thetrumpet--2020-03-23--Surging Suicide Rate Among Young Americans

Prior to 2007, the suicide rate among young Americans had been declining for two decades. But between 2007 and 2017, suicides among 10-to-24-year-olds jumped 56 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Over the same time period, teen depression spiked 63 percent. Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among young Americans.
These tragic statistics should be a clarion call to action, yet nothing has changed. Every year the latest statistics come out, the numbers are worse than ever. Why?
Reporting on these statistics, the New York Times ignores the cause behind these surging numbers and focuses on treating the effect, writing, “We know that various psychotherapies and medication are highly effective in treating depression.” This is why the suicide rate continues to rise. Instead of trying to find the cause for these tragedies, they wait until a child exhibits mental health problems and then they treat them with psychotherapies and medication. If this is as effective as they claim, then why are we still losing so many young Americans to suicide every year?
The New York Times asks this exact question. “How is it possible that so many of our young people are suffering from depression and killing themselves when we know perfectly well how to treat this illness?” And the solution it gives is more education, more funding, more resources and greater awareness. But mental health awareness and acceptance has never been more widespread.
How much more money do we need to throw into this before the scholars admit that they do not have the solution? Every day in America, 16 young people die from suicide. Worldwide, one person commits suicide every 40 seconds. How many more lives will be lost unnecessarily before we admit that we do not have the answer?
Trumpet contributor Dennis Leap wrote in his 2013 article “The Truth About Suicide”:
Pouring money into suicide education and prevention programs will not stop this tragedy. Expensive prevention programs have not stopped alcoholism, drug abuse, child abuse, crime, illiteracy, poverty, spousal abuse or violence. Even with our intellectual and creative abilities, we have proved incapable of solving our really tough problems. We need the truth.
This is the great paradox that Herbert W. Armstrong wrote about in the introduction to his book Mystery of the Ages. The 20th century witnessed incredible advancement, yet simultaneously it saw a dramatic rise in world evils and conditions. That has continued in this 21st century. “Why cannot the minds that develop spacecraft, computers and marvels of science, technology and industry solve the problems that demonstrate human helplessness?” Mr. Armstrong asked. “The modern scientific concept denies the invisible and the spiritual as having existence. Yet all our seemingly unsolvable problems and the evils in this world are spiritual in nature.”
The same is true of suicide.
Mr. Leap wrote, “The truth is this: Suicide is a spiritual problem. To eradicate suicide, we must confront it spiritually.”
Why do people become depressed and suicidal? Because they have no hope. True and lasting hope can only come from the great Creator God. And the Bible is full of passages that can fill us with this hope and get us through any trial or tragedy.
In The Incredible Human Potential, Mr. Armstrong wrote that the most necessary of all knowledge is “the knowledge of what man is; the knowledge of why he is—the purpose for which humanity was put on Earth; the knowledge of the way to achieve that purpose—of the way to world peace, peace between individuals, groups and nations; the knowledge of the cause of all the world’s troubles and evils; the knowledge of the solution to all these problems; the knowledge of the true values—what is important and what is worthless. That is the missing dimension in knowledge.”
If people knew the truth about their incredible human potential, such horrific self-harm, mental illness and suicide rates would not exist. We cannot ignore the rising numbers. But there is hope and a way out of the void.
In Romans 8:18, the Apostle Paul wrote, “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.”
Paul suffered incredibly. He was persecuted, imprisoned, shipwrecked, stoned and left for dead, beaten, left for the wild beasts, among other things. Yet he believed that despite all this suffering, it was nothing compared to what God was offering him. How was he filled with so much hope? Because he had a clear vision of his incredible human potential.
“When we know God’s purpose for us, we become willing to work through anything life throws at us,” Mr. Leap wrote,
So what is God preparing for man?
In Psalm 8, King David asked, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?” God gives the astounding answer in Hebrews 2:7-8: “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his [man’s] feet. For in that he [God] put all in subjection under him [man], he [God] left nothing that is not put under him [man]. But now we see not yet all things put under him.”
Here God says all things, nothing excluded, will be put under man’s feet in the world to come. The Moffatt Bible translates “all things” as “the universe”!
Man’s destiny is to inherit the universe!
Romans 8 reveals even more about our potential. Verse 29 says that Christ is “the firstborn among many brethren.” Christ is only the first to be born into the Family of God, which means there are more to come. God is offering you a place in His Family!
Other verses in Romans 8 verify this: “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. … The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ, if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (verses 14, 16-18).
Continuing verses 19-23 in the Revised Standard Version:
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God; for the creation [all the suns, planets, stars, moons] was subjected to futility, not of its own will but by the will of him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to decay and obtain the glorious liberty of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning in travail together until now; and not only the creation, but we ourselves [we Spirit-begotten humans], who have the first fruits of the Spirit [the very few now being called to salvation—the ‘firstfruits’], groan inwardly as we wait for [the birth] as sons ….
Mr. Armstrong wrote in The Incredible Human Potential:
Put together all these scriptures … and you begin to grasp the incredible human potential. Our potential is to be born into the God Family, receiving total power! We are to be given jurisdiction over the entire universe! What are we going to do then? These scriptures indicate we shall impart life to billions and billions of dead planets, as life has been imparted to this Earth. We shall create, as God directs and instructs. We shall rule through all eternity! Revelation 21 and 22 show there will then be no pain, no suffering, no evil, because we shall have learned to choose God’s way of good. It will be an eternal life of accomplishment, constantly looking forward in super-joyous anticipation to new creative projects, and still looking back also on accomplishments with happiness and joy over what shall have been already accomplished. We shall never grow tired and weary. Always alive—full of joyous energy, vitality, exuberant life and strength and power! What a potential!
Understanding this potential shows us why suicide is so evil.
Knowing your incredible potential should fill your life with meaning, happiness and hope. This is the way to finding the strength to get through life’s tough times. There is so much to look forward to. To learn more about your future, read Mr. Armstrong’s free book The Incredible Human Potential.


