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Volume 40 Issue Two February 2021
Last Trumpet Ministries · PO Box 806 · Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Phone: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
“For if the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself to the battle?” I Cor. 14:8
The United States Shaken To The Core
“But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.”
Psalm 115:3
“The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.”
Psalm 145:9-13
As we move into the second month of 2021, we can now look back in amazement at the events of this past January. To be blunt, the first thirty-one-day installment of the year was brutal. The United States of America was shaken to the very core, and the events which unfolded before our eyes would have seemed unthinkable only a few years ago. Over the course of the month, we saw a heavily contested Presidential election devolve into a violent protest in our nation’s capital city of Washington, D.C., which culminated in the storming of the United States Capitol building. As a result, the inauguration of incoming President Joe Biden, which took place on January 20, 2021, was unlike any other in American history. Rather than the customary throngs of eager Americans gathering to see and hear their new President, the audience mainly consisted of politicians, their family members, and 25,000 National Guard troops. (1) A seven-foot non-scalable fence was erected around the Capitol to deter unwanted guests, (2) and nearly 200,000 American flags were placed in the area that would usually be occupied by people. (3)
Although some may relish the thought of a dysfunctional federal government finally gettings its comeuppance, the storming of the Capitol on the 6th of January tragically left five people dead, including one Capitol Police officer. (4) Some participants in the angry mob were hoping for more bloodshed. According to eyewitness accounts and video taken inside the building, rioters were heard to be chanting “Hang Mike Pence!” (5) The former Vice President, who had been one of President Trump’s most loyal supporters, was at the Capitol that day to preside over the certification of election results that are widely believed to be fraudulent. At one point, one group of angry rioters unknowingly came within one hundred feet of Vice President Pence who had just ducked into a hiding spot. (6) According to investigators, some of the rioters went to the Capitol with the full intent to “capture and assassinate” members of the American government. (7)
Most of us know what happened at the Capitol, and as such, there is no need to rehash every sordid detail. Nevertheless, even if you believe there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 Election, there is no justification for committing acts of violence and murder. I strongly condemned the rioting committed last year by Antifa and Black Lives Matter, and I strongly condemn the rioting at the Capitol. The Scriptures tell us in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” We are further instructed by Peter in I Peter 3:10-11, “For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it.” Finally, the Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 12:18-19, “If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.” God sees all of the evil that goes on behind closed doors and He will judge the deeds and misdeeds of men far better than we ever could.
Needless to say, the chaos in Washington, D.C., has severely weakened the United States. While most people condemned the riot, including Democrats, Republicans, and heads of state around the world, hostile nations such as China seized the opportunity to mock the Americans. The Communist Youth League in China posted a message online declaring, “On the sixth, the US Congress, a most beautiful sight to behold.” (8) Russian government officials also chimed in. “It is clear that American democracy is limping on both feet,” wrote Konstantin Kosachyov, who is the chairman of the Russian upper house’s foreign affairs committee. He further went on to say, “The celebration of democracy has ended. It has, unfortunately, hit rock bottom, and I say this without a hint of gloating. America no longer charts the course and so has lost all right to set it. And, even more so, to impose it on others.” (9)
Conservatives and liberals seldom agree on anything in this country, but a recent poll conducted by Axios/Ipsos found that four-fifths of respondents, both Republican and Democrat alike, agree that “America is falling apart.” (10) When we consider the seemingly never-ending coronavirus pandemic, the civil unrest that has plagued this country since last year, and the sharp rise in poverty, it is not difficult to see why the majority of Americans share this sentiment. The question then remains: is Joe Biden going to fix the United States?
