trust in Jesus Christ. If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.

This is the final issue of the newsletter for the year 2019. If you subscribe to this newsletter by mail, please remember to send in your renewal form so that we can ensure you receive every newsletter in 2020. As always, we are here to pray for you and your needs, whatever they may be. Please feel welcomed to send your prayer requests. We always give each request individual attention. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.