thetrumpet--2020-03-24--How the Coronavirus Crisis Transforms Germany

Liverpool Street railway station quiet , and almost deserted despite it being East End markets day when it is normally very busy on 22nd March 2020 in London , England , United Kingdom .
The final death toll of coronavirus is unknown .
But it ’ s already clear it will have a massive economic toll .
The globe has essentially shut down .
Travel has ceased .
Restaurants , cinemas , amusement parks—anywhere people gather in public—are closed .
Retail sales are plummeting as no one ventures out .
With no money coming in , firms are at risk @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could soon be unemployed .
Into the breach steps government .
Every major government has unveiled a massive spending plan .
Right now , the United States government is working on a $ 2 trillion spending package .
The United Kingdom has unveiled a $ 413 billion plan .
That ’ s over 40 percent of typical annual government spending—all poured out on just one crisis .
This response could make a real difference in people ’ s lives and stop a lot of the immediate economic pain this virus could cause .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ economies , preparing the way for a future collapse .
In past crises , people looked to their own resources .
It wouldn ’ t have even occurred to Britons or Americans 100 years ago to expect the government to save them .
But now we ’ re used to the government taking care of us .
They pay us when we ’ re unemployed , provide our health care , and bail out banks to keep the economy afloat .
In return , we pay heavy taxes .
In the United Kingdom @ @ @ @ @ @ @ income goes to taxation .
In the United States , it ’ s 30 percent .
All that taxation makes it hard to save up for a rainy day—and makes us feel entitled to government handouts when our livelihoods are threatened .
In many cases governments are the ones forcing people to stay home .
If the governments are destroying our livelihoods , it seems only fair that they help rebuild them .
The trouble is , our governments—even with their colossal levels of income— can not afford to provide those handouts .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. , UK and many other governments borrowed heavily .
Prior to that , America ’ s national debt was 65 percent of its annual economic output .
By 2011 , it had jumped to 95 percent as it buoyed its economy by borrowing at the fastest rate since World War ii .
Since then , instead of paying the debt off , America has continued to borrow .
U.S. debt is now about 105 percent of its gross domestic product .
Harvard economics professors Carmen Reinhart and Kenneth Rogoff have concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ annual economic output is dangerous .
The unprecedented response to the 2008 crisis broke more than the budget .
It also broke a major taboo .
Major government intervention became expected in any economic crisis .
Imagine the public outcry if , when the coronavirus crisis hit , the government refused to help : You spent trillions bailing out the banks , what about ordinary Americans ?
You ’ ll help rich bankers , but not us ?
!
With its extravagant response in 2008 , the government effectively committed itself to similar @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is exactly what it is doing in response to the coronavirus .
America ’ s $ 2 trillion bailout package will have to be financed by debt ; it alone will add another 5 percent to the national debt .
By the time this ends , the U.S. will have taken a giant leap toward equaling its highest-ever level of debt : 121.7 percent , reached during World War ii .
The U.S. is talking about giving $ 1,000 a month to every adult .
Japan is considering a smaller amount of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be enough to meet these crises .
If America borrows too much , creditors could become worried about the government ’ s ability to repay the debt .
That fear could destroy the economy .
So the government is looking at another source of income : the printing press .
The 2008 financial crisis began a great experiment with a new tool for central banks : quantitative easing .
With this tool , central banks create money from nothing .
There is , rightly , a huge taboo on governments printing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of money printing can be catastrophic , leading to hyperinflation that renders a currency basically worthless .
So central banks trod carefully on their quantitative easing experiment .
They didn ’ t hand the newly created money directly to the government ; instead , it bought government debt and other assets from banks .
And central banks pledged to “ wind down ” this printing in the future : to sell the government bonds they had bought and then destroy the money they had created .
Twelve years later , it looks like @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extra money kept the financial system going .
The central banks bought up government debt and kept interest rates on that debt at record lows , enabling governments to spend record amounts .
But most central banks have destroyed only a fraction of the new money they had created .
Yet the sky hasn ’ t fallen in .
You don ’ t have to bring your money in a wheelbarrow to buy a loaf of bread .
So in reaction to the coronavirus , central banks are running the printing presses faster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ announced today unlimited quantitative easing .
After the 2008 crisis , the Fed has never done anything like this ; instead , it announced quantitative easing within a huge , though specified , limit .
The first round , from December 2008 to March 2010 , for example , was capped at $ 1.5 trillion .
Previously the Fed also announced that it would inject $ 1.5 trillion into the repo market , essentially where banks go to get cash .
“ It is effectively underwriting U.S. Treasury bonds and ‘ printing ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wrote the Telegraph ’ s Ambrose Evans-Pritchard .
The Bank of England also announced $ 236 billion in quantitative easing .
The central banks may also drop many more of the restrictions that were placed on quantitative easing in 2008 .
The thinking is : It worked , they got away with it , and so less caution is required this time .
Even right-wing economists are now talking about “ helicopter money ” —creating money using quantitative easing and more or less raining it down from the sky on ordinary citizens .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the banks in 2008 , the thinking goes , so why not create the money and give it to ordinary people ?
“ [ W ] e are certainly going to see some form of ‘ helicopter money , ’ the mechanism by which the state , via the central bank , simply prints money and hands it out to people , ” wrote finance journalist Matthew Lyn in the Spectator .
“ The next logical step in the chain of unconventional monetary policy is helicopter money and that is a direct liquidity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy , ” said Neil MacKinnon of vtb Capital .
These are just two of a great number of similar statements .
Helicopter money used to be a fringe idea , something only crazies or socialists talked about .
Now , your freshly printed money may reach you before our next Trumpet issue does .
The response to coronavirus has led even people on the right to embrace socialism .
“ Boris Must Embrace Socialism Immediately to Save the Liberal Free Market , ” blared a headline in the usually right-wing Telegraph .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Into Socialists , ” declared the Spectator .
On March 20 , the British government unveiled a radical new program that turns most Brits into government employees .
If people are unable to work due to coronavirus , the government will pay 80 percent of their wages—up to a cap of £2,500 ( us $ 2,900 ) a month .
In making this commitment , Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak admitted that he had no idea what it would cost .
“ It is the most extensive intervention in the economy ever @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the world , ” wrote the Spectator .
“ In effect , we will all soon be working for the government.
” The massive increase in spending globally is pushing all countries in the direction of socialism .
Companies of all sizes are banging on the U.S. government ’ s door asking for a bailout .
Government money could soon be flowing into more sectors of the U.S. economy than ever before .
The trouble is , it ’ s very hard to reverse on the road to socialism .
With each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from their governments the next time .
Once they receive handouts , they expect to keep receiving them .
Anyone who tries to roll back the clock is taking something of theirs away .
And once a government takes power over something , the bureaucracy and politicians are very reluctant to give it back .
“ When the UK economy last went onto a war footing in 1939 , we didn ’ t really shake it off until Mrs. Thatcher ’ s reforms of the 1980s , ” wrote the Spectator .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ time .
[ I ] t is a huge gamble—and it will be easier to start this rescue than to stop it.
” Even if we succeed and take a step back from socialism , what happens when the next crisis hits ?
The 2008 crisis broke taboos , but 2020 has smashed them beyond all repair .
Once again , there will be massive borrowing .
Once again , the printing presses will be fired up—with even fewer rules than before .
How long before government finances , the currency and our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re not just on the road to socialism , but to economic ruin .
This unprecedented response may stave off an immediate crisis , as it did in 2008 , but what next ?
We never managed to pay off the debt or destroy the newly created money from that crisis .
We may stave off the crisis for now , but we are setting ourselves up for catastrophe .
Britain , America and our whole financial system are in a tough position .
Refusing to take these kinds of measures would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lot of people .
But adopting them simply pushes the pain into the future , and guarantees that when it hits , it will be worse .
The problem isn ’ t the bailout .
This isn ’ t about one bad decision destroying everything .
It ’ s the whole system .
We have built an entire economic system on a foundation of debt .
The government manages the economy by encouraging people to borrow .
When a crisis hits , it lowers interest rates , so people borrow more and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people can not look after themselves in times of crisis and have to turn to the government .
But the government can ’ t help without borrowing more .
It ’ s a cycle that builds up more and more debt .
In the long run , it is unsustainable .
Step by step , choice by choice , we are creating conditions that are guaranteed to produce an unprecedented , world-altering crash .
This is a crash we have warned about for years .
Herbert W. Armstrong wrote in 1984 that a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have major consequences abroad , as well as at home .
It “ could suddenly result in triggering European nations to unite as a new world power , larger than either the Soviet Union or the U.S. , ” he wrote ( co-worker letter , July 22 , 1984 ) .
The book of Revelation prophesies of a sudden revival of a power in Europe that is hostile to the U.S .
Revelation 18 describes the vast wealth its merchants acquire as they take over the global trading system .
The implosion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ usher in this economic revolution .
The Bible also confirms that our financial practices are unstainable .
Psalm 37:21 says , “ The wicked borrows , and can not pay back , but the righteous is generous and gives ” ( Revised Standard Version ) .
Borrowing money like this is “ wicked ” behavior—and it never ends well .
The Bible also forecasts a real solution .
It ’ s not just a tweaking of interest rates or a different way of printing money .
The smartest men in finance have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our current system .
We need an entirely new system .
Soon , God will establish a fair , stable , prosperous financial system on Earth .
Micah 4:4 prophesies of this future : “ [ T ] hey shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree ; and none shall make them afraid : for the mouth of the Lord of hosts hath spoken it.
” There will be universal property ownership—not communism , nor indebted mortgage payers .
God talks about the ground producing so many crops @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( Amos 9:13 ) .
Jeremiah 31:12 paints a picture of this prosperity : “ Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion , and shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord , for wheat , and for wine , and for oil , and for the young of the flock and of the herd : and their soul shall be as a watered garden ; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.
” 3 John 2 says , “ Beloved , I wish above all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in health , even as thy soul prospereth.
” God wants the world to have prosperity , and He has a plan to provide it .
The coming financial crisis will help bring us to the point where we are willing to listen to what God says on finance and much more—where we ’ ll finally be willing to choose the way that leads to prosperity .
Request our free booklet The Wonderful World Tomorrow—What It Will Be Like , by Herbert W. Armstrong .
It is filled with scriptures to help you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on a sure biblical foundation .
In a world full of financial miseries and other suffering , this hope is essential for everyone .