A Seemingly Never-Ending Pandemic
Without a doubt, the biggest problem facing the Biden Administration is the Covid-19 pandemic. As would be expected, Mr. Biden’s solution to solving the issue is vaccinating the American people. It is his goal to vaccinate 100 million Americans within his first one hundred days as President. This is nearly one-third of the entire population of the United States. While this goal may seem ambitious, Associated Press reporter Zeke Miller recently questioned the President and suggested that vaccinating 100 million people in one hundred days does not go far enough. Biden seemed to take offense. "When I announced it you all said it’s not possible. Come on, give me a break, man. It’s a good start, 100 million," Biden insisted. (11)
Biden has stated in the past that the Covid vaccine will not be mandatory. However, the experts keep telling us that the vast majority of the American people must get vaccinated if the pandemic is ever going to end. Anthony Fauci, who served as one of the top medical advisors for President Trump's coronavirus task force, is retaining his advisory position in the Biden Administration. In a recent interview on ABC News, Fauci was quoted as saying, "If we get 70 to 85 percent of the population vaccinated and we start right now, we're getting the people who are in the priority groups. By the time we get to the end of March, the beginning of April, I would have hoped that we would have taken care of all of those priority [groups] and have what I call 'open season' on vaccines — namely, anybody who wants a vaccine can get a vaccine." He then claimed that if one million people each day receive the vaccine, we could return to normalcy by autumn of this year. “By the time we end the summer and get to the fall, we will have achieved that level of herd immunity that I think will get us back to some form of normality, and maybe quite normal," he said. (12)
Will the American government be able to vaccinate the majority of Americans without making the shots mandatory? A lot of people are highly suspicious of the vaccines, and in some cases, even medical workers are refusing to get the inoculations. This includes workers in southern California, which has become one of the hardest hit regions of the United States during the pandemic. "I was personally vaccinating healthcare workers, and I would say I was surprised when I would ask a healthcare worker, ‘OK we can give you the vaccine now, do you want to come in,’ and they would just say ‘No thank you, not right now,'" lamented Dr Sumanta Chaudhri Saini, who is the chief academic officer at KPC Health. (13) A report published by the Associated Press on January 8, 2021, also noted the phenomenon of healthcare workers refusing the vaccine. At the time of publication, only 40 percent of nursing home workers in the state of Ohio had accepted the Covid shots. Health officials in North Carolina estimated that over half of their nursing home workers were also refusing to roll up their sleeves for the jabs. (14) Recent polling data indicates that 34 percent of healthcare and frontline workers in the United States have said they do not plan to get the vaccine. (15)
Why is there so much reluctance? Numerous stories of adverse side effects from the Covid shots have surfaced in recent weeks. A report published in early January stated that at least twenty-one Americans have suffered from "life-threatening" allergic reactions. (16) Other countries have suffered problems as well. In Canada, a healthy 27-year-old woman became seriously ill after receiving the vaccine. While hospitalized, she had multiple seizures and at one point had to receive cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). (17) In another example, a woman from Israel was diagnosed with Bell's Palsy after taking the shot. She reported that she could not feel one side of her face. (18)
Of course, the most serious adverse reaction that one can suffer from medical treatment is death. Sadly, numerous reports of death following Covid vaccination have been reported. In Placer County, California, an area near the city of Sacramento, a person died just hours after receiving the vaccine. (19) In another highly publicized case, a doctor from Miami Beach, Florida, passed away just two weeks after receiving his Covid inoculation. According to his widow, the deceased doctor was very pro-vaccine. "He was a pro-vaccine advocate. That is why he got it himself. I believe that people should be aware that side effects can happen, that it is not good for everyone and in this case, destroyed a beautiful life, a perfect family, and has affected so many people in the community." (19a) Meanwhile, Bloomberg News reported on January 26, 2021, that Norway is planning to "refine" its Covid-19 vaccination policy after more than thirty elderly vaccine recipients died. Norway's Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, does not believe there is a problem with the vaccine; however, the European country might discontinue it for some of their elderly citizens. "We don’t believe there’s any problem with the safety of the vaccines. But we will maybe not give them to the most vulnerable of the elderly, because that might speed up a process where they were what we would say at the end of life phase anyway," Prime Minister Solberg stated. (20) In other words, those who are assumed to be near death might die quicker if they get the vaccine.
