Weekly Update by Michael Armstrong – April 18, 2025

Greetings,

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