German Chancellor Angela Merkel referred to the coronavirus crisis as Germany’s greatest challenge since World War ii. Over the weekend, she announced a ban of public gatherings of more than two people. Most people are willingly complying with the new measures, and some are even calling for stricter laws.
Within a few days, the lives of millions in Germany have drastically changed. But the crisis is just a prelude of a transformation Germany is about to undergo. In many ways, the current crisis is laying the foundation for a much larger crisis to hit Europe.
On Sunday, Chancellor Merkel published a nine-point plan in the fight against coronavirus. After numerous debates, the federal and state governments finally agreed on a contact ban that is viewed as the last measure before confining people to their homes. According to the ard Germany trend, 95 percent of respondents support the contact ban, despite the economic consequences it will bring.
Other European countries have taken stricter measures, urging Germany to do the same.
“Not since German reunification, no, not since World War Two has there been such a challenge to our country.”
German Chancellor Angela Merkel delivers an historic address to the nation regarding the coronavirus outbreak. pic.twitter.com/pwtm1TYAGz — Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) March 18, 2020
The coronavirus is spreading rapidly in Europe. Ms. Merkel herself had to go into quarantine after having contact with an infected doctor. Merkel is still trying to display stability. However, her potential successors using the crisis to present themselves as crisis managers.
Germany’s comparatively moderate measures and the leadership crisis have caused many to look to neighboring governments for direction.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel is currently in quarantine after being in contact with a doctor who tested positive on #Covid19.
What happens if Merkel can’t work?
And what are the newest coronavirus restrictions in Germany?
DW’s Chief Political Editor @MKuefner explains: pic.twitter.com/SeqHi9uVX6 — DW Politics (@dw_politics) March 24, 2020
“States in which the virus started to spread only a few days earlier have already shut down or initiated it,” faz.net noted on March 16. “In addition to Italy, France, Spain and Austria have now closed all shops and completely frozen social life—Germany is lagging behind. This is extremely dangerous because we are accepting an unabated increase in the number of cases.”
In Austria, Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has already enforced confinement measures, weeks prior to Germany. His clear orders have, for the most part, been diligently obeyed. Zeit Online noted that this may cause people to “accept restrictions on liberties sooner than before” and “the longing for the proverbial strongman, who will finally take action, will grow stronger.”
Kurz made decisions that applied to the whole nation equally. But Merkel has been forced to coordinate with the heads of respective German states to find a unified approach. The lost time in debates has been criticized abroad and at home. Some have even asked for changes to be made to the Basic Law that would grant the federal government more power.
Germans are looking to the leadership of French President Emmanuel Macron. In “Does General Macron Really Do a Better Job Than Merkel?” Die Welt noted: “Unlike Merkel, Macron now acts as the nation’s commander in chief, who he de facto is.” Macron did not only call the crisis “a public-health war,” he also deployed the French Army and used war rhetoric and military metaphors to talk about the “invisible enemy.” In doing so, his approval rating rose.
“Emmanuel Macron presents himself as a warlord in the fight against coronavirus—and as a leader of Europe in the crisis,” Die Welt explained. Macron has made his fair share of mistakes, and the death rate of the virus is far greater in France than in Germany. Still his popularity is rising in France and throughout Europe. People long for strong leadership, even if the end result doesn’t match the promises.
“The yellow vest crisis and months of protests against pension reform seem to have been forgotten,” Die Welt continued. “According to the Ipsos Institute’s latest survey, 55 percent of citizens believe that the government is ‘fighting the virus effectively.’”
Germany’s reaction to the crisis seems rather moderate. At the time Merkel announced the nationwide contact ban, only around 90 people in Germany had died from the virus. In numbers, the crisis is comparatively small. But the people’s willingness to give up their freedom is unprecedented.
The German Army is only allowed to be deployed in a national emergency. Many have tried to change this law, but heavy protests have always resulted. But with coronavirus, the state of Bavaria declared a disaster situation with immediate effect, allowing for the Army to be drafted. The citizens seem to be accepting the measure as necessary. Then again, no one can join a demonstration when public gatherings are prohibited. Disobedience to government orders is subject to high fines.
Few seem to recall that a manufactured emergency in 1933 enabled Adolf Hitler to pass the Reichstag Fire Decree that paved the way for his dictatorial power grab. In times of crisis, dictators rise.
The recent crisis has already caused the German economy to face major setbacks. President of the German Federal Bank Jens Weidmann warned in an interview with Der Spiegel that “slipping into a pronounced recession cannot be prevented.”
The fact that many Germans are willing to give up their freedoms in a considerably minor crisis is an ominous sign. The late Herbert W. Armstrong predicted that Europe’s unification and the rise of a European strongman could be the result of a major economic crisis that “could suddenly result in triggering European nations to unite as a new world power, larger than either the Soviet Union or the U.S.” (co-worker letter, July 22, 1984).
It’s a rare time in history when the people and media demand stronger government action and are willing to sacrifice their freedoms.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is one European leader who is exploiting this crisis. He drafted an emergency bill that would grant him “sweeping powers to rule by decree,” the Guardian wrote. Under the new law, “Hungary faces a ‘transition to dictatorship,’” the Austrian Kurier warned. The bill is expected to pass in the second hearing.
It is becoming more evident that in crises, people are willing to accept the rise of strongmen. They yearn for unity and leadership.
A prophecy in Revelation 17 says that Europe will unite under one leader, possibly during a time of global crisis. “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast” (verses 12-13).
The Bible indicates that the people of Europe will willingly accept the rise of this dictator. Revelation 13 describes how this leader will take drastic measures that cut deep into the freedoms of every citizen. No one will be able to buy or sell unless they follow the government’s dictatorial rules.
The coronavirus crisis shows how Europe responds in a crisis. Germany is at the economic heart of Europe. Its changing mood and willingness to accept stronger government action, and its longing for stability and unity, are strong indications that many biblical prophecies are on the verge of being fulfilled.
Order your free copy of A Strong German Leader Is Imminent and read “How the Global Financial Crisis Will Produce Europe’s 10 Kings,” by Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry, to find out how quickly Germany and Europe will change in a prophesied crisis.


thetrumpet--2020-03-24--Madness in Britain as America Seeks a Way Out of Isolation

Madness in Britain as America Seeks a Way Out of Isolation The End of Freedom in Britain ( 30 minutes @ @ @ @ @ Johnson announced last night that the United Kingdom would be going into lockdown .
With @ @ @ @ @ government swept away freedoms that people have had since before Parliament existed .
It ’ @ @ @ @ @ people are troubled by how quickly the government can take away liberties that people once @ @ @ @ @ United States President Donald Trump wants to reopen America for business .
Over the past @ @ @ @ @ repeatedly said that the cure can not be the problem .
Is he about to @ @ @ @ @ for the United States ?
Subscribe to the Trumpet Daily Radio Show on Apple Podcasts @ @ @ @ @ RSS

Madness in Britain as America Seeks a Way Out of Isolation
The End of Freedom in Britain (30 minutes)
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last night that the United Kingdom would be going into lockdown. With one decree, the British government swept away freedoms that people have had since before Parliament existed. It’s shocking that very few people are troubled by how quickly the government can take away liberties that people once fought and died for.
Common Sense (25 minutes)
United States President Donald Trump wants to reopen America for business. Over the past 36 hours, he has repeatedly said that the cure cannot be the problem. Is he about to take a bold step forward for the United States?


