FROM THE DESK OF PASTOR JOHN HAGEE

Greetings to all of our Salt Covenant Partners across the nation and around the world.

If you haven’t already heard, you will soon hear on the national media about the radical protesters that invaded Cornerstone Church Sunday protesting the right of Israel to exist. I want my friends and partners to have “all the truth and nothing but the truth.”

The facts are as follows:

Sunday morning, May 15, 2011, at Cornerstone Church in San Antonio a day was set aside to express our appreciation for the State of Israel and the Jewish people. Hundreds of churches across America and around the world joined us as we stood in solidarity with Israel in this time of crisis.

What I didn’t know was that eleven anti-Israel protesters came to our 11:00 am worship service pretending to be worshippers. They sat in different sections of the church; some in the balcony and the majority on the main floor. As it turned out, none of them were Palestinians; they were all local radical activists.

As I stood to deliver the sermon, one female “Palestinian protester” stood at the edge of the balcony and began throwing anti-Israel propaganda leaflets on to the main floor of the sanctuary. She was not screaming; she was throwing leaflets by the handful on the heads of the people below.

The propaganda leaflets said, “We stand in solidarity with Palestinians and demand an end to U.S. support for Israeli occupation, apartheid, and violations of the human rights of Palestinians. We stand in solidarity with the Third Intifada demanding the right of return to occupied territories.” One side of the propaganda leaflet has the picture of a mother burying her child under the caption “Your tithes are responsible for this!” The leaflet claimed Israel was responsible for the deaths of 1,500 children since the year 2000.

Cornerstone Church has an outstanding security team consisting of highly trained and professional police officers. On this particular Sunday they were simply spectacular. They quickly located and escorted out the leaflet protester.

Five minutes later, a second protester stood and started screaming as loudly as she could, “Free Palestine! Israel is apartheid. Israel has no right to the land.” She was quickly escorted out by security as the congregation cheered and applauded their action and her exodus.

Five minutes after that, a third protester stood and started screaming fanatical propaganda phrases against Israel that are used all over the world to attack Israel and the Jewish people. I now knew we had a major and highly organized protest on our hands whose objective was to shut the service down to prevent this nationally televised tribute to Israel. At this point, I told my congregation, “The objective of these protesters is to shut down this tribute to Israel. I’m going to finish this sermon if it takes until 6:00 pm tonight.” The congregation cheered like it was the Super Bowl. These protesters did more to unite our congregation in one hour than a dozen preachers have done in the past few years.

Protester after protester every five minutes stood, screamed slogans, and was escorted out by security. We finished our service in one accord and with total joy.

The protesters were taken to the chapel where they were photographed, required to give their identifications, and charged with criminal trespass by our officers. If they return to church property they will be sent to jail. Some were sent to jail immediately because of outstanding warrants for their arrest. One-third of the staff of a local non-profit organization, the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, participated in this anti-Israel church invasion.

In reviewing the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center Facebook page it appears that at least five more of the eleven protesters participated in past protests publicized by Esperanza. Esperanza Peace and Justice Center receives tax funding from the city of San Antonio and the state of Texas.

Here is why we are going to continue to support the State of Israel and the Jewish people:

1) Israel is not a political issue…Israel is a Bible issue. Truth is not what you think it is, truth is not what I say it is, truth is what the Bible says it is. The reality is that Israel is the only nation created by a sovereign act of God in the Book of Genesis. Israel was not born on May 15, 1948…it was born 3,500 years ago when Almighty God made an eternal covenant between Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and their descendants (see Genesis 13:14-15 and Genesis 17:7-8).

2) Those who believe the Bible are commanded in Psalms 122:6 to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem; may they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces.”

3) God has promised in Genesis 12:1-4 to bless every person and nation who blesses Israel and to curse every person and nation that curses Israel. The effectiveness of this divine mandate is seen in the lives of two Pharaohs. The Pharaoh that blessed Joseph and the Jewish people avoided starvation and knew unlimited prosperity; the Pharaoh that “knew not Joseph” and who drowned Jewish male children in the Nile River was himself turned to fish food in the Red Sea with his army. Exactly what you do to the Jewish people, God will do to you.

4) In Luke 7 the blessing of healing came to the house of a Roman centurion (a Gentile) with a sick servant. Why? Jesus Christ, a Jewish Rabbi, entered the Roman centurion’s house and prayed for his sick servant because “he built a synagogue” in the Land of Israel (see Luke 7:1-5).

5) St. Paul has commanded all Christians in Romans 15:27, “For if the Gentiles have benefitted from their spiritual things (the Jewish people) it is the duty of the Gentiles to minister to them in material things.” What spiritual blessings have the Jewish people given to us? They have given us the Word of God, the Patriarchs, the Prophets, the first family of Christianity (Mary, Joseph, Jesus, and the 12 Disciples) and the Apostle Paul. Take away the Jewish contribution to Christianity and there would be no Christianity.

