Volume 41 Issue Seven July 2022
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 Battles Of Life
“Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee. For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”
Psalm 139:12-14
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”
Deuteronomy 30:19
On May 14, 2022, the New York Times published a lengthy piece lamenting the death toll of the Covid-19 pandemic in the United States. With the headline “How America Reached One Million Covid Deaths,” the article begins by stating, “The magnitude of the country’s loss is nearly impossible to grasp.” (1) The loss of one million lives is undoubtedly tragic, and pondering this loss is deeply painful. There is, however, a far greater tragedy that is mostly overlooked by liberal media outlets such as The Times. Between 2019 and 2021, an estimated 886,677 lives were senselessly and needlessly taken. (2) The victims were the most fragile and vulnerable of all human beings. They were the unborn, and these precious lives were snuffed out by the barbaric practice known as abortion.
Since January 22, 1973, abortion has been legal in the United States due to a case decided by the Supreme Court known as Roe v. Wade. As a result of this shameful decision, an estimated 63,459,781 babies were aborted between 1973 and 2021. (3) If the magnitude of loss from one million deaths is “almost impossible to grasp,” how much greater is the loss of more than 63 million people? New York City, which is the most populous city in the United States, is home to about eight million people. Thus, the number of babies who have died since 1973 because of abortion could have filled New York City nearly eight times. Furthermore, many of the babies who were lost would have had children and grandchildren of their own.
All of these lives were taken by individuals who claim that it was their Constitutional right and their choice to abort their babies. However, these unborn children were never given a choice of any kind in life, nor were their rights as human beings recognized. How different would this country be today if those lives had never been taken? The massive loss of life has left a gaping void in the fabric of modern society. This void is reflected in the fertility rate of American women today. In May 2021, BBC News reported that the fertility rate in the United States declined to its lowest rank ever in 2020, reaching a record low of 1.6 births per woman of child-bearing age. Please note that a fertility rate of at least 2.1 is required to maintain population levels. (4) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, the fertility rate in the United States fell below replacement level for the first time in 1971, just two years before Roe v. Wade was decided by the Supreme Court. Since then, the fertility rate in America has usually been below replacement level, although there were some years when it was just barely above it. However, the fertility rate in this country has consistently been below the replacement level since 2007. (5) While births increased slightly in 2021, the fertility rate remains below the level needed to maintain or grow the American population. (6) Thus, population growth in the United States can be attributed to immigration and migration. However, even with immigration, the United States has not grown much in recent years. In 2021 the population of the United States increased by only 393,000. (7) The declining fertility rate prompted Derek Thompson to write for The Atlantic in 2019, “The future of the city is childless.” In his piece, Thompson writes, “It’s a coast-to-coast trend: In Washington, D.C., the overall population has grown more than 20 percent this century, but the number of children under the age of 18 has declined. Meanwhile, San Francisco has the lowest share of children of any of the largest 100 cities in the U.S.” The author suggests that large cities in the United States will be devoid of children in the future. (8)
The Bible clearly teaches that children are a blessing. Psalm 127:3 declares, “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.” Yet, in these strange times, many people often despise children. This trend calls to mind the words of Jesus Christ in Luke 23:29, which warns, “For, behold, the days are coming, in the which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bare, and the paps which never gave suck.” The Apostle Paul further warns in II Timothy 3:3 that people in the last days would be “without natural affection.” Interestingly, a study released by Pew Research in November 2021 found that 44 percent of non-parents between ages 18 and 49 who were questioned said “it is not too or not at all likely that they will have children someday.” (9) Simply put, there are a growing number of adults who do not want to have children ever. If this trend continues, who will care for these people as they age? How will the United States pay for its monstrous national debt if there aren’t enough taxpayers? How are the elderly going to collect Social Security payments if there aren’t enough younger workers to pay into the program? By despising children, the American people are sabotaging their own future.
