At this hour, talks go on with Iran. I don’t know whether all these talks will do any good. Arabs are nice people, but you don’t want to get on their bad side.  

The media is growing more bold in their criticism of Donald Trump. I wouldn’t be too quick to jump. So far, I think he’s ahead of the media. He tells them after the fact. He never gives them a chance to ambush him. Those idiots never give up! They just make up a new story you hadn’t thought of. The media, excepting those that attend press conferences, is against him. They never miss a chance to poke fun. So far, at least, he’s having the last laugh.

Trump signed the agreement to agree. Good luck. I doubt it’s final. Gas prices are supposed to come down, otherwise we’d never know we’d been in a war. I don’t know what kind of leverage we have, we’ve already destroyed everything. We’d hoped another faction would come to power, maybe friendly?  But it doesn’t look like that will happen. I guess we’d better get used to the idea of Iran being an enemy.  

Canada is cratering, and you can read all about it. They’ve never had the strength or resolve of the United States. They’ve let every Tom, Dick and Harry come in and at this point I don’t think we’d want it. How Canadians are putting up with the insults coming from the Oval, I don’t know.  The media is largely against Trump, you don’t need me to tell you that. They are criticizing everything he does and thinks. He doesn’t care.  

They’re chasing us around about AI. They say that pollsters are asking AI instead of the people.  That’s a good way to get steered wrong.  

Markets are about 7 moves ahead of the investor, they claim. Oil is coming down, now that we’ve paid penance. Maybe we won’t feel so guilty every time we fill up the car.  

You hardly hear anything about the Ukraine war. First we were on Zelensky’s side, then Trump kicked him out of the White House. I don’t know what to make of it, but I don’t like Zelensky. He had the misfortune of Donald Trump’s presidency, and doesn’t know how to handle it. Ukraine has hit Russia with missiles and the other shoe has yet to drop.

Mark

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – June 19, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Michael here. There was no Update last week as festivities were underway for the Unleavened Bread Weekend here in Tyler and as my dad continues to convalesce. He has improved but your prayers on his behalf are still appreciated. Our activities here were well and enthusiastically attended. We enjoyed Bible Study, Horseback Riding, Bowling, Bible Trivia and Karaoke in addition to our regular services and pot luck meals. All are welcome, and if you have never been able to attend now is the time to start planning for next year!

To bring you all up to date on some of our efforts here at headquarters, most will have received their 2^nd Quarter Issue of WATCH Magazine by now. We have added around 500 names to the mailing list with the offer of a free (as it always is and will always remain) 1 year subscription, in addition to renewing a similar number who had subscribed the year before. We have also had some success with online promotions, most notably with an Easter program by Garner Ted Armstrong that received over 30,000 views on Facebook alone and a short video by Dr. Ricks promoting Line Upon Line that also received over 30,000 views.

The Iran war continues to dominate world news headlines. Negotiators, including Vice President Vance, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, are in Pakistan for negotiations with Iran at this writing. The ceasefire is disputed, with both sides alleging violations. Israel continues to strike Lebanon while pursuing separate negotiations with their government (despite a lack of formal recognition) aimed at neutralizing Hezbollah. The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively shut with Iran insisting ships transit an unusual route near their border and demanding tolls. There has been no perceptible increase in traffic.

It is undeniable that the US and Israel have systematically devastated Iran’s defense and production capabilities. The number of confirmed strikes is staggering, as are the lists of important individuals who have been eliminated. However, all Iran needs to appear undefeated is the ability to launch anything and maintain a defiant attitude. This presents an altogether different challenge. As Israel found with Hamas in Gaza, an enemy that is well dug in and stocked with munitions can maintain this posture for a very long time.

We will see how the talks progress, but the advance signaling is just as dismal as that which led up to this conflict. Many speculate, but there is little real information pertaining to the situation on the ground inside of Iran. What has emerged is that the regime has been proactively threatening any hint of dissent, maintaining a total internet blackout, and actively recruiting and arming citizens against a potential uprising. Not exactly the actions of a government secure in its role, but there is still no guarantee the people of Iran are willing or able to stand in the face of the radical and well armed factions that care little for their lives. 

We are sad to report the death of Bill Nelson, a lifelong member and a fellow-laborer here at the office since 2015. Words don’t suffice for the loss of a friend and a brother. Bill was dedicated, hardworking and faithful. Most will know him from his many years of song leading and speaking. Our prayers are with his family. His faith was rock solid to the very end and in that we have an example of the contentment that comes with the assurance of God’s kingdom. He knew that we would meet again, and we all look forward to that glorious day. 

-Michael Armstrong

The post Weekly Update by Michael Armstrong – April 10, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

It’s been quite a week. A shooting at Brown University, leaving two dead and many others injured, quickly turned into a days-long manhunt. It resolved with an apparent suicide but was also soon linked to the murder of a former classmate and MIT professor, leaving more questions than answers.

The world was treated to Vladimir Putin’s year end press conference. It painted a rosy picture of strength and resilience but perhaps more importantly an overriding determination to bring the war in Ukraine to a close on their terms.

Meanwhile, the EU has waffled on its outspoken desire to use frozen Russian assets to fund Ukraine. It was a public humiliation for both Chancellor Merz of Germany and the President of the EU, Ursula von der Leyen. Both had pushed the plan hard, with Merz declaring there was “no alternative.” There was, but it starts with a D and ends with an EBT.