6) We support Israel because Jesus Christ our Lord said, “I say to you, ‘Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Matthew 25:40). The phrase “My brethren” refers to the Jewish people. Jesus never called the Gentiles His brethren until the cross. Before the cross we were, as St. Paul stated, “outside the covenants of Israel, without God and without hope and of all men most miserable.”

7) We support Israel because Obadiah 1:15 and Joel 3:2 make it very clear that any nation (including America) that tries to divide the Land of Israel (including Jerusalem) will indeed experience the judgment of God. Simply stated, the day America turns its back on Israel will be the day God will turn His back on America.

We support Israel because Israel has the right to exist! We call on the President and Congress to demand that Hamas and the Palestinians recognize Israel’s right to exist or to cut off all foreign aid immediately. Israel has the right to defined and defensible borders. Israel has the right to defend itself from any nation or group of people that attack them.

To all Bible believers, let us UNITE to stand up and speak up for the State of Israel. God is watching!

Sincerely,

Pastor John Hagee
Cornerstone Church
San Antonio, Texas

Dear Friends,

Thank you for your prayers.

The following comes from G and K Detry of Isaiah 40 Ministries and warrants our attention.

Dear Prayer Warriors,  Please pray about what is being planned for Israel and the meetings coming up this Friday and next week in DC.  Our nation’s future and the future of ISrael are at stake!!!  We at Is 40 Min. have visited many of the Jewish communities in Samaria that are being targeted for expulsion.  Two of our 4 major projects are headquartered in Karnei Shomron!  Blessings, Gini Detry  Isaiah 40 Ministry

MK Katz Shows Knesset Scope of Communities Outside the “Blocs”
Based on his and most media analyses of Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s speech to the Knesset Monday, National Union chairman MK Ya’akov Katz (Ketzaleh) on Tuesday said that the Prime Minister is talking about negotiations on removal of over 120,000 Jews from their homes.

Speaking to the Knesset, Ketzaleh said that based on the content of Netanyahu’s policy statement at the opening of the Knesset’s summer session Monday, the fact that the Prime Minister mentioned the need for “painful concessions” along with Israel’s desire to keep the “settlement blocs,” clearly implied holding on to the second while giving up the first.

While Netanyahu did not actually say specifically that Jews living outside the settlement blocs, or anywhere else,  would be expelled from their homes – and, in fact, according to news reports Monday night, sent reassuring messages to right wing Mks who were taken aback by his speech that he meant that there would be no negotiations whatsoever on the settlement blocs – Ketzaleh claimed that the Prime Minister’s intentions were very clear.

“This is a very specific plan that will be remembered for an eternal condemnation among the Jewish people, with the head of the Likud drawing up a list of who will be expelled and who will not,” he said.

The “settlement blocs,” as popularly defined, center on three areas – Gush Etzion, Maale Adumim, and the city of Ariel in central Samaria. These blocs contain numerous communities located in close proximity to each other, with major roads leading to the center of the country or to Jerusalem. Most of the blocs are either fully, or partially, within the security fence.

There are, however, numerous other blocs that Netanyahu apparently plans to give away, Ketzaleh told Mks.

On the “keep” list Ketzaleh distributed to Mks are most of the towns in Gush Etzion, the Eztion bloc south of Jerusalem, including communities like Efrat, Alon Shvut, Rosh Tzurim, Elazar, Neve Daniel, Har Gilo, and others along Road 60 north of Hevron. Altogether, nearly 20,000 Jews live in these communities.

Also to remain under Israeli control are the city of Maale Adumim and its surrounding communities of Kfar Adumim, Mitzpe Yericho, Keidar, and Kfar Adumim, where over 40,000 Jews live.

The same applies to the Kiryat Sefer (Modiin Illit) bloc, which includes Kiryat Sefer, Hashmonaim, and Matityahu. Over 50,000 Jews live in these communities, nearly all of them in Kiryat Sefer itself.

Most of these communities (except Ariel) are in close proximity to the 1948 border, Ketzaleh says, so Netanyahu hopes to make a deal to exchange land with the PA that would allow Israel to remain in these blocs.

A bigger problem is the city of Ariel and its surrounding communities – Barkan, Alei Zahav, Peduel, and Revava, and the communities closer to the 1948 border along Road 5, including Elkana, Sha’arei Tikvah, and Kiryat Netafim. The city of Ariel itself has some 20,000 residents, and even more important, it has the Barkan Industrial Zone, which is a major industrial facility that would be extremely expensive and impractical to move.

So, if Netanyahu has his way, Ariel and the towns to the west – those mentioned above, as well as the border communities of Oranit and Alfei Menashe – will remain under Israeli control. Altogether, some 47,000 Jews live in that area . The Palestinian Authority has stated numerous times that it would never agree to allowing Ariel, nearly 30 kilometers away from the green line, to remain under Israeli control.

Not as fortunate are the towns to the north of Ariel that, until now, were considered to be part of the “Ariel bloc,” includingKarnei Shomron, Emanuel, Yakir, Nofim and Kedumim – all of which, incidentally, are already, or are slated to be, inside the security fence – but are to be eliminated if that is what Netanyahu’s speech entails.

