I bring you greetings from your brethren in Australia. The trip went smoothly, and it was a pleasure to meet many friends in person and make some entirely new ones. Murray was laid to rest last Friday and we had a special Sabbath service in Sydney the following day. Please continue to pray for Murray’s wife, Dita. They were married for over 40 years and as many sadly know firsthand, it is a difficult loss to endure. We can be thankful for the comfort of the truth, and the knowledge of God’s promises.

Our Sabbath service went well. There is inevitably going to be a period of adjustment in Australia as Murray personally handled all of the church’s operations over there. If anyone needs immediate support please reach out to us and we can provide DVDs, anointed clothes, or whatever is necessary to fill the gap for the time being. Or if you just want to make the connection, it never hurts to verify addresses, phone numbers and be sure that no one will be overlooked during this transition.

One remarkable thing about the trip was seeing the warmth and similarity in God’s people, wherever they may call home. We often encounter this at regional meetings or at the Feast of Tabernacles, but it was comforting somehow to find it about as far away from Texas as you could possibly get! Those who are called share the same overriding priority; we share God’s Holy Spirit. It guides our lives and shapes our characters. In this we are the same, brothers and sisters, even if we have never met.

Everyone I encountered wanted to pass along their love and regards. I cannot speak highly enough of their hospitality or the beauty of their country. It is exceptional. God has blessed their land tremendously. Yet, sadly, they struggle with many of the same issues we do in the United States. Governments with mixed-up priorities, migration-based cultural pressures, lax law enforcement (except for speeding and red light cameras, they’ll get you!), and seemingly irreconcilable political divides. On one of my final days in the country a member of Parliament was intentionally run down by a driver who tried to keep backing and pulling over the poor lady before a shopkeeper intervened.

How well does that bode for the future? Look at what is consuming France. Protests have gotten so out of hand that they have been banned over the weekend. We will see if that order holds. This round began over school conditions, verifiably awful in some places, but as always it is those who merely wish to wreak havoc that end up taking the lead. How can burning e-bikes in the streets, stopping ordinary concourses, destroying historical buildings, looting shops or stealing i-phones possibly improve France’s budget constraints? Spoiler alert: it can’t. It is just another opportunity for evil to run rampant.

France has yet to be able to get its fiscal house in order, though to be fair, they are not the only ones. Every time a cut is proposed people flood the streets, whether it is retirement age, fuel taxes, or what have you. Consequently nothing gets done. Interestingly some like Marine Le Pen propose cutting France’s contributions to the EU budget, something that the average person would not feel directly. That is significant from the point of view of prophecy, which indicates a coalition of 10 nations rather than a sprawling federal bureaucracy. Whether or not France is the first major nation to pull back remains to be seen, but they have few options as their deficits grow and their bond yields rise, increasing the cost of continued borrowing.

The conflict with Iran continues to simmer. They are trying to punish and deter traffic through Hormuz as the brief period where shipping reached pre-war levels nearly made their claims of control irrelevant. The Houthis also have stepped up attacks on Saudi Arabia. Oil operations, airports and even the Ministry of Defense have been targeted. There is a feeling that the US may begin serious strikes again sooner than advertised, despite many statements about “after the mid-terms.” Aramco evacuated their headquarters. Diplomatic missions have been drawing down their staff, even US bases have been quietly removing personnel. This may be to limit potential casualties if there is a sudden escalation.

Israel flew a sortie of aircraft to the border of Iran before turning around and heading home. Some speculate they may have been hoping to draw fire and use the incident to renew hostilities. An election is looming in Israel, and Iran represents unfinished business for Netanyahu’s fragile coalition.

No doubt there are those that feel similarly in the US. A return to open hostilities is no small thing however. Reports have emerged about the accuracy of Iran’s attacks on its gulf neighbors. Statements about debris from intercepted drones being the main source of damage were patently false. The targets struck were often critical and hard to repair pieces in the oil and gas processing and transport equation. It is not credible to believe such components were repeatedly destroyed by random fragments falling from the sky. This is the risk that low-cost swarms of drones pose; it only takes a very few getting through to compromise high-value targets.

Another election worth watching is unfolding in Brazil. Their socialist President Lula is in a runoff with the son of former President Bolsonaro. The final vote takes place this weekend. It could have major repercussions as Brazil under Lula has been antagonistic towards the US, to say the least. Should he be defeated that could change dramatically.

Until next week, hope you all have a wonderful and refreshing Sabbath!

-Michael

The post Weekly Update by Michael Armstrong – October 23, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Michael is in Australia for Murray Allatt’s funeral, and is staying with a church member in Sydney. He’s had tremendous hospitality and kindness from all the folks there. I’m having flashbacks of my trips to Australia… We will welcome Michael back with open arms.

We’re at war; two wars. Iran isn’t backing down on the Strait of Hormuz. They’ve got enough weird holy men, and they’ve already started naming them.