A Contentious Decision
Many Americans will fight tooth and nail for their “right” to abort their babies. Sadly, government-sanctioned infanticide has persisted in the United States for more than forty-nine years. Remarkably, the current Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade on June 24, 2022, though it was far from a unanimous decision. Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett voted to overturn Roe v. Wade, while the other justices of the court vehemently disagreed. (10) Justice Alito, who penned the majority decision wrote, “Roe was egregiously wrong from the start. Its reasoning was exceptionally weak, and the decision has had damaging consequences. And far from bringing about a national settlement of the abortion issue, Roe and Casey have enflamed debate and deepened division. It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.” (11)
As the quote above explains, the ruling does not ban abortion in the United States. Instead, the decision allows each state to make its own laws regarding the practice. Thankfully, several states have already banned abortion outright or have heavily restricted it. As of this writing, abortion is banned in Wisconsin, South Dakota, Missouri, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Alabama. Other states plan to ban the procedure in the future including North Dakota, Wyoming, Idaho, Texas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and West Virginia. Both Louisiana and Utah have laws on the books that ban abortion; however, these bans have been halted by legal challenges. (12) It is a safe guess that there will be many more legal challenges in the days to come.
In my home state of Wisconsin, abortion is now illegal because of a law that was passed in 1849 banning the procedure. When Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, the court’s ruling superseded the state law. However, with the overturn of Roe v. Wade, the old law is enforceable again. As such, all clinics in Wisconsin halted their abortion procedures on June 24, 2022. On that day alone, nearly seventy appointments were canceled, which saved the lives of nearly seventy precious babies. (13) Sadly, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers and Attorney General Josh Kaul have filed a lawsuit attempting to overturn the 1849 ban. (14) Governor Evers took his efforts even further, pledging to offer clemency to anyone who is prosecuted for performing an abortion. “The 1849 law says that anybody that provides an abortion is subject to a felony, one to six years [in prison.] Did you ever think about the word clemency? I will provide clemency to any physician that is charged under that law,” Evers defiantly insisted. (15) However, his plans could be short-lived. Governor Evers is facing a re-election battle in November 2022. Undoubtedly, many contentious battles will be fought in the months ahead throughout the United States.
A National Temper Tantrum
The Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has set off a firestorm of rage in the United States and has further widened the partisan divide. It’s quite possible that the rift between liberals and conservatives in the United States has never been more significant in the modern era than it is now. Great animosity can be observed amongst everyday Americans, within political parties, and in our judicial system. Relations within the walls of the Supreme Court have grown so sour that The Washington Post declared in a recent headline, “Supreme Court justices aren’t pretending to respect each other.” (16) When there is no longer even a modicum of decorum at our nation’s highest court, it is quite evident that our country is fraying at the seams. A kingdom divided against itself cannot stand.
Several politicians have voiced their displeasure over the high court’s decision. American President Joe Biden was quoted as saying, “It’s a sad day for the court and for the country.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer called the ruling “one of the darkest days our country has ever seen.” House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi also expressed her rage, saying, “This morning the radical Supreme Court is eviscerating Americans’ rights and endangering their health and safety. But the Congress will continue to act to overcome this extremism and protect the American people.” (17) Oddly, Pelosi, who is a professing Catholic, recently met with Pope Francis and even received communion at the Vatican even though she has no interest whatsoever in protecting the unborn. (18) As would be expected, former President Barack Obama also chimed in, complaining that the Supreme Court “reversed nearly 50 years of precedent” and attacked “the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.” (19)
In the aftermath of the earth-shattering Supreme Court decision on June 24, the Department of Homeland Security issued a memo warning that extremist groups would likely target pro-life judges and organizations in the coming days. The notice further states that acts of violence will not be tolerated. “Americans’ freedom of speech and right to peacefully protest are fundamental Constitutional rights. Those rights do not extend to violence and other illegal activity,” the memo declares. (20) One of the terrorist groups responsible for much of the recent violence is known as Jane’s Revenge. On June 14, 2022, in anticipation of the high court’s impending decision, the group called for a “Summer of Rage.” “Now the leash is off. And we will make it as hard as possible for your campaign of oppression to continue. We have demonstrated in the past month how easy and fun it is to attack,” the group wrote in a communique. (21)
In recent weeks, pro-life pregnancy centers in Oregon, Colorado, California, and Virginia have been vandalized. Vandals also spray-painted a message at the front entrance of the State House in Vermont which threatened, “If abortions aren’t safe, you aren’t either,” (22) which has become a common saying amongst abortion extremists. The situation has grown so dire that Dave Yost, who is the Attorney General of Ohio, wrote a letter to United States Attorney General Merrick Garland urging him to take action. “One report, from June 13, documented attacks involving arson, vandalism, or both against at least 12 pro-life centers across the country. Another report documents more than 20 attacks on ‘pregnancy resource centers and offices of pro-life groups.’ And violent organizations are now publicly inciting terroristic acts. One such group – Jane’s Revenge – has claimed credit for attacks in Colorado, Massachusetts, Oregon, Texas, Washington, and Wisconsin. The same group has declared ‘open season’ on ‘any anti-choice group’ that continues to operate,” the letter informs. Attorney Generals from Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and West Virginia also signed the letter. (23) We are now witnessing a temper tantrum on a national level that could persist for weeks if not months. As more states enact abortion restrictions, the potential for violence will increase. Thus, we could be entering a time of great upheaval in the United States.