The same goes for the communities further north and east, including Shavei Shomron, Einav, Avnei Hefetz, Tapuach, Salit, Migdalim, Itamar, Elon Moreh, Har Bracha, and Yitzhar, which will also be cleared of Jews under the plan, Ketzaleh says. Also out of the blocs is the community of Tzofim; although it is very close to the 1948 border, but its proximity to the Arab city of Kalkilya makes it problematic. Altogether some 30,000 Jews live in these communities, with the largest of them Karnei Shomron, with over 7,000 residents.

Also negotiable according to one interpretation of the PM’s speech, but expendable according to Ketsale and others’ interpretations, are the communities of the Binyamin bloc, “the back of the mountain” (Gav Hahar) communities, north of Jerusalem hugging Road 60. Eli, not far from Itamar, is one, along with nearly all the towns north of Jerusalem – including Shilo, Beit El, Ofra, Psagot, Ma’ale Levonah, and others.

From many of these communities, one can see the vulnerable, densely populated Tel Aviv area. They are literally a rocket’s throw from the coast of Israel, which, from Netanya eastward, is only 70 km wide with Samaria and only 15 km wide without it.

Surprisingly, Ketzaleh claims, the Prime Minister also left out communities very close to Jerusalem which, for years, were considered “untouchable,” including Kochav Ya’akov, Mevo Horon, Givat Ze’ev, Beit Horon, Givon, Kochav Hashachar, Ma’ale Michmash, Geva Binyamin, and Har Adar. Also to be abandoned are the towns of the Talmon bloc, north of Kiryat Sefer, including Talmon, Nili, Nachliel, Na’aleh, Beit Aryeh, and others. Ketzaleh reported that over 67,000 Jews live in these towns.

Also excluded from the blocs are all the Har Hevron communities, including Kiryat Arba, Susia, Otniel, Negohot, Carmei Tsur, the historic city of Hevron’s Jewish community, Beit Hagai, Maale Hever and others. Over 14,600 Jews live in these communities. The same fate awaits Jews living in the “east Etzion bloc,” including Tekoa, Nokdim, Ma’ale Amos, and the extremely isolated Asfar, on the edge of the Judean desert.

Also troubling to many MKs on the right was Netanyahu’s pointed omission of the Jordan Valley as an important area that would remain under Israeli control. While the IDF would have to remain there for defensive purposes, Netanyahu said, MKs said that the speech marks the first time Netanyahu failed to mention a continued Israeli civil presence in the Jordan Valley – leading Ketzaleh, as well as many other rightwing Mks, to conclude that Netanyahu had crossed another “red line.” Some 7,000 Jews live in nearly 30 communities in the Valley – and they, too, said Ketzaleh, will find themselves homeless, if Netanyahu means to hold on to only the “blocs”.

Meeting Between Pres. Obama & PM Netanyahu (Fri. 5/20)

Intercede for this meeting that will take place at the White House on May 20th. Our very destiny as a nation rests upon our covenant with Zion. Pray that Obama will NOT turn his back on Israel, but will instead lend his full support to that nation when Prime Minister Netanyahu visits here this week. Ask that the mistakes of the past — fomented upon Israel’s head of state during his last visit to the Oval Office — not be repeated again, but will instead be washed away by the cleansing power of the Blood of the Lamb.

Pray, too, that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will stand in the strength of the LORD against any and all forces that would seek to delegitimize Israel in this hour. Pray that no Palestinian Authority flag would ever fly higher than the flag of the sovereign state of Israel in the hearts of our U.S. leadership. Amen.

“I have found My servant David; With My holy oil I have anointed him, With whom My hand shall be established; Also My arm shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, Nor the son of wickedness afflict him. I will beat down his foes before his face, And plague those who hate him.”(Psalm 89:20-23)

NETANYAHU TO VISIT THE WHITE HOUSE ON FRIDAY, MAY 20TH

Barack Obama will host Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu for a meeting on Friday, May 20. “The leaders look forward to discussing the full range of issues of mutual interest to the United States and Israel,” the White House said in a statement.

OBAMA TO GIVE MIDDLE EAST ADDRESS AHEAD OF NETANYAHU

Barack Obama will give a major speech to the 10,000 supporters of Israel at the AIPAC conference on Sunday morning, May 22, officials announced today. At that time, he will lay out his new Middle East strategy after the killing of Osama bin Laden and amid upheaval in the Arab world.