The Pope had surgery and has been photographed since. He doesn’t look too chipper. This little guy doesn’t look like the one at the end time, but who knows? He apparently had some of his lung removed, but cancer has a way of coming back.

You know I don’t like Zelensky, but he just keeps on. There’s some news about him postponing elections again. It’s eastern Europe after all. I don’t think Trump likes him.

Gas prices are off the chart, and diesel is even higher. (I’m sure you’ve noticed.) With the Strait of Hormuz this dangerous, it could go on. But not if Trump has anything to say about it.

Mark

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – October 16, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Murray Allatt has gone.  He often called me on Friday afternoon.  I’ll miss those calls. My son Michael is going to Australia for the funeral service and a special Sabbath meeting. I’m sure the Australians are going to love him.

We had a wonderful Feast of Tabernacles in Florida. I shredded a tire on the way down, and spent the night in the front seat of the pickup. Couldn’t tell you if I slept or not. I’ll tell you all about it, someday. Florida was wonderful this year, but now a hurricane is bearing down. I’m glad we’re gone. Michael and his family went to Tahoe this year, and enjoyed it.

We have a new WATCH magazine on its way. It’s 36 pages, and beautiful, and you should have yours soon.

  The more Trump takes it to them the more they hate him. He’s a threat, the way they see it, and no amount of… well they’re hardly trying. If you read the internet, and most of you do, the gap between what the media tells you and what’s really going on is vast. And they take advantage of that. The way things are now, Trump is at war with the media. They’ve got to stay on offense, otherwise they come under scrutiny. They wouldn’t want THAT!

Iraq is not giving up. Neither is Ukraine. I think it will be bad for both of them. But we have the United States, and let me tell you there’s no place like it.

Mark Armstrong

PS from Michael Armstrong:

Greetings friends,

We hope everyone has had safe travels home from the Feast of Tabernacles! There were good reports all around, with particularly robust crowds in both Branson and Myrtle Beach. If you were not able to attend, it is never too soon to start planning for next year! Many thanks to all of those who pitch in and make each site a success.

There were many happy moments, but I am sad to have to report a couple of deaths. Ms. Angela Pollard, from the Atlanta area, was in Panama City Beach for the Feast this year. Unfortunately she was not feeling well and stayed home from services the first day. When a friend checked on her later in the day she was found unresponsive. She will certainly be missed by all. We have not received any details on a memorial yet but please keep her family in your prayers.

Also sad news from the site in Nelson Bay, Australia. Many of you will be familiar with Mr. Murray Allatt, who has handled all of the church’s affairs and been our primary contact on the continent for over 20 years. He began feeling unwell during the Feast. After being examined by a local facility he was transferred to a major hospital for emergency surgery. Most sites heard prayer requests on his behalf.

We were overjoyed when he came through the procedures well, and those with him reported he was recovering and sounded strong. Tragically, despite the positive outlook, he passed suddenly from a heart attack about 24 hours after the Feast had ended. The news came as quite a shock, my dad was particularly devastated as they were quite close, speaking every week through these many years.

Please remember his wife Dita and all of the brethren there in your prayers, they are all reeling from the loss. We will gladly forward any condolences to her through the office here. His funeral will be Friday, October 16^th at 2:30pm. It will be held at Woronora Memorial Park, Linden St, Sutherland, in New South Wales, Australia.

I will be flying over for the funeral, in addition to having a special Sabbath meeting with the local Sydney group the following day. It is a sad occasion, but it will be good to be there to honor Murray and his years of service in the work of God, and I look forward to meeting with our brothers and sisters down under. Even though the Feast reminds us that what we have now is temporary and not to be compared with the Eternal promises, we mourn the loss of our fellows and look forward to the Great day when we will meet again.

-Michael

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – October 9, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Michael, my son, wrote the letter. It was only the 15th and my writer’s block hadn’t cleared up. It’s a great letter, and you’ll see. He’s going to be at the Feast in Tahoe this year, one of my favorite places. It seems like we just got back, but God has a way of reminding us every year. We can’t have too good a time.

The news is so screwed up, we don’t know what to believe. I’m sure you’ve seen it. I’m going to save my commentary for the Feast, and it won’t be pretty. Well, God is still in charge. The media is out for blood, and Trump keeps one step ahead. They’ve decided that he’s a tyrant. A tyrant that believes in America.

If you’ve ever traveled, you know what I mean. The whole world is a mess. They’ve let all the backstabbers into Europe, and I hope you’ve been already, because the situation we see now is not good. I know people who got mugged in France in the old days. It’s worse now.

We’re lucky to be in the U. S. A. and, where are you going to go? It’s no better anywhere in the world, and I’m busy enjoying Texas, or a small portion of it.

Everything is the way we left it. Nobody knows anything. Zelensky is still in charge of Ukraine, wearing his little fake clothes. The Strait of Hormuz is… who knows? You get conflicting reports nearly every day until you can’t say anything categorically. The world is a mess, but we’ve got a good President, possibly the best ever. History takes time to be written. The press thinks they’re writing it. They’ll probably skew history.