Large companies in the United States have also responded to the Roe v. Wade reversal, with many of them pledging to provide funds to employees if they need to travel to another state to get an abortion. Amongst them is the supposedly family-friendly Walt Disney Corp., which said in a statement just minutes after the Supreme Court decision, “We recognize the impact of the ruling and that we remain committed to providing comprehensive access to quality and affordable care for all of our employees, cast members, and their families, including family planning and reproductive care, no matter where they live.” (24) On June 29, 2022, Reuters published a list of more than fifty American companies that will pay abortion expenses, including travel. These companies include Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Citigroup, CVS, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Intel Corp, Johnson & Johnson, JP Morgan Chase, MasterCard, Microsoft, Netflix, and many others. (25)
A poll published by National Public Radio on June 27, 2022, found that a majority of respondents opposed the Supreme Court’s decision with 56 percent against it and only 40 percent in favor. Two-thirds of respondents also said they personally know someone who has had an abortion. (26) As such, abortion has become a common practice in this modern age.
Cultures throughout history have participated in various forms of child sacrifice, and abortion today is the modern equivalent of this heinous sin. God does not take this matter lightly. Jeremiah 2:34 declares, “Also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents: I have not found it by secret search, but upon all these.” Scripture further tells us that every child in the womb is the handiwork of God. Psalm 139:13-14 tells us, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” God also told His prophet in Jeremiah 1:5, “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations.”
It is truly amazing that God allows people to participate in the creation of human life. I believe that since men and women are allowed to participate in this miracle, it sparks jealousy in Satan. The devil cannot create anything, nor is there any goodness in him. All he can do is hurt and destroy, and as such, he loves to see the lives of the unborn taken. When people participate in abortion they destroy a piece of God’s creation, and sadly, a piece of themselves. I have heard many stories from women who regret getting an abortion. Yet, I’ve rarely heard stories from women who regret not getting an abortion. Life is an inestimable gift. It is God’s desire that we embrace this gift. Deuteronomy 30:19 admonishes, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.”