A key sticking point is whether Obama, who gained a temporary boost in global stature with the death of the al Qaeda chief last week, will also use his coming address to present new proposals for renewed Israeli-Palestinian peacemaking, a source familiar with the administration’s internal debate said. (Gallup.com, Reuters)

What does it mean? The timing of the Obama speech appears to be like a carefully crafted chess move on the game board. Is he intending to “trump” Netanyahu, garnering world media attention, and thus taking the “wind out of his sails” from Netanyahu when he addresses AIPAC on the evening of May 23 and the US Congress on May 24? Is the timing of Obama’s speech intended to apply more pressure on Netanyahu and designed to influence his addresses to AIPAC on Sunday morning, May 22? (Commentary from Hebrew Nation)

For more information on the possible implications of this unusual lineup this weekend, please go here and read an article by Caroline Glick in the Jerusalem Post titled, “Column One: Obama’s newest ambush.”

Ask the Lord to be in the midst of these meetings, and that His will would be brought forth.

For Prime Minister Netanyahu:“. . . My arm shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him. . .” (Psalm 89:22)

Intercessors For America  5/18/11

“…Our prayers here at Running from Babylon are joined with thousands of others praying for the victims of Japan. It is hard to imagine how tough it must be for those who are trying to survive this event.

First, David Wilkerson, pastor of Times Square Church in Manhattan, wrote The Vision in the early 70s. In that book, he wrote of a “soon-coming” devastating earthquake. I think this is a good time to look once again at what he wrote because he referenced a possible major earthquake happening in Japan first…”

Read this post at Garden Girl’s blog.

The Fulfillment Of Scriptures In The Last Days!

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:

and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

Matthew 24:6-13

“Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

II Peter 3:3-8

“Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.”

Matthew 24:42-44

“Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:11

In this issue of the Last Trumpet Newsletter, we will examine the signs of the last days that our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, told us to look for, and we will compare them to the current events happening here and now in the twenty-first century.

Since the time Jesus ascended into heaven as recorded in Acts, chapter 1, the followers of Christ have been watching and waiting patiently for the return of our Saviour. As we grow ever closer to that glorious event, fewer and fewer people seem interested, yet we see signs unfolding that indicate the coming of the Lord could be at the very door.

There are many who scoff at the notion that Jesus will be returning soon, saying that people have been waiting thousands of years for the event to occur and it still hasn’t happened. Of course, Peter understood this would happen when he astutely reminded us that in the eyes of God, one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day.

God dwells outside the realm of time and He can see the past, the present, and the future concurrently. I know, as faithful children of God, we long for the return of our Lord. However, we must remember that it is only by the grace of God that Jesus has not yet returned, for He is giving sinners in this world time to repent. Nevertheless, God has appointed a final day, and only He knows when that will be.

Over the last two thousand years, many men have risen up and claimed to know when our Lord Jesus Christ will return. These men often claimed a divine revelation or else they looked for secret codes and mathematical systems in the Bible to predict the end of days.

One such man who has received a lot of attention in the media lately is Harold Camping, owner of a radio station known as Family Radio. Mr. Camping has predicted that Judgment Day will occur on May 21, 2011. This, of course, is a modification of his previous prediction that September 6, 1994, would be the day of the event. (1) The Bible makes it clear that no man knows when our Saviour will return and this world will end.

In Mark 13:32 we read, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” When men such as Harold Camping make false predictions about the end of the world, it only serves as fuel for the unbelievers to mock and scoff at Christians.

While you will never hear me make any predictions as to when the end of the world will happen, I do firmly believe that we are living in the last days. In Matthew, chapter 24, Jesus gives us many signs to look for, including wars and rumours of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. When we compare what Jesus told us to look for with recent headlines, it leaves no doubt in my mind that we are living in the end times.

I realize that the thought of the world ending is very scary to many people. However, the children of God have nothing to fear. God doesn’t make any mistakes, his timing is always perfect, and He will sustain us through any hardships that we may endure. I know that many people, especially young people, may feel like they don’t want the world to end because there are still things they want to do.

Young people have an innate desire to grow up, be successful, get married, raise children, and so on. You may or may not get these opportunities; only God knows for sure. Nevertheless, if you never get the chance to fulfill your ambitions, you can be certain that heaven will be better than anything this world has to offer. You will not even remember your earthly intentions, and if you could, they would seem foolish in comparison to the glory of an eternity with God and His saints.

If you have not yet given your heart to God, I encourage you to do so now. Call upon the Lord, repent of your sins and fulfill the Gospel message; and He will strengthen you, encourage you, comfort you, and bless you.

Wars And Rumors Of Wars!

As a young child, I recall riding with my father to church and listening to the news on the radio as we traveled. The men on the radio were talking about something called the “Gulf War,” and I remember my father being very concerned about what was happening. Since that time there have been many other conflicts, and many more that were rumored but never came about.

Of course, we know there was a second war in Iraq, which began in 2003 and was proclaimed by Barack Obama to be officially over on August 31, 2010. We also have the war in Afghanistan, which has raged on since October 2001, even before the second Iraqi War began, and it continues to remain unresolved.

In fact, Admiral Mike Mullen has indicated that a troop drawdown in Afghanistan may not happen until the year 2014. (2) Mullen has recently taken on a more upbeat tone regarding the Afghani War, claiming that he believes the United States is winning the conflict. However, Mullen also warned that the war cannot be won as long as safe havens remain for al-Qaida and the Taliban in neighboring Pakistan.