Furthermore, scientists are not even sure if the current vaccines will work against new variants of the virus, which seem to be popping up at a more frequent pace in recent days. According to a report from CNBC, the drugmaker known as Moderna, which makes one of the two vaccines now being used in the United States, is working on a booster shot that they hope will be more effective against a new Covid variant from South Africa. (21) It should be noted that the new variants from the United Kingdom and South Africa are not going to be the only ones. As such, the people of the world might find themselves in a situation where they are told to get a new shot each and every year. Perhaps this is the reason Moderna’s chief executive officer, Stephane Bancel, recently stated, “We are going to live with this virus, we think, forever.” (22)
The Worst Economy Since 1946
As Joe Biden begins his Presidency, he does so at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has caused one of the worst American economies in history. Overall, the economy contracted by 3.5 percent in 2020. In fact, when states enacted restrictions that shut down thousands of businesses and unemployment skyrocketed, the economy contracted by a mind-boggling 31.4 percent during the second quarter of last year. (23) When businesses began to reopen, the economy recovered nicely, growing by an impressive 33.4 percent in the third quarter of the year. Yet, as winter set in and Covid continued to wreak havoc, the economy slowed again in the fourth quarter of 2020. Overall, it was the worst economic year for the United States since 1946. (24) By the start of 2021, about 18.3 million Americans were receiving some form of unemployment benefits. (25) According to economist Rubeela Farooqi, economic conditions in the United States will remain weak as long as the Covid pandemic continues. “Conditions will remain weak and recovery will be slow until infections can be curbed, and the economy can reopen more completely,” she said. (26)
According to a report from Bloomberg News published on January 25, 2021, the rate of poverty in the United States is the worst it has been in fifty years. The number of Americans now considered to be poor rose by eight million people in just the second half of 2020. (27) Of course, we know that much of this poverty was brought on by unemployment. Considering the fact that 12,200 stores, (28) and more than 110,000 restaurants closed in 2020, (29) it is not surprising that poverty has risen so sharply.
In an effort to prop up the sluggish economy, President Biden plans to enact stimulus bills that will provide funds to the American people. His first proposed stimulus package carries a price tag of 1.9 trillion dollars. (30) The current national debt for the United States exceeds 27.7 trillion dollars at this present time. (31) Thus, enacting Biden’s stimulus package would push the debt close to thirty trillion dollars. However, the explosion of debt likely will not stop there. The pandemic is far from over, and the newly installed Treasury Secretary of the United States, Janet Yellen, has taken a very pro-stimulus stance. According to reports, she told U.S. lawmakers to “act big” on stimulus. (32) As such, the longer the pandemic continues, the more likely it becomes that more stimulus packages are passed later. If that happens, the American people will become accustomed to receiving their “free money” and they will not want to give it up even when the pandemic ends. An article published by The Week on December 31, 2020, wonders in the headline, “Are pandemic relief checks making UBI inevitable?” UBI refers to universal basic income, a system wherein those enrolled in the program receive a payment from the government at regular intervals. A survey conducted in April 2020 by Data Progress found that 66 percent of respondents favor the government sending monthly 1,000 dollar checks to every American for the duration of the pandemic. (33) The American people have already developed a taste for stimulus checks. When the United States Congress passed a bill in December 2020 that provided 600 dollar checks to most adult Americans, former President Trump almost refused to sign it into law, stating that the checks were too small and telling Congress to send out checks for 2,000 dollars instead. When Congress failed to make this happen, the homes of both Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Republican Mitch McConnell, who was Senate Majority Leader at the time, were vandalized. The vandals spray-painted a message on McConnell’s house asking, “Where’s my money?” The graffiti on Pelosi’s house said, “$2k,” “cancel rent,” and “We want everything!” (34) It is interesting to note that prior to a special Senate runoff election in the state of Georgia, which took place on January 5, 2021, Biden promised Georgia residents that they would get two thousand dollar stimulus checks if they voted for the Democrats. “If you send Jon [Ossoff] and the Reverend [Raphael Warnock] to Washington, those two thousand dollar checks will go out the door,” Biden declared. (35) This sounds like bribery to me.
I understand that people are struggling. I do not oppose stimulus checks during times of emergency, but it should be obvious that they cannot continue forever. Could it be that a new economic system is unfolding before our eyes due to the coronavirus pandemic? If stimulus checks eventually morph into universal basic income, it will, in essence, usher socialism into the United States. We need to look no further than Venezuela to see how socialism can destroy a country’s economy. Venezuela’s currency, which is known as the bolivar, is all but worthless at this point as it has lost 99 percent of its value over the last three years. During the previous twelve months, inflation has soared an unfathomable 5,790 percent. It has gotten so bad that a 50,000 bolivar note is now worth about four American cents. To combat this problem, Venezuela is planning to transition to an entirely digital economy. “We are moving this year to a more profound digital economy, in expansion. I’ve set the goal of an economy that’s 100 percent digital,” said Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (36) Could the same thing happen in the United States someday?