Ultimately, they borrowed to provide the desired funding. Belgium, where the majority of the Russian funds are held, balked at releasing them without an unlimited commitment to shared legal liability for doing so. This was a bridge too far for their European peers. Hungary proposed a way out of the impasse. It exempted them and a few others who protested for assuming any of the debt burden but allowed their colleagues to proceed as they desired.

The US has been flexing its military might. An attack that killed and wounded US troops in Syria has been responded to by strikes on numerous locations. This in cooperation with the new regime in Syria. A Venezuelan tanker carrying sanctioned oil was also seized this week, drawing strong rebukes from Maduro and others.

Trump has since announced a full blockade against vessels transporting these products. The majority of them sail to “teapot” refineries in China that are immune to international sanctions, but the same vessels also supply Cuba and are often part of the “shadow fleet” that transports Russian and Iranian crude. A conflict of some sort is certainly brewing.

The saddest news of all was the massacre at Bondi Beach in Australia. With 15 dead and many more wounded the country is grappling with a multitude of issues, chief among which are gun control and unassimilated migrants. The attack was perpetrated by a father, who held an Indian passport, and a son, who had been investigated for his links to radical Islam.

Being from Texas, where you expect everyone to be armed, it seems a tragedy that an event like this could transpire for so long without being met by equal force. The heroic intervention of another (unarmed) Muslim immigrant likely saved many lives, yet there has been considerable backlash online- as if he is a traitor to his race or religion for saving life. How appalling.

It’s abhorrent. All know by now that the targets of this heinous attack were Jews commemorating the beginning of Hanukkah, which celebrates the cleansing of the temple after it was defiled by Antiochus Epiphanes. While not a Holy Day ordained by God, Christ Himself is recorded as being at the Temple during this time in John 10:22. With the Sabbath upon us, it gives us pause to consider the general attitude toward those who do observe God’s annual Holy Days and what the future may hold.

Michael

The post Weekly Update by Michael Armstrong – December 19, 2025 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Hope everyone has had a great start to this year’s Holy Days. We are looking forward to the Last Day of Unleavened Bread tomorrow here in Tyler with a potluck planned for after services and an evening of fun and fellowship including Bible Trivia and Karaoke. Like with the weekly Sabbath, it is refreshing to take a break from the chaos of the world and rejoice in honoring God’s commands with like-minded brethren.

Meanwhile, the news has been a regular roller coaster ride. The tariff hubbub has finally crystallized around the primary conflict, the struggle for economic dominance between the US and China. American institutions have found themselves in an uncomfortable position, dependent on cheap foreign goods and government largess with an administration determined to wean the country off both.

If all your hopes and dreams are tied up in the stock market it has probably been a harrowing experience. It has been a scramble to ascertain which companies’ operations will be most affected, which will be insulated, and which have the capacity to adapt. The temporary reprieve given to all markets other than China has offered a preview of what may be coming as well as an opportunity to shift production or negotiate a mutually advantageous alternative. Many are working toward that alternative, and while the media is focused on the fallout there will also be unexpected winners as supply lines shift and new players become competitive or viable.

We are so busy being shocked by market volatility and record highs among safe havens like gold that we forget some of the major, underlying issues. The financial trajectory of the US and the majority of developed Western nations has been abysmal. France has yet to limit itself to a 5% budget deficit without dissolving the government and triggering elections. The sad truth is, there is no good time or easy way to make the kind of changes that need to be made. 

We are seeing the Houthis devastated in Yemen. This as the US pursues high level negotiations with Iran over its nuclear ambitions and role in the region. And it has not been a good year for Iran. Hamas is not gone but there is hardly anything left of Gaza, potential deals to end the war and release the hostages keep breaking down. Hezbollah is all but obliterated in Lebanon. Assad is out of Syria. The Houthis are hurting as we mentioned and even the Shiite militias of Iran are offering to disarm. 

The war in Ukraine also continues to grind on. Headlines continue to tease that a mineral deal is possible or near completion that would vest US interests in the region. Various European nations have voiced a willingness to participate in the security aspect but the reality on the ground has continued to deteriorate. Russia controlling all of the regions it claims to have annexed will be a hard pill to swallow for many capitals that have repeatedly insisted every inch be returned to Ukraine as a prerequisite to peace. Who doesn’t want another uncomfortable geopolitical reality like that between North and South Korea or China and Taiwan? 

My Dad asked me to write the update this week as he is feeling a bit under the weather. Your prayers are appreciated, as they are for all those facing trials. The prayer wall at the ICG site is a good place to keep up with many of the requests we receive as are the various social media pages and groups. And we are always happy to pass them along for those who prefer to call or email. “The prayer of a righteous person has great power…” (James 5:16 ESV) We would also like to acknowledge the passing Mrs. Marsh, who many would know from the Myrtle Beach, SC Feast site, and Mr. Jensen, who others may know from Lake Tahoe. We sorrow over their loss but we rejoice that their salvation is secure and that they will rest in peace until Christ’s return. In hard times, and especially during these Holy Days, we remember that our hope is not in this world but in His Kingdom.

Happy Sabbath,

Michael Armstrong

The post Weekly Update by Michael Armstrong – April 18, 2025 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.