“It is absolutely critical that the safe havens in Pakistan get shut down. We cannot succeed in Afghanistan without that,” Mullen said. (3) The war in Afghanistan will likely exceed ten years, and even as the U.S. military expresses hope that it may end soon, the potential for other wars are now rising up.

I am sure most people have heard about the growing tensions between North and South Korea in recent months. Officials in South Korea only expect the situation to get worse, and they have ramped up their military exercises in preparation of any potential attacks from the North. Brigadier General Ju Eun-sik, chief of the South Korean army’s 1st armored brigade stated, “We will completely punish the enemy if it provokes us again like the shelling of Yeonpyeong Island.” (4)

North Korea seems quite proud of their recent attack on the South, and as one North Korean soldier boasted, “At the order of ‘fire’ we poured out merciless thunderbolt of fire at the enemy.” (5) The North has issued many threats, including a message on New Year’s Day, claiming, “If a war breaks out on this land, it will bring nothing but a nuclear holocaust.” (6)

The United States is growing increasingly concerned over North Korea, insomuch that U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates stated, “With the North Koreans’ continuing development of nuclear weapons and their development of intercontinental ballistic missiles, North Korea is becoming a direct threat to the United States.” (7)

In addition to North Korea, China is now making headlines in the news as they take steps to bolster their military. One news report indicates that China may launch its very first aircraft carrier in 2011. (8) On January 11, 2011, the Associated Press reported that a new Chinese stealth fighter jet, known as the J-20, completed its first test flight. (9)

In December 2010, China’s defense minister, Liang Guanglie, made the following remarks, “In the coming five years, our military will push forward preparations for military conflict in every strategic direction. We may be living in peaceful times, but we can never forget war, never send the horses south, or put the bayonets and guns away.”

Mr. Liang further went on to say, “The modernization of the Chinese military cannot depend on others, and cannot be bought. In the next five years, our economy and society will develop faster, boosting comprehensive national power. We will take the opportunity and speed up modernization of the military.” (10)

With all of this “modernization” transpiring, U.S. Defense Secretary Gates has expressed concern over China as well. Of the recent Chinese military advancements, Gates stated, “I’ve been concerned about the development of the anti-ship cruise and ballistic missiles ever since I took this job. They clearly have the potential to put some of our capabilities at risk and we have to pay attention to them. We have to respond appropriately with our own programs.” (11)

There certainly is an abundance of “wars and rumours of wars.” North Korea is a threat, Iran is a threat, China could become a threat in the coming years, and this is only the tip of the iceberg. At any given time, there are wars, conflicts, and skirmishes all over the world. Many of us, particularly in the United States, dwell in relative safety, away from the ongoing wars.

Because of that, it can be easy to forget or not even be aware of the struggles that others face around the globe every day. One thing is certain, we have nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. The related fulfillment of Scripture in Matthew 24 has already come to pass.

Famines And Pestilences!

When Americans go to the supermarket and see aisles and aisles of food, it can make it hard to believe that there is a famine in the world today. Yet, while it may seem like there are many foods we can buy and consume, most of the items on the store shelves have very little nutritional value.

Even foods that ordinarily should be very healthy, such as fruits and vegetables, are not, due to the widespread use of genetically modified crops. Additionally, vast amounts of our food supply are heavily processed with chemicals, leading many people to question the safety of our common everyday products.

To make matters worse, the cost of our subpar food supply is on the rise. Bloomberg News reported on January 5th, 2011, that world food prices had surged to a new record, surpassing the levels that sparked riots in 2008. (12) In December 2010, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that the price of meat, poultry, fish, and eggs has increased by 5.8 percent since November 2009. Dairy products have increased 3.8 percent, fats and oils increased 3 percent, and sugar and sweets increased 1.2 percent within that period. (13)

There has also been an incredibly large decrease in the population of bumble bees in the United States with some populations decreasing by a level of 90 percent. Bumble bees play a crucial role in food production as they pollinate crops such as tomatoes, peppers and berries. (14)

In the August 2010 issue of the Last Trumpet, I reported that cell phone usage could be partially responsible for the decrease in the population of honey bees. I suspect it may be part of the problem with the decrease in bumble bees as well. Whatever the cause may be, the decline of both bumble bee and honey bee populations around the world could have a detrimental impact on our food supply.

The global increase in food prices has already caused riots to break out in Algeria. The riots resulted in the death of three people and the injury of four hundred more. (15) The majority of the rioting Algerians were young people, who reportedly began torching government buildings while shouting, “Bring us sugar!” (16)

An older Algerian woman named Amara Ourab was quoted as saying, “They are right, these young people. They have no job, no housing, no visa, and now not even bread or milk.” (17)

Kenya is now undertaking emergency measures to fight famine as people and livestock have now begun to die due to a persistent drought blamed on La Nina weather. (18) Kenya, a nation in Africa which Michelle Obama once referred to as her husband’s “home country,” is no stranger to famine, having suffered from a similar condition in 2008.