thetrumpet--2020-03-24--What Courtesy Doesn’t Look Like

What Courtesy Doesn’t Look Like

Could an event as violent as the Russian Civil War ever happen in the United States of America ?
As America approaches the November 2020 presidential elections , the nation is deeply divided .
And this division is not just between Republicans and Democrats .
The Democratic Party itself is deeply divided between moderate socialists like Pete Buttigieg and Michael Bloomberg and radical socialists like Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders .
This divide is reminiscent of the divide between the Mensheviks and the more radical Bolsheviks during the “ October Revolution , ” or Bolshevik Revolution , in Russia .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to understand .
The Bolshevik Revolution unleashed some of the most violent events in world history .
Vladimir Lenin and his supporters overthrew the Russian government in 1917 , then forcibly reorganized the Russian empire into the world ’ s first socialist state .
This revolution unleashed a civil war that killed 10 million people .
The Bolsheviks won , consolidated their power , and established a Soviet state that slaughtered another 50 million people .
All told , the Bolsheviks murdered as many as were killed in World War ii .
Yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that bad , according to some paid staffers working for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders .
These radical socialists say that while launching another Bolshevik Revolution in the United States is not preferable , it may be necessary .
One field organizer for Sanders , Mason Baird , said in a video recorded secretly by Project Veritas : “ We would need a federal government and labor union movement that is working together to strip power away from capitalists and preferably directing violence toward property … .
A militant labor movement is kind of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other means .
… After we abolish landlords , we don ’ t have to kill them , that ’ s my feeling , I think it ’ s damaging to the soul , but there were plenty of excesses in 1917 I would hope to avoid .
… I ’ m not excited about the prospect of armed struggle.
” This man is not talking about political strategy or which “ battleground ” states are key for his candidate to win the most votes in .
He is talking about actual battlegrounds @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be torn down , he says .
If you can do it without large-scale killing , great ; but if you can ’ t , you can always resort to your backup plan and kill 10 million men , women and children .
Shockingly , despite being exposed in this video , Baird remains a full-time paid member of the Sanders campaign .
Even more shockingly , Baird was actually one of the more moderate people revealed by Project Veritas investigators .
The average American probably thinks that an event as violent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the United States .
But he does not realize that there is an organized , active , powerful movement working to abolish the U.S. Constitution and establish a Communist system of government .
History and Bible prophecy show that if Americans do not turn to God in repentance , they will suffer a civil war many times worse than the Bolshevik Revolution .
Mason Baird is far from the only Communist working for Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Another field organizer in South Carolina , Daniel Taylor , told Project Veritas reporters that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ We don ’ t want to scare people off .
You first have to feel it out before you get into the crazy stuff , ” he said .
“ You know , we were talking about more extreme organizations like Antifa , you were talking about , Yellow Vests [ French protesters ] , all that , but we ’ re kind of keeping that on the back burner for now .
… Change won ’ t come easily , regardless .
Even if Bernie is elected , change will not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ connections we make now in the campaign with people , and volunteers , it ’ s important we retain that regardless of the outcome .
It ’ s unfortunate that we have to make plans for extreme action , but like I said , they ’ re not going to give it to us , even if Bernie is elected.
” Taylor did not detail the kind of “ extreme action ” he was considering .
But an Iowa field organizer for the Sanders Campaign , Kyle Jurek , told Project Veritas reporters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cities will “ burn.
” “ The only thing that fascists understand is violence , ” Jurek said , referring to Trump supporters .
“ So the only way you can confront them is with violence.
” In another conversation , Jurek suggested that supporters of President Trump should be reeducated in prison camps .
“ There ’ s a reason Joseph Stalin had gulags , right ?
” he said .
“ Actually , gulags were a lot better than what the cia has told us that they were .
Like , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in gulags ; they had conjugal visits in gulags .
Gulags were actually meant for , like , reeducation .
Greatest way to breaking a … billionaire of their , like , privilege , and the idea that they ’ re superior : Go out and break rocks for 12 hours a day .
You ’ re now a working-class person and you ’ re going to … learn what that means , right ?
” Incredibly , Jurek may not be the most radical Sanders employee caught on tape .
When Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Project Veritas undercover reporters what he would do if Sanders lost the election , he answered , “ I ’ ll straight up get armed .
I want to learn how to shoot and go train .
I ’ m ready for the … revolution , bro … I ’ m telling you .
Guillotine the rich.
” Bernie Sanders , who is trying to become president of the United States , has not condemned these comments .
He has retained all who made them as paid staffers in his campaign .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the government controls the economy .
It owns not just the Postal Service , it owns everything , without competition : mines , mills , refineries , builders , railroads , automakers , carriers , distributors , ports , airlines , telecoms , news media , banks , schools , hospitals , farms , groceries , restaurants , stores—everything .
Most American socialists say the government doesn ’ t have to literally own all businesses as long as it controls them through heavy regulations and taxes .
People like Senator Sanders emphasize that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which means that this enormously powerful government they want to create will be voted in by a majority of the people .
Sanders says this to distance himself from the violent atrocities committed by “ authoritarian communism ” in the Soviet Union .
Some take comfort in this distinction .
They shouldn ’ t .
Vladimir Lenin joined the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party in 1902 .
He said that the masses must be led by a “ vanguard ” party , the vanguard party must be led by central leadership , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Most of the people in the party agreed .
They began calling themselves Bolsheviks , from the Russian word for “ majority.
” Those who wanted party leadership to remain decentralized were called Mensheviks , from the Russian word for “ minority.
” At that time , the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party was a small party of young intellectuals .
In 1907 , there were only 38,200 Mensheviks and 46,100 Bolsheviks .
Three out of four Bolsheviks were age 30 or younger .
After Czar Nicolas ii abdicated in 1917 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new Russian Provisional Government .
These calls sparked the Bolshevik Revolution on November 7 , when Red Guard militia retaliated against the government for shutting down one of their printing presses .
The Bolsheviks marched against pro-government forces in Petrograd , now called St. Petersburg .
Yet the Bolshevik Party still ran candidates for office in elections that November , hoping to conquer Russia by democratic means .
But these “ democratic socialists ” received only 23 percent of the vote .
Rather than accept the results of the election , they claimed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the only way to fix it was to establish a new system of government run by councils of working-class citizens called Soviets .
When the Bolsheviks declared the 1917 election illegitimate , their insurrection erupted into full-scale civil war .
They changed the name of their party to the Russian Communist Party and recruited a Red Army to fight the anti-Communists and their White Army .
The war continued for five years until the Bolsheviks defeated the anti-Communists and achieved their dream : The Soviet Union was established .
Former American Communist Whittaker @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that separates Communists from the millions of socialists who are an unwitting part of communism ’ s secret strength .
“ Have you the moral strength to take upon yourself the crimes of history so the man at last may close his chronicle of age-old , senseless suffering and replace it with purpose and a plan ?
” he asked in his book Witness .
“ The answer a man makes to this question is the difference between a Communist and those miscellaneous socialist , liberals , fellow travelers , unclassified progressives and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ share a similar vision , but do not share the faith because they will not take upon themselves the penalties of the faith.
” The “ miscellaneous socialist ” is different from the true Communist only in that he lacks the will to commit acts of violence .
Socialism can not be permanently established by democratic means .
Most people will ultimately reject it—if you give them the chance .
At that point , socialists have to either give up their dream or start shooting people .
An American-style Communist revolution with American-style @ @ @ @ @ @ @ camps sounds impossible to many .
But to one of the top contenders for the American presidency and many of his paid campaign staff members , “ extreme action ” is merely on the “ back burner.
” The late Herbert W. Armstrong explained in his book The United States and Britain in Prophecy that the peoples who settled the U.S. and Britain descended from the ancient Israelites .
God made an unconditional promise to Abraham to give his descendants great material wealth .
God kept this promise by giving the U.S. and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s usable resources and wealth during the peak of their power .
But God did not promise to keep blessing these nations if they turned away from Him .
A prophecy in Leviticus 26 states that if the descendants of Israel came to despise God ’ s statutes , He would strip away their blessings and allow their cities to be laid waste .
In a January 1949 Plain Truth article , “ The Plain Truth About Communism , ” Mr. Armstrong specified that communism is a tool of the devil to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The real goal of the Communist plotters is the violent overthrow of the United States and the British Empire .
Why ?
We are the real ‘ capitalist ’ nations .
We possess nearly three fourths of all the world ’ s ‘ capital ’ —its developed and usable resources and wealth .
… The plain truth , known by so few , is that we possess greater wealth and national resources than any other nation ever did , because Almighty God gave us this wealth in fulfillment of His birthright promise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And communism is the devil ’ s effort , through his demon-inspired human tools , to take from us this greatest national and economic blessing God ever conferred on any people !
And since this blessing from God is the world ’ s ‘ capital ’ atheistic communism shouts , ‘ Down with capitalism.
’ ” Mr. Armstrong based his forecast of future events and trends on Bible prophecy .
Hosea 7:8-9 predicts that the modern-day descendants of ancient Israel would mix themselves with foreigners and , by extension , their foreign ideologies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Democratic Party today are not based on traditional American culture , which is largely based on the Bible .
They are ideas that were brought to America from German and Russian universities .
For decades , these anti-Bible ideologies have subversively “ devoured ” America ’ s strength while the average citizen “ knoweth it not.
” Soon , the atheistic ideals of Communist philosophy will ignite a violent revolution .
‘ You Will Revolt More and More ’ “ Ah sinful nation , a people laden with iniquity , a seed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : they have forsaken the Lord , they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger , they are gone away backward .
Why should ye be stricken any more ?
ye will revolt more and more : the whole head is sick , and the whole heart faint .
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it ; but wounds , and bruises , and putrifying sores : they have not been closed , neither bound up , neither mollified with ointment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ are burned with fire : your land , strangers devour it in your presence , and it is desolate , as overthrown by strangers ” ( Isaiah 1:4-7 ) .
This passage describes cause and effect .
The people are “ laden with iniquity , ” or sin , therefore the “ whole head is sick.
” The government is corrupt and the nation is faint .
As a consequence , the people “ revolt more and more.
” This revolution intensifies until strangers burn down cities and tear down America ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Investigation informant Larry Grathwohl infiltrated the Weather Underground Organization in the 1970s , he reported that these radical Communists estimated they would have to kill 25 million people establish communism in America .
That is a lot more than died during the Bolshevik Revolution , yet the Bible shows that the death count will actually be far higher still .
A sobering prophecy in Ezekiel 5:12 reveals that one third of the population of end-time America and Britain will die from the pestilence , famine and violence that will result from civil @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million deaths from rioting and warfare in the U.S.—10 times more than in Russia !
( Request our free book Ezekiel : The End-Time Prophet for more explanation of this prophecy . )
Today , socialism is gathering strength .
What people don ’ t understand about “ democratic socialism ” is that its purpose is the same as the purpose of “ dictatorial socialism ” : to overthrow constitutional government , by violence if necessary .
Bible prophecy shows that America ’ s great blessings will indeed be taken away—not just because @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the American people as a whole have turned away from God .
This has opened the door to communism and many other attacks inspired by the devil .
The coming violence in America ’ s cities is punishment , but it is punishment with a purpose .
God will use it to show us the result of sin and turning away from Him to our own ways of thinking .
He will use it to lead us to Him ( Ezekiel 12:17-20 ) .
God blessed Abraham for his obedience to His law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ follow his example .
Only after people learn this lesson will God bless America—and all nations—with peace , joy and prosperity .
It is a matter of life-and-death importance that everyone who hears this message take note of the seriousness of the times , evaluate their lifestyle and turn to God in heartfelt repentance .