A Very Progressive Agenda
Joe Biden usually portrays himself as a friendly guy with an affable demeanor. However, he is an unapologetic liberal, and as such, his policies will surely reflect his liberal values. In November 2020, when Biden was assembling the cabinet for his administration, many liberals were pushing for Biden to give a position to the openly socialist Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders. However, Biden declined to give him a role at the White House, stating rather that he needed Sanders in the Senate to help push through a “very progressive” agenda. (37)
Oddly enough, Joe Biden is a devout Catholic. He talks about his faith often, and he seems to enjoy using an occasional Scripture verse in his speeches. His inauguration featured two ministers giving prayers, and even country music superstar Garth Brooks showed up to sing Amazing Grace. Yet, Biden is unabashedly pro-abortion, which is a position that contradicts the official stance of his religious denomination. Regarding abortion, Biden has said, “Reproductive rights are a constitutional right. And, in fact, every woman should have that right.” (38) Since taking office, Biden has already started issuing executive orders to reverse restrictions on abortion. He also plans to make sure Obama’s Affordable Care Act provides funding for mothers to murder their unborn children. To accomplish this plan, Biden is hoping to repeal the Hyde Amendment. The Amendment, which has been in place since 1977, forbids the funding of abortion with tax dollars. (39) As if that were not bad enough, he plans to make every effort to stop states from enacting any restrictions on abortion. “As president, Biden will work to codify Roe v. Wade, and his Justice Department will do everything in its power to stop the rash of state laws that so blatantly violate the constitutional rights to an abortion,” the official Biden plan states. (40)
Of all the sins committed in the United States, the barbaric practice of abortion is the worst of them all. In fact, according to a story published by CNBC in January 2018, members of the Satanic Temple argued against new restrictions on abortion in the state of Missouri, stating that the restrictions violated their religious beliefs. (41) Thus, we have Satanists publicly admitting that abortion is a Satanic religious rite. Sadly, under the new administration in the United States, abortions will be conducted with the federal government’s full approval and with few restrictions.
In addition to his pro-abortion stance, Joe Biden is considered a champion of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) rights. According to the Washington Post, the new president has an “ambitious” pro-gay agenda. The report states that Biden supported same-sex marriage even before former President Barack Obama did, and he called transgender issues the “civil rights issue of our time.” (42) It is safe to say that Biden does indeed have a “very progressive agenda.”
God Is Still On The Throne
September 26, 1983, is a day that could have easily changed the world forever. The United States and Russia were in the throes of a bitter Cold War. The anxiety was palpable as both sides were fraught with worry of an impending nuclear strike. On this day, Russia's nuclear launch detection systems malfunctioned, and only one man stood in the way of certain doom and destruction. Lieutenant Colonel Stanislav Petrov had to decide if the warnings showing on his computer screen were false alarms or if a genuine attack was underway. He was supposed to report the alert to his commanders. Something stopped him. "All I had to do was to reach for the phone; to raise the direct line to our top commanders — but I couldn't move. I felt like I was sitting on a hot frying pan," Petrov later recounted. (43) What prevented him from following the proper procedure? Why couldn't he move? I believe it was the hand of God that held him back.
Now it's 2021. It is a new year with a new president and I hear a lot of concern from conservatives about what Joe Biden will do to America. Before him, liberals wondered if Donald Trump would wreck this country forever. In 2008, speculation arose that Barack Obama was the Antichrist who would usher in the end of time. Yet, what has always been true is still true today. God is on the throne, and He holds the world in His hands. He can hold back evil, and He can change history. Psalm 115:3 declares, “But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” Additionally, we are told in Psalm 145:10-13, “All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; To make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endureth throughout all generations.”
In closing, as we navigate these troubling days, I know there are many things to be concerned about. The new President recently told the American people that “the darkest days are ahead.” Yet, we read in the book of Exodus, chapter 10, that when judgment began to fall on the wicked Egyptians and there was a darkness in the land so thick it could be felt, God’s people still had light in their dwellings. In John 8:12, Jesus offers these encouraging words, “…I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” I urge every reader of this newsletter to fully put your faith and trust in God. If you have not repented of your sins and dedicated your life to Him, I urge you to do so now. Let His light shine in your heart.