As time continues on, we’ll likely see more and more famines around the world. A report from 2007 indicated that 75 percent of all land in Central America is infertile, one fifth of the land in Africa has degraded soil, and 11 percent of Asia is no longer suitable for farming. (19)

Since the beginning of 2011, we have been seeing numerous news reports of massive animal die-offs all over the world. The media frenzy began after it was reported that between 3,000 and 5,000 blackbirds fell from the sky over Beebe, Arkansas, just before midnight on New Year’s Eve. (20)

Other incidences of animal die-offs soon were reported, including 100,000 drum fish spanning about twenty miles along the Arkansas River (21), 2,000,000 fish in Chesapeake Bay (22), 8,000 turtle doves Faenza, Italy (23), 500 redwing blackbirds and starlings in Louisiana (24), 300 blackbirds in Alabama (25), and many other occurrences too great in number to list in this newsletter.

As news reports of the animal die-offs began to circulate, the scientific community was quick to try and reassure us that there is nothing unusual happening. LeAnn White, a wildlife disease specialist at the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Wildlife Health Center in Wisconsin, was quoted as saying, “This instant and global communication, it’s just a human instinct to read mystery and portents of dangers and wondrous things in events that are unusual. Not to worry, these are not portents that the world is about to come to an end.” (26)

The assertion by scientists that animal die-offs are nothing unusual and have actually been happening for years is hardly comforting. If what they say is true, it only means the situation is more serious than we realized. Are we, the people, so self-absorbed and distracted that we didn’t notice thousands of animals dropping dead until now?

In reality, the animal die-offs we have been seeing in recent weeks are not quite the same as the die-offs that normally happen. The majority of the records at the U.S. Geological Survey indicate that a typical die-off event involves far fewer animals and is generally spread out over a longer period of time.

A record for a single incident will often span several days, weeks, or even months. What we’ve been seeing lately involves a very sudden death affecting thousands, tens of thousands, or even millions of animals all at once.

Here let it be noted that two of the leading causes of wildlife death are pollution and disease. When we consider that fact, it becomes obvious that there is already widespread pestilence all over the land. One can only wonder what unseen effects this may have on the human population!

Earthquakes In Divers Places!

In Mathew 24:7 we are warned to watch for earthquakes in “divers places,” which means several earthquakes in various locations. I’ve written about earthquakes before, and most readers of the Last Trumpet are probably already aware that earthquakes are now occurring every day. There have been many earthquakes reported over the last few months.

In fact, according to a report by CNN, dated December 24, 2010, there have been over 500 measurable earthquakes since September 20, 2010, in the state of Arkansas. Some have grown weary of all the earthquakes, especially Steve Wilson, the assistant superintendant at Woolly Hallow State Park. Wilson was quoted as saying, “In the beginning it was fun, it was neat, it was a cool thing to experience. But now we’re wanting it to go away. We’ve had all the fun we want.” (27)

A small sampling of earthquakes since December 2010 include an unusual 4.2-magnitude earthquake in Indiana (28), a 5.4-magnitude earthquake in Puerto Rico (29), a 5.7-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia (30), a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in Argentina (31), a 7.1-magnitude earthquake in Chile (32), a 6.6-magnitude earthquake near the Pacific Island of Vanuatu (33), a 4.9-magnitude earthquake in New Zealand (34), two earthquakes in Japan, one with a 6.3 magnitude (35) and the other a 7.4 (36); and two earthquakes in Iran – one 5.3 (37), the second 6.5 magnitude. (38)

Aberrant Weather And Widespread Destruction!

Earthquakes are not the only natural disaster that people around the world have been forced to contend with. Many areas have reported strange weather resulting in massive damages and an unfortunate loss of life.

In California there were massive floodings, mudslides, and evacuations as the state was hit with a weeklong deluge of rain in December 2010. Five homes were completely destroyed while seventy others were damaged, resulting in about $17.2 million worth of destruction. (39)

Great Britain endured temperatures which were reportedly the lowest ever since their recordkeeping began. The temperature often dropped below zero degrees Celsius, and the accompanying snow and ice caused ensnarled traffic and many flight delays at London’s Heathrow Airport. (40)

Brazil was hit by a major flood in January 2011, which killed at least 537 people, (41) and saw 57 cities enter a state of emergency as 100,000 people were forced to flee from their homes. (42) South Africa also suffered a January flood, which claimed the lives of at least 39 people. (43) Also in January, the Associated Press has reported that dozens of people in India, mostly homeless, have died from exposure to abnormally cold temperatures. (44)

Australia has also suffered much flood damage, and as of this writing, this continent continues to be at risk. Brisbane, which is the capital city of the state of Queensland, was hit hard by the catastrophe. 30,000 homes and businesses were flooded. As of mid-January, 26 deaths have been confirmed with 53 people still missing. (45) I know we have many loyal readers in Australia, and we were certainly keep you all in prayer as you deal with the aftermath in the coming months.