Words are powerful. Actions, more so.
We live in an era of lies. True, human beings have always practiced deceit. But bold lies and force of will are surging, most notably in our leaders. Consider a couple of recent examples within America.
U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi contemptuously ripped up her copy of the president’s State of the Union speech on live television. She explained, “It was the courteous thing to do, considering the alternatives.” In January she sternly corrected a reporter for suggesting that she hates the president: “I don’t hate anyone. I was raised in a way that is a heart full of love, and always pray for the president. … I pray for the president all the time. So don’t mess with me when it comes to words like that.” Never mind her actions. Just take her at her word: Her heart is full of love, so don’t mess with her.
The irony was not lost on many who watched the president’s speech. As President Trump enumerated a litany of national successes, the gallery and half of Congress cheered while Democrats sat, stone-faced, often visibly agitated. Most Democrats saw nothing to celebrate in unexpectedly robust job creation, higher wages, and lower African American and Hispanic unemployment. They could not applaud progress in fighting the opioid epidemic, supporting neonatal health care, or securing America’s border. They apparently saw nothing good about weakening the Islamic State or strengthening America’s military. These moralistic lawmakers were unmoved by the guests and visitors this impeached president invited to the Capitol, including a young black girl receiving an academic scholarship, and one of the last surviving Tuskegee Airmen.
The Democratic Party prides itself on its compassion, humanity and charity. It says it fights for freedom, justice, equality, fairness. It has a “heart full of love” for everyone. Don’t judge them by their conspicuous incivility, or by their acrid reaction to evidence of their own nation’s current resurgence. Just take them at their word.
Just take them at their word during the impeachment hearings that they respect the law and love the Constitution. Take them at their word that they are fighting corruption and abuse of power, and are fiercely advocating equitable justice and the pillars of constitutional government. Take them at their word that they respect the wisdom of the founders: Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Franklin. Take them at their word that crass partisanship is being displayed only by Republicans. Take them at their word that acquitting President Trump marks the tragic ruination of what would otherwise be the greatest country in history. They love the Constitution, and they love America. They say.
Yet in January, these same individuals rushed their impeachment case through the House of Representatives, forbade cross-examination of witnesses, blocked the opposition from calling witnesses, trampled due process, and refused the president opportunity to mount a defense. Now they are lecturing about the sanctity of seeking and airing the whole truth.
Their sudden reformation into “strict constitutionalists” is stunning. For years most of them applauded as the previous president repeatedly bypassed or ignored constitutional limits on his power. For years many have praised cities, counties and states for flatly refusing to uphold and enforce immigration law. For years they have broadly ignored and excused rank criminality, rioting and violence as being a “natural response” to systemic injustice. For years they have labored to rewrite America’s history into a story of shame. For years they have attacked constitutional guarantees including freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and the right to bear arms. For years they have denounced the Constitution itself as antiquated, outdated, a “charter of negative liberties,” invented by racist, bigoted slave owners that must be “reinterpreted” or demolished. Democrat presidential candidates are tripping over each other trying to prove who among them is willing to act most radically to reshape the country by denying people’s rights, despoiling the wealthy and destroying whole industries. Their whole mindset is utterly lawless.
Here is a suggestion: Don’t take them at their word. Watch what they do. Jesus Christ warned of ravening wolves coming in sheep’s clothing—and said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:15-16). They say they want to help the poor, help minorities, help women. But when the president announces that 7 million people no longer need food stamps, 10 million have been lifted off welfare, black poverty and unemployment have reached their lowest levels in history, and the workforce offers more opportunities for women than ever, watch what they do.
Their hearts are full of something, but it isn’t love. Jeremiah 17:9 says the human heart is deceitful and wicked. People want to look righteous, and they can say anything. People like to identify as loving, prayerful, courteous.
Judge by fruits.
Humanity has a limitless history of cloaking its corruption in righteousness. Jesus Himself saw it: When a woman anointed His feet with costly ointment, noble Judas rose in indignation: That should have been sold and the money given to the poor! he said. But John’s Gospel exposes the truth: Judas didn’t care for the poor—he was a thief and wanted to pocket the money (John 12:6). And soon after, he betrayed Jesus—with a kiss.
“Mark you this, Bassanio,” Antonio says in The Merchant of Venice, “The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. / An evil soul producing holy witness / Is like a villain with a smiling cheek, / A goodly apple rotten at the heart. / Oh, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!” Yes, Satan himself comes as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:14). He can call the rankest disrespect “courteous” and the most insidious hate “love.” Don’t take him at his word.