The Wrong Direction
When Joe Biden ran for President of the United States in 2020, he did so with the promise that he would “Build back better.” However, a careful examination of our country’s current condition reveals a straightforward fact; almost nothing has been better since Biden took his seat at the White House in January 2021. As such, there is growing dissatisfaction amongst Republicans, Democrats, and Independents alike. According to a recent poll published by The Associated Press, a whopping 85 percent of respondents said the United States “is headed in the wrong direction.” (27) A paltry 28 percent of respondents approve of Biden’s handling of the economy. (28)
Even as the American people grapple with high gas prices, the worst inflation in decades, a volatile stock market, a slumping housing market, a chaotic cryptocurrency market, and a supply chain crisis that still hasn’t been rectified, it is not difficult to see why so many people are pessimistic about the economy. According to the University of Michigan’s highly regarded consumer survey, consumer sentiment reached a seventy-year low in June 2022. In total, 79 percent of consumers said they expect bad times for business conditions in the upcoming year. (29)
One of the biggest worries for the American people today is inflation. According to the consumer price index, inflation reached a 40-year high in May 2022. (30) It is interesting to note that more than half of all Americans alive today are Millennials or younger. (31) Thus, this is the highest inflation ever seen by more than half of the American population. To maintain their current standard of living, many Americans are turning to credit cards to pay for the things they want and need. According to a June 2022 report, the number of revolving credit accounts and lines of credit increased by 19.6 percent over the same time period last year. The debt owed on credit accounts has topped 1.103 trillion dollars, which is a record high. (32) This reliance on credit cards will likely cause more problems down the road. The average interest rate on credit cards has topped 20 percent. (33)
In an effort to cool inflation, the Federal Reserve has been raising key interest rates in the United States. The central bank implemented a rate hike of 0.75 percent in mid-June 2022, which was the first time the Federal Reserve raised interest rates this much since 1994. (34) As such, interest rates on financial products such as credit cards and mortgages are rising, too. The average interest rate on 30-year mortgages rose to 5.81 percent in late June 2022, which is the highest rate since November 2008. “Fixed mortgage rates have increased by more than two full percentage points since the beginning of the year. The combination of rising rates and high home prices is the likely driver of recent declines in existing home sales,” said Sam Khater who is Chief Economist at Freddie Mac. (35)
The American stock market has seen staggering losses in the preceding weeks. Many of the biggest technology companies have faltered, including Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Google’s parent company Alphabet, Inc., Meta Platforms which owns Facebook, and the famous television streamer known as Netflix. These companies have lost a combined 3.328 trillion dollars in value this year as of June 15, 2022. (36) Meanwhile, the Standard’s and Poor’s stock index had dropped 18 percent this year. It has been fifty years since the S&P performed this poorly halfway through the year. (37) Market forecaster Jim Bianco expects the troubles with the stock market to continue until the Federal Reserve, commonly referred to as “The Fed,” stops hiking interest rates. “The Fed only has one tool to bring in inflation and that is they have to slow demand. We may not like what’s happening, but over in the Eccles Building in Washington, I don’t think they’re too upset with what they’ve seen in the stock market for the last few weeks,” Bianco opined. He later went on to say, “You could raise rates enough and you could butcher the economy and you can have demand fall off a cliff and you can have inflation go down. Now, that’s not the way you or I want it to be done. There’s a high degree of chance that they’re going to wind up going too far and making a bigger mess of this.” (38)
It is generally expected that the Federal Reserve will continue to raise key interest rates until inflation levels off. As such, another interest rate increase in July 2022 is likely. “We can’t fail on this. We really have to get inflation down. We’re going to want to see evidence that it really is coming down before we declare any kind of victory,” Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said. (39) Powell further admitted that the current inflation crisis could bring more “surprises” in the future. “Inflation has obviously surprised to the upside over the past year, and further surprises could be in store,” Powell admitted. (40) It is safe to say that these would not be happy surprises.
United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who last year called inflation a “small risk” and “manageable,” recently admitted in a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer that she was wrong. “There have been unanticipated and large shocks to the economy that have boosted energy and food prices. And supply bottlenecks that affected our economy badly that I didn’t, at the time, fully understand,” Yellen confessed. (41) It is hardly reassuring that our nation’s Treasury Secretary did not understand what was causing inflation. It is her job to understand these matters. Neither Yellen nor Powell at the Federal Reserve inspire confidence, and as such, a growing number of Americans are worried that a recession is coming. This heightened anxiety is highlighted in a piece published by NBC News on June 21, 2022, with the headline “Covid anxiety is giving way to economic anxiety.” The report goes on to say “Now the stock market is tumbling, the price of necessities is spiking, and there is talk of an impending recession. The return to normal has been put off again as the economy becomes the new uncertainty and limitation to contend with, and the cause of another bout of collective anxiety.” (42)
One thing I have learned in the twelve years I have written this newsletter is that this fallen world always has a wide assortment of problems and crises that will cause anxiety. We move from one crisis to the next, and there is absolutely no reason to expect that this will ever change until the return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. However, we survived the Great Recession of 2008, and if another recession comes, I firmly believe our God will bring us through another one, too. As human beings, we have a propensity to worry. Yet, the Apostle Paul instructs in Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” If you have not yet repented of your sins and dedicated your life to God, I urge you to do so now.