We are certainly living in tumultuous times. In the year 2010, there were natural disasters that claimed the lives of 295,000 people around the globe with economic losses of $130 billion. (46) Thankfully, we serve a merciful God who loves His people and will keep us safe even when there is disaster all round us. I find great encouragement in Nahum 1:7, which reads, “The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him.” God knows each of us personally, and He will never forsake us.

A Poisoned Water Supply!

My father warned about the dangers of fluoride in the water supply for years. Many others have also sounded the alarm, but for the most part, the dangers have been written off by the government, the news media, and the scientific community. However, new research now indicates that fluoride can weaken teeth and bones. Another study has found that exposure to fluoride can lower intelligence in children.

Now a New York City Councilman from Queens, known as Peter Vallone, has begun to fight for the removal of fluoride from the New York City water supply. In an article from the New York Daily News, Vallone is quoted as saying, “This amounts to forced medication by the government. What’s next? They decide we’re depressed and add Prozac to our drinking water?” (47)

In an astonishing turnabout, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has announced plans to lower the recommended level of fluoride in drinking water. The decision came about after it was discovered that two out of five adolescents suffer from splotchy teeth, a condition otherwise known as fluorosis. (48)

Although a reduction in the fluoride levels of drinking water is a good start, it doesn’t go far enough as the chemical should be completely removed. Fluoride is the active ingredient in most toothpastes now sold in the United States. Have you ever noticed the warnings on the packaging?

One tube of toothpaste I happened to have nearby warns, “Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. If more than used for brushing is accidentally swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.” Personally, I’d rather not have poison in my drinking water!

The United States’ Economy: “Recovering” At A Snail’s Pace!

The “Great Recession” in the United States has officially been over since 2009. However, we are now in the year 2011, and considering the amount of time that has passed, very little economic improvement has been made. There were 157 bank closures in the United States during the year 2010, which was the highest closure rate since 1992. (49)

Although the official unemployment rate dropped from 9.8 percent to 9.4 percent, this was mainly due to the fact that so many discouraged job-seekers decided to stop searching for work and are no longer considered unemployed. Julie Coronado, a senior economist at BNP Paribas in New York, stated, “The Fed will not take much comfort in the decline in the unemployment rate when it is not driven by job growth.” Of all the people in the United States who could potentially be working, only 64.3 percent of them actually have a job. (50)

Home foreclosures are continuing at a shocking and disheartening pace. Over one million homes were foreclosed on in 2010, and RealityTrac Inc is predicting that another 1.2 million homes will be repossessed in 2011. (51) To make matters worse, many banks have been improperly foreclosing on homeowners that aren’t delinquent on their mortgage payments, or in some cases, don’t even have a mortgage.

One such example took place in Pennsylvania at the home of woman named Angela Iannelli. The woman, who was up to date on her mortgage payments, arrived home to find her house ransacked, her utilities cut off, and anti-freeze poured down her drain. (52) Similar incidents have been reported all over the country.

In the city of Detroit, Michigan, the circumstances are so dire that the mayor is now considering a plan that would cut off 20 percent of the city from municipal services such as garbage pickup, police patrols, road repair, and street lights. (53) The schools in Detroit are in trouble, too, and may soon be forced to file for bankruptcy. (54)

In the city of Camden, New Jersey, which is one of the most violent cities in the United States, half of the police department and nearly seventy firefighters may soon be laid off. (55)

Despite Barack Obama’s recent tax package, which resulted in the renewal of former President Bush’s tax cuts, other types of taxes around the country have been increased. One such example is the state of Illinois, which upon facing a $15 billion state deficit, passed legislation to increase personal state income tax by 66 percent and corporate income tax by 45 percent. (56) I would not be surprised to see other states pass similar tax hikes, since many other states are suffering from large budget deficits.

In closing, I know there is so much more that could be said about current events and the times we live in. There were many things I had planned to write about, but I’m unable to cover them in this newsletter because I just don’t have the space to do so. However, the Lord has impressed upon me that we are indeed living in the last days, and much of the Scripture has already been fulfilled.

Each sign Jesus warned us to watch for is clearly unfolding before our very eyes. These are times of great turmoil; yet, I am fully confident that our Saviour will sustain, protect, and carry us through as we face challenges that no other generation has ever faced. I encourage you all to stay strong in the faith and keep watching for the soon return of our Lord.