thetrumpet--2020-03-25--Deep State Endorses Joe Biden

Deep State Endorses Joe Biden

Democratic Party officials are coalescing around former Vice President Joe Biden as a so-called moderate alternative to Sen. Bernie Sanders.
In the lead-up to the Super Tuesday presidential primaries on March 3, people were betting there was a 57 percent chance that Senator Sanders got the Democratic nomination. Then, in a dramatic comeback, Biden won 629 delegates on Super Tuesday. This victory gave Biden an 84-delegate lead over Sanders; almost assuring that he will become his party’s 2020 nominee.
But Biden did not engineer his comeback by himself.
People close to former U.S. President Barack Obama told nbc News that Obama spoke with Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg on March 1, the day he dropped out of the race. After speaking with Obama, Buttigieg traveled to Dallas and endorsed Joe Biden. Many saw this endorsement as a signal that Obama favored Biden over Sanders. Democratic presidential candidate Amy Klobuchar dropped out of the race on March 2 and endorsed Biden for president on the same day Buttigieg issued his endorsement.
Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice and former Central Intelligence Agency Director John Brennan also endorsed Biden that day, while former Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey waited till the following day.
After Biden won the Florida primary, 148 former spies, cia station chiefs, diplomats and other officials (including former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper) endorsed Biden in a written statement posted to thesteadystate.org.
The “steady state” is a politically correct term referring to a group of unelected bureaucrats, military leaders and intelligence agents that many conservatives refer to as the “deep state.”
Democratic insiders have told Axios news that Biden wants to staff his administration with former Obama administration officials, including former National Security Advisor Susan Rice, former Deputy Attorney General Sally Yates and former Secretary of State John Kerry. He has also said that he would like to appoint Barack Obama to the Supreme Court and have former First Lady Michelle Obama be his vice president. Since it looks like Michelle Obama may not be interested in that position, however, Biden is reportedly discussing other vice president options with Barack Obama.
It is relatively unusual in American politics for a presidential candidate to rely so heavily on the advice and council of a former president. The 22nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents Obama from running for a third presidential term, but his inner circle is rallying around Biden in a similar way to how Russian President Vladimir Putin’s inner circle rallied around Dmitry Medvedev in 2008 (when Russia’s Constitution forbade Putin from a third consecutive presidential term). Many Americans are concerned about rumors that the 77-year-old Biden may be near senile, yet deep state officials endorsing Biden may prefer a senile president who is no threat to their agenda.
Obama, Biden, Brennan, Comey, Rice, Yates and Clapper all colleagues took part in a Jan. 5, 2017, White House meeting to discuss how to use an unverified dossier of propaganda, paid for by the Hillary Clinton presidential campaign, to illegally obtain a warrant to spy on the Trump campaign. After President Donald Trump took the oath of office, this dossier was used to launch a Special Counsel investigation into unverified claims that Trump colluded with the Russians to rig the 2016 presidential election. When the investigation found no evidence that Mr. Trump committed a crime, the Democrats launched impeachment proceedings against him on the charge that he allegedly pressured the president of Ukraine into investigating Biden’s role in the investigation. Now that the Senate has acquitted President Trump of any wrongdoing, this same group of colleagues is pulling strings to put Biden in the White House.
This type of behind-the-scenes maneuvering goes beyond political partisanship. The Obama administration is attempting to use the powers of the “steady state” to influence elections.
“[T]hese agents are somehow convinced that their job is to overturn America’s last election and destroy the president,” wrote Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry in “America Has Been ‘Fundamentally Transformed.’” “They are focusing all their attention on hunting for crimes so they can bring him down and overthrow the government! That is a counterintelligence invasion—and it has unfolded right before our eyes. And it all revolves around former President Barack Obama! That must be our focus.”
The late Herbert W. Armstrong explained in his landmark book The United States and Britain in Prophecy that the English-speaking peoples who settled the U.S. and Britain are the descendants of ancient Israel. This astonishing truth means that the Bible’s end-time prophecies concerning Israel are primarily directed at the United States and Britain.
One of these end-time prophecies foretells a time when God will use a human leader to temporarily save Israel from being completely destroyed. “For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash” (2 Kings 14:26-27).
Many people believe that if Hillary Clinton had won the 2016 presidential election, the deep state officials who are currently supporting Biden would have been able to continue running the country behind the scenes, thus ending our constitutional republic. The only reason this did not happen is because God showed mercy on the nation and raised up a flawed human leader to expose the deep state. Now that they have been exposed, many of these leaders are no longer hiding their agenda. Instead, they are listing their names on thesteadystate.org and advocating for the triumph of technocracy over constitutionalism.
Millions of Americans are waking up to the threat that this sprawling network of deep-state departments presents to the nation, but they still do not understand the root causes behind the crisis. The Bible reveals that the serious problems in America’s government are not caused by one man or a group of government officials. Ultimately, they are caused by the sins of the American people as a whole (Isaiah 1:4-7). Only repentance by the people can prevent the sickness in America’s government from escalating into full-scale revolution and war.
You can learn about the spiritual cause of the corruption inside the federal government in Mr. Flurry’s editorial “America Has Been ‘Fundamentally Transformed’” and in his free booklet America Under Attack.


thetrumpet--2020-03-25--New Zealand Legalizes Abortion

New Zealand Legalizes Abortion

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern delivered a key electoral campaign promise last week when lawmakers passed a bill decriminalizing abortion. The bill passed in Parliament on Wednesday, 68-to-51, and will become law after it is signed by the country’s governor general.
The new law is an amendment to the 1977 law that made abortion a crime in New Zealand except when two doctors agree that continuing the pregnancy would endanger the mother’s mental or physical health. Previously, an unlawful abortion could be punished with up to 14 years in prison.
The new law no longer requires any medical consent. A mother can self-refer in the first 20 weeks of pregnancy without even visiting a hospital. Abortion can still occur after 20 weeks, but only if two doctors agree that to continue the pregnancy would be harmful to the woman’s physical, mental or “overall well-being.” According to officials, New Zealand has moved abortion from a crime to a health issue.
Meanwhile…in New Zealand, lawmakers have voted to decriminalize abortion. pic.twitter.com/YoaIJNcXbV — Brut America (@brutamerica) March 22, 2020
In campaigning for abortion rights, National Member of Parliament Amy Adams told Parliament, “I have an absolutely innate view that Parliament needs to stay out of the medical and personal decisions of women’s lives. Women have an inalienable right to control their bodies and reproductive systems.”
But Adams does not realize that abortion is not about a woman’s right to her own body. New Zealand bishops were right when they called the bill “a travesty of human rights” that “ignores the reality that a genetically unique human life has begun which is neither that of the mother or the father.”
This is not merely a religious belief, it is a biological fact that an unborn child is a distinct and separate human being. Several studies have proved that a fetus can feel excruciating pain from very early in pregnancy.
This is a biological fact that theologian and educator Herbert W. Armstrong discussed in his landmark book Mystery of the Ages:
The human spirit enters the human embryo at conception. It is this spirit that may, upon adult conversion, be united with the Holy Spirit from the great Creator God, impregnating that human with God-life as a child of the living God, in a state of gestation, though as yet unborn. To destroy an embryo or a fetus in a mother’s uterus is to murder a potential future God being. Therefore, abortion is murder.
Mr. Armstrong recognized the biological facts of abortion together with the greater spiritual dimension at play.
Legislators passing abortion bills do not recognize the unborn child’s incredible human potential. Abortion doctors don’t just kill another human being; they murder “a potential future God being.”
According to Worldometer, there have been more than 9.7 million abortions worldwide so far this year. That is more than 115,476 abortions every day since January 1. Every hour, nearly 5,000 babies are murdered—more than 80 every minute. That means more than one abortion is performed every second of every day worldwide.
If you think coronavirus is a pandemic, perhaps officials ought to turn their attention to the abortion rate.
This brutality represents the mentality God prophesied would be rampant in the end time. 2 Timothy 3:1-3 says, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection ….” The natural affection of a mother toward her unborn child and mankind’s respect for human life is disappearing.
As Joel Hilliker wrote in “Why Do So Many People Want More Abortion?” these kinds of shocking statistics are the result of mankind’s rejection of God and refusal to see human life as more than just atoms. “This is what happens when we cast aside the revelation that God made us in His own image—that He endowed us with tremendous potential given to no other creation—and that every single human life matters.”
This tremendous potential fills the Bible. Psalm 127:3-5 says, “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them ….” In Genesis 1:26-27, God says that man was made in His image and likeness with a potential described in Hebrews 2:7-8: “Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands: Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” The Moffatt version translates “all things” as “the universe.” God is preparing to give mankind the entire universe!
These are the scriptures that fill Herbert W. Armstrong’s book The Incredible Human Potential. Please read this book to understand the potential God has given every single human being—those living, who have died, and those yet to be born. This potential reveals why Satan is working so feverishly to legalize abortion around the world.


thetrumpet--2020-03-25--Coronavirus: Macron’s Needed Crisis?