Thank you all for your kind support of this ministry. If you have any prayer requests great or small, our team of intercessors is ready to bring your petition before the throne of the Almighty. We always give each prayer request individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Samuel David Meyer
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Acknowledgments
01. The Washington Examiner, January 21, 2021, By Abraham Mahshie, http://washingtonexaminer.com.
02. National Public Radio, January 7, 2021, By Mark Katkov, http://npr.org.
03. National Public Radio, January 20, 2021, By Elissa Nadworny, http://npr.org.
04. The New York Times, January 11, 2021, By Jack Healy, http://nytimes.com.
05. The Washington Post, January 15, 2021, By Ashley Parker, Carol D. Leonnig, Paul Kane, and Emma Brown, http://washingtonpost.com.
06. Ibid.
07. Reuters News Service, January 15, 2021, By Brad Heath and Sarah N. Lynch, http://reuters.com.
08. CNBC, January 7, 2021, By Yaron Steinbuch, http://cnbc.com.
09. Ibid.
10. Axios, January 14, 2021, By Mike Allen, http://axios.com.
11. Mediaite, January 21, 2021, By Joe Depaolo, http://mediaite.com.
12. The Blaze, January 4, 2021, By Sarah Taylor, http://theblaze.com.
13. CBS Local News Los Angeles, January 1, 2021, By CBSLA Staff, http://losangeles.cbslocal.com.
14. Associated Press, January 8, 2021, By Bernard Condon, Matt Sedensky, and Carla K. Johnson, http://apnews.com.
15. Forbes Magazine, January 27, 2021, By Jemima McEvoy, http://forbes.com.
16. The Daily Mail, January 6, 2021, By Mary Kekatos, http://dailymail.co.uk.
17. LifeSite News, January 13, 2021, By Patrick Delaney, http://lifesitenews.com.
18. Arutz Sheva, January 3, 2021, By Arutz Sheva Staff, http://israelnationalnews.com.
19. The New York Post, January 23, 2021, By Kathianne Boniello, http://nypost.com.
19a. The Miami Herald, January 7, 2021, By Martin Vassolo, http://miamiherald.com.
20. Bloomberg News, January 26, 2021, By Mallika Kapur and Ott Ummelas, http://bloomberg.com.
21. CNBC, January 25, 2021, By Berkeley Lovelace Jr., http://cnbc.com.
22. CNBC, January 17, 2021, By Berkeley Lovelace Jr., http://cnbc.com.
23. AFP, January 28, 2021, By Chris Stein, http://news.yahoo.com.
24. Ibid.
25. Ibid.
26. Ibid.
27. Bloomberg News, January 25, 2021, By Alex Tanzi and Catarina Saraiva, http://bloomberg.com.
28. Fortune Magazine, January 7, 2021, By Phil Wahba, http://fortune.com.
29. Fortune Magazine, January 26, 2021, By Rachel King, http://fortune.com.
30. The New York Times, January 15, 2021, By Andrew Ross Sorkin, Jason Karaian, Michael J. de la Merced, Lauren Hirsch, and Ephrat Livni, http://nytimes.com.
31. Peter G. Peterson Foundation, January 29, 2021, http://pgpf.org.
32. Reuters News Service, January 21, 2021, By Howard Schneider, http://reuters.com.
33. The Week, December 31, 2020, By Bonnie Kristian, http://theweek.com.
34. The Hill, January 2, 2021, By Kaelan Deese, http://thehill.com.
35. Fox Business News, January 5, 2021, By Megan Henney, http://foxbusiness.com.
36. Bloomberg News, January 2, 2021, By Nicolle Yapur, http://bloomberg.com.
37. Newsweek, November 24, 2020, By Christina Zhao, http://newsweek.com.
38. Harper’s Bazaar, January 28, 2021, By Erica Gonzales, http://harpersbazaar.com.
39. Ibid.
40. Ibid.
41. CNBC, January 25, 2018, By Dan Mangan, http://cnbc.com.
42. The Washington Post, January 11, 2021, By Emily Wax-Thibodeaux, http://washingtonpost.com.
43. The New York Times, September 18, 2017, By Sewell Chan, http://nytimes.com.
To learn more about the history of our ministry and our founder, Pastor David J. Meyer, please visit http://pastormeyer.org.
If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.