Thank you to all who support this ministry. We could not do what we do without your generosity, and it is truly humbling to have such an opportunity to work for God. If any of you have any prayer requests, small or great, our teams of intercessors will gladly lift you up in prayer. Grace and peace be unto you in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Volume XXX Issue II           February  2011
Last Trumpet Ministries, PO Box 806, Beaver Dam, WI 53916
Fax: 920-887-2626 Internet: http://www.lasttrumpetministries.org
Samuel David Meyer

Acknowledgements
01. Time Magazine, January 3, 2011, By Megan Gibson, http://time.com.
02. Associated Press, January 12, 2011, By Anne Flaherty, Washington, D.C.
03. Ibid.
04. Associated Press, December 22, 2010, By Hyung-Jin Kim, Seoul, South Korea.
05. The Christian Science Monitor, December 26, 2010, By Donald Kirk, Seoul, South Korea.
06. Associated Press, January 1, 2011, By Kim Kwang-tae and Foster Klug, Seoul, South Korea.
07. Reuters News Service, January 11, 2011, By Phil Stewart, Beijing, China.
08. Reuters News Service, December 23, 2010, By Benjamin Kang Lim, Beijing, China.
09. Associated Press, January 11, 2011, By Christopher Bodeen, Beijing, China.
10. The Telegraph, December 29, 2010, By Peter Foster, Beijing, China.
11. The Telegraph, January 9, 2011, By David Eimer, Beijing, China.
12. Bloomberg News, January 5, 2010, By Rudy Ruitenberg, http://bloomberg.com.
13. San Francisco Chronicle, December 16, 2010, By Stacy Finz, http://sfgate.com.
14. AFP, January 4, 2011, By AFP, Washington, D.C.
15. AFP, January 8, 2011, By Beatrice Khadige, Algiers, Algeria.
16. Associated Press, January 6, 2011, By Aomar Ouali, Algiers, Algeria.
17. Ibid.
18. AllAfrica.com, January 12, 2011, By Walter Menya, Nairobi, Kenya.
19. The Guardian, August 31, 2007, By Ian Sample, http://guardian.co.uk.
20. CNN, January 3, 2011, By CNN Wire Staff, http://cnn.com.
21. Today’s THV, January 3, 2011, By Today’s THV, http://todaysthv.com.
22. Baltimore Sun, January 5, 2011, By Timothy B. Wheeler, http://baltimoresun.com.
23. The Daily Mail, January 7, 2011, By Wil Longbottom, http://dailymail.co.uk.
24. The Advocate, January 4, 2011, By Koran Addo, Labarre, LA.
25. UPI, January 13, 2011, By UPI, Athens, AL.
26. Associated Press, January 7, 2011, By Seth Borenstein, Washington, D.C.
27. CNN, December 24, 2010, By Sarah Hoye, Guy, AR.
28. CNN, December 30, 2010, By Alan Silverleib, http://cnn.com.
29. Associated Press, December 24, 2010, By Associated Press, San Juan, Puerto Rico.
30. AFP, December 21, 2010, By AFP, Jakarta, Indonesia.
31. Associated Press, January 1, 2011, By Associated Press, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
32. Associated Press, January 2, 2011, By Eva Vergara, Santiago, Chile.
33. Associated Press, January 9, 2011, By Associated Press, Sydney, Australia.
34. Associated Press, December 26, 2010, By Associated Press, Wellington, New Zealand.
35. Ria Novosti, December 23, 2010, By Ria Novosti, Moscow, Russia.
36. AFP, December 22, 2010, By Harumi Ozawa, Tokyo, Japan.
37. AFP, January 5, 2011, By AFP, Tehran, Iran.
38. Associated Press, December 21, 2010, By Associated Press, Tehran, Iran.
39. Associated Press, December 24, 2010, By Amy Taxin, Los Angeles, CA.
40. The Daily Mail, December 18, 2010, By Daily Mail Reporter, http://dailymail.co.uk.
41. The Washington Post, January 14, 2011, By Juliana Barbassa, Teresopolis, Brazil.
42. Associated Press, January 8, 2011, By Associated Press, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil.
43. Associated Press, January 7, 2011, By Associated Press, Johannesburg, South Africa.
44. Associated Press, January 5, 2011, By Biswajeet Banerjee, Lucknow, India.
45. Associated Press, January 14, 2011, By John Pye, Brisbane, Australia.
46. AFP, January 3, 2011, By AFP, http://afp.com.
47. New York Daily News, December 28, 2010, By Erin Einhorn, New York, NY.
48. Associated Press, January 7, 2011, By Associated Press, http://associatedpress.com.
49. Washington Post, December 28, 2010, By David S Hilzenrath, http://washingtonpost.com.
50. Reuters News Service, January 7, 2011, By Lucia Mutikani, Washington, D.C.
51. Associated Press, January 14, 2011, By Paul Sakuma, New York, NY.
52. Associated Press, December 9, 2010, By Michelle Conlin, http://associatedpress.com.
53. The Wall Street Journal, December 11, 2010, By Matthew Dolan, Detroit, MI.
54. The Wall Street Journal, July 24, 2009, By Paul Kersey and Michael Van Beek, http://wsj.com.
55. Philadelphia Daily News, January 15, 2011, By Jason Nark, http://philly.com.
56. The Christian Science Monitor, January 12, 2011, By Mark Guarino, Chicago, IL.

Special Note: A new tribute website for Pastor David J. Meyer can now be accessed at http://pastormeyer.org.

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