Coronavirus: Macron’s Needed Crisis?

Emmanuel Macron ’ s popularity is rising as he leads France into a new war .
French President Emmanuel Macron has taken drastic actions to combat the spread of coronavirus in France .
In doing so , he is pressuring other European leaders to do the same .
His “ popularity rating jumped to a more than two-year high , according to an opinion poll published on Friday , ” France 24 reported , “ edging past the 50 percent mark for the first time since 2018 as voters give his handling of the coronavirus crisis a vote of confidence.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the waves of protests against Macron ’ s past decisions .
The whole country is now looking to his leadership .
The crisis presents him with a chance to solidify his rule as France ’ s strongman .
But what most don ’ t realize is Macron ’ s actions are ultimately playing into Germany ’ s hands .
Like other countries around the world , France wasn ’ t prepared for the coronavirus crisis .
Its economy is threatened by recession and its hospitals are overburdened with patients .
Some patients have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treatment .
As of March 25 , France has more than 22,000 coronavirus cases and 1,100 deaths .
Germany has more than 35,000 cases , but only 181 have died thus far .
The people in France are glued to Macron ’ s speeches .
His address on March 12 reached 25 million French viewers , breaking all previous records .
But that record was soon broken : On March 16 , his address reached more than 35 million people—96 percent of television viewers .
“ What the French president announced , after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ anthem ] , in his television address sounded like a general mobilization , ” faz.net noted ( Trumpet translation throughout ) .
“ France is at war against an ‘ invisible enemy , ’ he told his compatriots .
Just so no one would miss the message , he repeated the word war six times .
… After Macron ’ s war speech , there was primarily applause .
Even the left-wing populist Jean-Luc Mélenchon , who would like to overthrow Macron , spoke of ‘ national unity ’ and called for solidarity.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ sound strange to outside observers .
But he chose the perfect words to rally France behind him .
Die Welt noted : “ Unlike [ German Chancellor Angela ] Merkel , Macron now acts as the nation ’ s commander in chief , who he de facto is.
” Macron did not only call the crisis “ a public-health war , ” he also deployed the French Army and used war rhetoric and military metaphors to talk about the “ invisible enemy.
” The enemy is real , though not as lethal as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scared .
That ’ s why even Macron ’ s lockdown of many French businesses and most public life is widely accepted .
“ Emmanuel Macron presents himself as a warlord in the fight against coronavirus—and as a leader of Europe in the crisis , ” Die Welt explained .
“ The yellow vest crisis and months of protests against pension reform seem to have been forgotten .
According to the Ipsos Institute ’ s latest survey , 55 percent of citizens believe that the government is ‘ fighting the virus effectively.
’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with protesters and lit by burning cars are now empty , as most citizens diligently follow Macron ’ s orders .
On March 17 , the French populous was no longer allowed to leave their homes without a certificate .
The bureaucratic measures included certificates for people to walk their dogs , go shopping , and attend work .
In accordance with the new rules , shopping and exercise must be limited to one hour and can ’ t take place further than one kilometer from one ’ s home .
Transgressors can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ us $ 146 and $ 1,620 ) for repeat offenders .
“ Five days into lockdown , on March 21 , ” the British Spectator noted , “ French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner—whose brutal repression of the [ yellow vest movement ] is legendary—boasted on Twitter about the achievements of his 100,000 police tasked specifically with enforcing ‘ confinement ’ : 867,695 individuals checked by the police , 38,994 fines issued .
He didn ’ t detail the hundreds arrested for the French crime of ‘ endangerment ’ —putting other people ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imprisonment.
” “ I haven ’ t moved from home for the past four or five days , but outside it ’ s surrealistic , ” Gerald Carmont , a 60-year-old Frenchman working in educational services just outside of Paris , told cnbc over the phone .
“ It ’ s like you ’ re living in a death place.
” France continues to struggle to keep rebels down , but now most view the measures as justified .
The people yearn to return to a routine , believing that if they follow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ come sooner rather than later .
“ In France , after a week of curfew , ” Die Welt noted , “ the overwhelming majority of citizens understand that without an intermittent , possibly lengthy renunciation of individual freedoms and pleasure , this epidemic will not be contained.
” Macron has had to deal with many setbacks in recent months .
One of them was Brexit .
Britain officially left the European Union on January 31 .
In some cases , it seemed Prime Minister Boris Johnson was gaining the upperhand in negotiations @ @ @ @ @ @ @ course , was to the great displeasure of Macron , who likes to view himself as the de facto leader of Europe and defender of the Continent ’ s unity .
In the coronavirus crisis , Macron was able to achieve an apparent victory .
He told Johnson on March 20 that he would close France ’ s border to the United Kingdom if Johnson continued to refuse to take more restrictive measures to contain the coronavirus .
Macron , at the time , was upset that no more major European leaders were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look extreme .
Johnson eventually ordered the shutdown of schools , pubs and restaurants and asked that people stay indoors .
Britain ’ s tougher measures cause Macron to shine .
Hesitant leaders look weak .
Even if Macron ’ s actions are too extreme , the fact that others are taking similar actions now make the measures appear justified .
People are now thankful for his leadership .
Throughout his time in office , Macron has appeared to rise to Europe ’ s leadership .
He has criticized the United States and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unity within Europe .
But in all this , as Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has explained , a “ clear trend is taking place : President Macron demands what Germany wants.
” Mr .
Flurry continued in “ France Is Resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire ” : “ I don ’ t believe Macron would ever say what he said unless Germany approved of it .
He acts as a sort of puppet to Germany !
” Germany eventually took steps to contain the virus , but its no-contact policy and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ two people looks mild compared to Macron ’ s measures .
In World War ii , the German war machine relied on a submissive populous .
Since the war , however , Germans have been reluctant to trust their government .
But the recent crisis and how various leaders are dealing with it have caused many in Europe to trust and look to their own governments once again .
Out of all the nations in Europe , Germany was the most prepared for this crisis .
It has been saving money for years @ @ @ @ @ @ @ system .
Though the crisis will certainly take a toll on Germany , lockdowns will harm the rest of Europe much more .
The crisis will thus solidify Germany ’ s economic rule in Europe .
Macron is leading Europe into lockdown and effectively tying Europe ’ s economic needs to Germany .
In a very subtle way , he is helping Germany take on more leadership in Europe and appear moderate , in doing so .
Macron is thus fulfilling Bible prophecy .
The Bible reveals that in the end time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and submissive to Germany , will rise in Europe .
Revelation 17:12-13 read : “ And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings , which have received no kingdom as yet ; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast .
These have one mind , and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.
” Concerning this prophecy , Mr .
Flurry wrote : These 10 kings are prophesied to rule as dictators .
Macron ’ s recent lockdown of France gives us a glimpse into what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ getting used to the rule of strongmen .
They are being forced to rely on what the government tells them to do and concede their normal freedoms .
The role President Macron is playing in Europe and Bible prophecy is utterly unique to that of any other current leader , as Mr .
Flurry explained in “ France Is Resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire.
” Read his article to gain an in-depth study into Macon ’ s leadership , his ambition and what this means for Europe and you personally in light of @ @ @