As always, we are thankful for your generous support which allows us to continue this ministry. I hope and pray that Almighty God will richly bless each and every one of you. If you have any prayer needs, we invite you to send them our way. Our intercessors always give each prayer request individual attention. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
Samuel David Meyer
This newsletter is made possible by the kind donations of our supporters. If you would like to help us, you may send your contribution to our postal address or donate online at http://lasttrumpetnewsletter.org/donate.
Acknowledgments
01. The New York Times, May 14, 2022, By the New York Times, http://nytimes.com.
02. National Right to Life, http://nrlc.org.
03. Ibid.
04. BBC News, May 6, 2022, By BBC News, http://bbc.com.
05. Ibid.
06. The Hill, May 24, 2022, By Chloe Folman, http://thehill.com.
07. The Atlantic, March 28, 2022, By Derek Thompson, http://theatlantic.com.
08. The Atlantic, July 18, 2019, By Derek Thompson, http://theatlantic.com.
09. Pew Research Center, November 19, 2021, By Anna Brown, http://pewresearch.org.
10. National Public Radio, June 24, 2022, By Nina Totenberg, http://npr.org.
11. Fox News, June 24, 2022, By Adam Shaw, http://foxnews.com.
12. The New York Times, June 29, 2022, By The New York Times, http://nytimes.com.
13. Wisconsin Public Radio, June 24, 2022, By WPR Staff, http://wpr.org.
14. ABC 7 Chicago News, June 28, 2022, By ABC 7 Chicago Digital Team, http://abc7chicago.com.
15. NBC News, June 27, 2022, By Adam Edelman, http://nbcnews.com.
16. The Washington Post, June 28, 2022, By Julie Novkov, http://washingtonpost.com.
17. KCRA News, June 24, 2022, By KCRA News, http://kcra.com.
18. Associated Press, June 29, 2022, By Associated Press, http://politico.com.
19. KCRA News, June 24, 2022, By KCRA News, http://kcra.com.
20. CNN, June 24, 2022, By Priscilla Alvarez, http://cnn.com.
21. The New York Post, June 24, 2022, By Selim Algar, http://nypost.com.
22. WSET News, June 27, 2022, By Alec Schemmel, http://wset.com.
23. Office of the Ohio Attorney General, June 21, 2022, By Dave Yost, http://ohioattorneygeneral.gov.
24. Washington Examiner, June 24, 2022, By Zachary Halaschak, http://washingtonexaminer.com.
25. Reuters News Service, June 29, 2022, By Reuters, http://reuters.com.
26. National Public Radio, June 27, 2022, By Domenico Montanaro, http://npr.org.
27. Associated Press, June 29, 2022, By Associated Press, http://apnews.com.
28. Ibid.
29. CNN, June 28, 2022, By Ramishah Marul, http://cnn.com.
30. Bloomberg News, June 10, 2022, By Olivia Rockeman, http://bloomberg.com.
31. Brookings, July 30, 2022, By William H. Frey, http://brookings.edu.
32. USA Today, June 29, 2022, By David Chang, http://usatoday.com.
33. CNBC, June 22, 2022, By Carmen Reinicke, http://cnbc.com.
34. NBC News, June 15, 2022, By Rob Wile, http://nbcnews.com.
35. Fox Business News, June 28, 2022, By Kelsey Ramirez, http://foxbusiness.com.
36. S&P Global Market Intelligence, June 15, 2022, By Joseph Williams and Darakhshan Nazir, http://spglobal.com.
37. Fox Business News, June 28, 2022, By Suzanne O’Halloran, http://foxbusiness.com.
38. CNBC, June 14, 2022, By Stephanie Landsman, http://cnbc.com.
39. The Wall Street Journal, June 23, 2022, By Nick Timiraos, http://wsj.com.
40. Politico, June 23, 2022, By Victoria Guida, http://politico.com.
41. National Public Radio, June 1, 2022, By Ximena Bustillo, http://npr.org.
42. NBC News, June 27, 2022, By Maggie Mulqueen, http://nbcnews.com.
If you would like to submit a prayer request, you may send email to prayer@ltmmail.org or mail it to our postal address.