Mark

The post Weekly Update by Mark Armstrong – September 18, 2026 first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

Anthropic’s workforce have a quasi-religious relationship to its chatbot, Claude, with members of staff attending a “funeral” for one version, Claude 3 Sonnet, in San Francisco and allowing another model, Opus 3, to continue publishing essays after being “retired.”

Other whispers in the valley are that Anthropic employees have started worshipping Claude like an actual god.

Continue reading HERE

Source: https://nypost.com/2026/09/16/tech/anthropic-is-a-cult-and-claude-is-rapidly-becoming-its-god-they-treat-ai-like-its-human-source/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUX0k1wZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR7V3wLBsXB61BX77wkX5mOI62hM1CMi_UAqSkvY16Dc-cZaj-oQMsRHl6fXdQ_aem_Cdz1XxPDy3ON88r1yhPBvw

The post Anthropic’s cult-like staff love Claude so much they attended a ‘funeral’ for retired version of chatbot first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The post Hungary moves to amend controversial child protection law after EU court ruling first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The U.S. has weapons orbiting Earth that can be used to defend American forces from attacks in space, the Air Force secretary revealed this week in a rare public acknowledgment of capabilities the Pentagon has largely kept secret.

Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said Monday that the Space Force now has “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” but declined to say what the weapons are, how they work or when they were deployed.

The carefully worded disclosure marks a shift in how openly the U.S. military talks about weapons in orbit as China and Russia develop their own capabilities to disrupt, disable or destroy satellites.

Continue reading HERE

Source: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/pentagon-reveals-secret-space-weapons-already-orbit-wont-say-what-they-do?fbclid=IwY2xjawUX0LFwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR5Kn1qGCPRqU7ciaBGmJ4kAG4eHyDfOXTUMO_S6xUpfkyiB5T5AM9cgPoECfQ_aem_9K1EtUQA39yMoI55-Dow_w

The post Pentagon reveals secret space weapons are already in orbit — but won’t say what they do first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

The most important development in the confrontation with Iran is not another destroyed radar, damaged naval facility or intercepted missile. It is the erosion of an assumption that shaped American policy for decades: that the Islamic Republic possessed an extraordinary capacity to escalate while the United States had an extraordinary obligation to exercise restraint. President Donald Trump has disrupted that imbalance. Tehran is discovering that military escalation can accelerate the destruction of the capabilities on which its regional power depends. Yet this success creates a more difficult question for Washington. Military power can change the balance of a conflict; it cannot by itself determine the political order that follows.

Continue reading HERE

Source: https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2026/09/14/america_is_winning_against_iran_now_it_needs_a_strategy_for_what_comes_next_1205879.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawUXvlVwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjEwAGJyaWQRMTBUejVrejVpR3R4NXpMbzNzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeaaDJRcsBhpmnU8EsTGuIg6wSqkw9aSR8A9rCi0Pzy_gaSsWIzNN9JoPAQ5Y_aem_DuvtfFEsVwK4vL2cdeuU2A

The post America Is Winning Against Iran. Now It Needs a Strategy for What Comes Next. first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

PARIS — Finland is joining France’s plans to cooperate more closely with other European countries on nuclear deterrence, the two countries announcedMonday.

“Today, we took a new step forward as Finland joined the French forward deterrence initiative. The initiative is first and foremost about strengthening European security,” Finnish President Alexander Stubb posted on X. “It reinforces Europe’s responsibility for its own defence and helps prevent escalation.”

Continue reading HERE

Source: https://www.politico.eu/article/finland-joins-frances-nuclear-deterrence-push/?fbclid=IwY2xjawUXuOtwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6ZBUYarm13a-Ak-s39CAO1wfyB_13vAquuHg1TCrQb8UeoGF3MVPXOsSkJrw_aem_6wOwYwa2RIt2ER5yRF6gaw

The post Finland joins France’s nuclear deterrence push first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.

This year’s BRICS summit has wrapped up in New Delhi with the usual promises of deepened cooperation and expanding economic ties. But there was an important absence.

Although the US-Israel war on Iran has affected most of BRICS’ 11 members and 10 partner countries, the declaration issued by the bloc did not address it directly. Nor did it condemn the United States, which – objectively speaking – is the aggressor state in the conflict.

The wording allowed all members to remain inside the same diplomatic tent. It also revealed just how difficult it is for BRICS to turn shared dissatisfaction with the Western-led order into coordinated geopolitical action.

Continue reading HERE

Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/9/13/the-iran-war-reveals-the-limits-of?fbclid=IwY2xjawUXuclwZG9mAWV4dG4DYWVtAjExAHNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR4i2ZyE7DVNY2Zr5UxHrivhNi6hYszoOlWgXTZm2wP02jsM_r8Z6WcmhJEyvA_aem_tD8TZfFBXC9A2XW7OaHQ0A

The post The Iran war reveals the limits of BRICS first appeared on Garner Ted Armstrong Evangelistic Association.