French President Emmanuel Macron has taken drastic actions to combat the spread of coronavirus in France. In doing so, he is pressuring other European leaders to do the same. His “popularity rating jumped to a more than two-year high, according to an opinion poll published on Friday,” France 24 reported, “edging past the 50 percent mark for the first time since 2018 as voters give his handling of the coronavirus crisis a vote of confidence.”
The French were quick to forget the waves of protests against Macron’s past decisions. The whole country is now looking to his leadership. The crisis presents him with a chance to solidify his rule as France’s strongman. But what most don’t realize is Macron’s actions are ultimately playing into Germany’s hands.
Like other countries around the world, France wasn’t prepared for the coronavirus crisis. Its economy is threatened by recession and its hospitals are overburdened with patients. Some patients have even been transferred to Germany for critical treatment.
As of March 25, France has more than 22,000 coronavirus cases and 1,100 deaths. Germany has more than 35,000 cases, but only 181 have died thus far.
The people in France are glued to Macron’s speeches. His address on March 12 reached 25 million French viewers, breaking all previous records. But that record was soon broken: On March 16, his address reached more than 35 million people—96 percent of television viewers.
“What the French president announced, after the sounds of [the French national anthem], in his television address sounded like a general mobilization,” faz.net noted (Trumpet translation throughout). “France is at war against an ‘invisible enemy,’ he told his compatriots. Just so no one would miss the message, he repeated the word war six times. … After Macron’s war speech, there was primarily applause. Even the left-wing populist Jean-Luc Mélenchon, who would like to overthrow Macron, spoke of ‘national unity’ and called for solidarity.”
Macron’s warlike terminology may sound strange to outside observers. But he chose the perfect words to rally France behind him. Die Welt noted: “Unlike [German Chancellor Angela] Merkel, Macron now acts as the nation’s commander in chief, who he de facto is.” Macron did not only call the crisis “a public-health war,” he also deployed the French Army and used war rhetoric and military metaphors to talk about the “invisible enemy.”
The enemy is real, though not as lethal as some claim. Yet the people are scared. That’s why even Macron’s lockdown of many French businesses and most public life is widely accepted. “Emmanuel Macron presents himself as a warlord in the fight against coronavirus—and as a leader of Europe in the crisis,” Die Welt explained. “The yellow vest crisis and months of protests against pension reform seem to have been forgotten. According to the Ipsos Institute’s latest survey, 55 percent of citizens believe that the government is ‘fighting the virus effectively.’”
The streets that were previously filled with protesters and lit by burning cars are now empty, as most citizens diligently follow Macron’s orders.
On March 17, the French populous was no longer allowed to leave their homes without a certificate. The bureaucratic measures included certificates for people to walk their dogs, go shopping, and attend work. In accordance with the new rules, shopping and exercise must be limited to one hour and can’t take place further than one kilometer from one’s home. Transgressors can be fined between €135 and €1,500 (us$146 and $1,620) for repeat offenders.
“Five days into lockdown, on March 21,” the British Spectator noted, “French Interior Minister Christophe Castaner—whose brutal repression of the [yellow vest movement] is legendary—boasted on Twitter about the achievements of his 100,000 police tasked specifically with enforcing ‘confinement’: 867,695 individuals checked by the police, 38,994 fines issued. He didn’t detail the hundreds arrested for the French crime of ‘endangerment’—putting other people’s lives in danger—punishable by six years’ imprisonment.”
“I haven’t moved from home for the past four or five days, but outside it’s surrealistic,” Gerald Carmont, a 60-year-old Frenchman working in educational services just outside of Paris, told cnbc over the phone. “It’s like you’re living in a death place.”
France continues to struggle to keep rebels down, but now most view the measures as justified. The people yearn to return to a routine, believing that if they follow the government’s orders it will come sooner rather than later.
“In France, after a week of curfew,” Die Welt noted, “the overwhelming majority of citizens understand that without an intermittent, possibly lengthy renunciation of individual freedoms and pleasure, this epidemic will not be contained.”
Macron has had to deal with many setbacks in recent months. One of them was Brexit. Britain officially left the European Union on January 31. In some cases, it seemed Prime Minister Boris Johnson was gaining the upperhand in negotiations with the EU. This, of course, was to the great displeasure of Macron, who likes to view himself as the de facto leader of Europe and defender of the Continent’s unity.
In the coronavirus crisis, Macron was able to achieve an apparent victory. He told Johnson on March 20 that he would close France’s border to the United Kingdom if Johnson continued to refuse to take more restrictive measures to contain the coronavirus.
Macron, at the time, was upset that no more major European leaders were following his lead, causing him to look extreme. Johnson eventually ordered the shutdown of schools, pubs and restaurants and asked that people stay indoors.
Britain’s tougher measures cause Macron to shine. Hesitant leaders look weak. Even if Macron’s actions are too extreme, the fact that others are taking similar actions now make the measures appear justified. People are now thankful for his leadership.
Throughout his time in office, Macron has appeared to rise to Europe’s leadership. He has criticized the United States and Britain. He has called for greater unity within Europe. But in all this, as Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has explained, a “clear trend is taking place: President Macron demands what Germany wants.” Mr. Flurry continued in “France Is Resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire”: “I don’t believe Macron would ever say what he said unless Germany approved of it. He acts as a sort of puppet to Germany!”
Germany eventually took steps to contain the virus, but its no-contact policy and ban of all gatherings of more than two people looks mild compared to Macron’s measures.
In World War ii, the German war machine relied on a submissive populous. Since the war, however, Germans have been reluctant to trust their government. But the recent crisis and how various leaders are dealing with it have caused many in Europe to trust and look to their own governments once again.
Out of all the nations in Europe, Germany was the most prepared for this crisis. It has been saving money for years and has invested heavily in its health-care system. Though the crisis will certainly take a toll on Germany, lockdowns will harm the rest of Europe much more. The crisis will thus solidify Germany’s economic rule in Europe.
Macron is leading Europe into lockdown and effectively tying Europe’s economic needs to Germany. In a very subtle way, he is helping Germany take on more leadership in Europe and appear moderate, in doing so.
Macron is thus fulfilling Bible prophecy. The Bible reveals that in the end time, 10 kings, who are all anchored and submissive to Germany, will rise in Europe. Revelation 17:12-13 read: “And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.” Concerning this prophecy, Mr. Flurry wrote:
This prophecy shows that the European Union, currently at 28 nations, will be pared down to 10 kings. Britain has already withdrawn from the EU. Others will follow or be kicked out. Verse 13 shows that these 10 kings will all have one mind—and it will be revolving around the German mind and the Holy Roman Empire mind. These kings will “give their power and strength unto the beast.” This is a prophecy that these nations will be anchored to Germany! France of all countries is the first to admit it!
These 10 kings are prophesied to rule as dictators. Macron’s recent lockdown of France gives us a glimpse into what that may look like. Citizens are getting used to the rule of strongmen. They are being forced to rely on what the government tells them to do and concede their normal freedoms.
The role President Macron is playing in Europe and Bible prophecy is utterly unique to that of any other current leader, as Mr. Flurry explained in “France Is Resurrecting the Holy Roman Empire.” Read his article to gain an in-depth study into Macon’s leadership, his ambition and what this means for Europe and you personally in light of Bible prophecy.


thetrumpet--2020-03-25--Lock It Down: It’s What We’re ‘Supposed’ to Do

Police personnel stand guard at a traffic light during the first day of a 21-day government-imposed nationwide lockdown as a preventive measure against the COVID-19 coronavirus , in Amritsar on March 25 , 2020 .
India has a population of 1.3 billion people .
The nation has had just 10 deaths related to coronavirus , but the government has imposed a nationwide lockdown .
It ’ s as if each nation is trying to out-shutdown the one before it !
When in history have you heard of such extreme measures being taken to combat the flu ?
The World Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the coronavirus was in the 4 to 5 percent range .
These numbers contributed to the worldwide panic .
Now estimates are coming in that suggest the mortality rate could be well below 1 percent .
President Donald Trump is itching to open up the U.S. economy again .
“ We have to put the country to work , ” he said yesterday .
Not surprisingly , the media are strenuously opposed to this .
Early on in the coronavirus panic , some commentators drew comparisons to the Spanish flu .
What was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ died from it ?
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Lock It Down: It’s What We’re ‘Supposed’ to Do
Why Lockdowns? (22 minutes)
India has a population of 1.3 billion people. The nation has had just 10 deaths related to coronavirus, but the government has imposed a nationwide lockdown. It’s as if each nation is trying to out-shutdown the one before it! When in history have you heard of such extreme measures being taken to combat the flu?
Mortality Rate (11 minutes)
The World Health Organization initially said the mortality rate for the coronavirus was in the 4 to 5 percent range. These numbers contributed to the worldwide panic. Now estimates are coming in that suggest the mortality rate could be well below 1 percent.
Get to Work (11 minutes)
President Donald Trump is itching to open up the U.S. economy again. “We have to put the country to work,” he said yesterday. Not surprisingly, the media are strenuously opposed to this.
Spanish Flu (10 minutes)
Early on in the coronavirus panic, some commentators drew comparisons to the Spanish flu. What was the Spanish flu and how many people died from it?