2007 Mark Armstrong letters
12/29/2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
Yesterday we were awakened by the sobering
news of the assassination of Mrs. Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan. An almost
mythical figure in Pakistani politics, she was campaigning for a return to
power, promoting democratic ideals and hoping to forge an atmosphere
friendly toward the west. While the news was shocking, it was predictable.
Pakistan’s population seethes with a hatred the western mind can barely
comprehend. With the realization that Pakistan has an operable nuclear
arsenal, there is grave concern at the highest levels of the U.S. military
and government as to the status and security of those weapons.
Reassuringly, the Pentagon has released a
statement declaring that, for the time being, Pakistan’s nuclear assets
are secure.
However the best connected, most knowledgeable
experts on the region have surfaced to express concern that current
instability in Pakistan, bordering on anarchy, could lead to an overthrow
of the Musharaff government. Experts agree that there are elements of
radical Islam, not only in Pakistani society, but within the Musharaff
government, and inside the Pakistani military that could conceivably stage
a coup, and ultimately gain control over an estimated eighteen medium
range missiles with nuclear warheads.
Two of Pakistan’s four provinces are ruled
independently of the Pakistani government. They are tribal regions ruled
by Islamic clerics oriented toward the Taliban and supportive of al
Qaeda. The people there virtually worship Osama bin Laden. These are
remote regions, bordering on Iran to the south, and Afghanistan on the
west, that have never been conquered by an outside power, “dating back to,
and including Alexander the Great,” according to Monsoor Ijaz, one of the
foremost experts on the situation. Osama bin Laden himself, is suspected
of hiding out in this area that has a long history of impenetrability.
A hotbed of terrorist indoctrination and
training, President Musharaff has long been under U.S. pressure to bring
these tribal regions under his control. But it’s seen as politically
impossible and it may be militarily impossible as well.
We’ve seen how the people of this region react
when society erupts in outrage. They are continuing to riot even now.
They destroy everything they can. Buildings and vehicles become targets
as crowds fill the streets. Musharaff knows that radical elements within
Pakistani society, and possibly within his own military would react with
mindless rage if he dared try to interfere in the Islamic tribal regions.
Will Musharaff survive? He’s narrowly
survived numerous assassination attempts on his own life. He has enemies,
not only within Pakistan, but detractors all over the world, including
here in the U.S. Some of them are presidential contenders.
Will the nuclear arsenal remain secure? How
might those weapons be utilized in the event they fall into the hands of
the Taliban or al Qaeda? How might India be expected to respond to such
an event, particularly in light of the fact that they also possess nuclear
weapons? Will the U.S. stand by Musharaff in the face of this crisis?
No one “in the know” seems inclined to
downplay the importance or the catastrophic potential of the crisis in
Pakistan. The whole of “Christian” Europe is surely very concerned to see
tensions escalate so dangerously to their south, with radical Islam
erupting in a renewed rage. Will this situation contribute substantially
to the “King of the North, King of the South scenario of Bible prophecy?
The situation in Pakistan, the whole of the
Middle East and Europe has lots of angles and the potential for twists and
turns ahead. But the simple answer to the question just posed is YES.
It is also a major concern as to how some of
the self-appointed “prophets” and “apostles” may try to use these
prophetically important developments to “stampede” members of the Church
of God. The turmoil in Pakistan is, without question, a potentially major
development. But there are several other pieces of the puzzle that have
yet to fall into place. We have to watch carefully to see whether Europe
is moved toward becoming a greater military entity. We have to watch to
see whether Europe moves politically toward support of Rome’s version of
“Christianity,” and reverence for its religious leader as a response to
militant Islam.
The response to this week’s telecast has been
lower than usual due to the holiday, and the lady who runs the weekly
reports has been off, hosting a visit from her son and grandchildren.
We’ll catch you up with all the statistics next week. Meanwhile, have a
safe and restful Sabbath, sober as these times are. I’ll be in touch next
year!
Mark Armstrong
PS See two new Word from News Commentaries by Mark Armstrong, "Pakistan in Crisis" and Jim Josephsen, "The Annual Christian Challenge" |
12/22/2007
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The GTA telecast brought a fantastic response
this week. The program on “the Rapture” and “Heaven” brought in 517
requests with two hundred fifteen first time callers. Chris reports that
some 23 million pages have been downloaded from our web sites during
calendar 2007. We’re going on the national ION network beginning Jan. 3,
and the state of the Work is rock solid.
Is it time to cry “Wolf!”? I think maybe it
is.
Pakistan has a nuclear arsenal. The country
is politically unstable and there is news this week indicating that Al
Qaeda is turning its attention toward Pakistan.
Iran is spinning the centrifuges, enriching
uranium, and elements within our own government have tried to tie the
President’s hands, insisting that Iran “halted” its nuclear weapons
development in 2003, a program they consistently claimed never existed.
It seems now like it’s a matter of “when”
rather than “if” nuclear weapons can be deployed by elements of radical
Islam. Maybe it’ll be a couple of years, maybe more depending on whom you
believe, unless there’s intervention. It could happen sooner if things
should go wrong in Pakistan.
Many of the dominoes have lined up for Europe,
but by no means all. They’ve got a common currency, a serious Muslim
problem, and a German Pope. But they have in recent years elected
surprisingly conservative politicians, apparently in an attempt to reverse
the ravages decades of socialism have wrought. I’m amazed to see a French
president who’s more pragmatic and pro-American than many of our own
candidates.
Despite the advent and success of the EURO currency, Europe has not yet become the strong political and military power of Bible prophecy.
Despite threats to Israel’s continued
existence, no entity fitting the description of the prophesied “king of
the South” has yet emerged. Could it be Iran? Will Al Qaeda gain
acceptance throughout the Islamic nations and fulfill that role? Could it
be…? Fact is, time will tell, and we just don’t know yet.
What about America? While the prophetic
scenario has not fully developed, we should remember that the United
States doesn’t appear to be a player in the final scenario. A case can
now be logically made that the U.S. is in greater danger from those who
would lead it than from any exterior threat. No we don’t get involved in
politics, and wouldn’t even if we could.
Here’s where crying “Wolf” comes in. The
wolves are those who would save us from the grave threats only they (the
wolves) clearly perceive. Al Gore is one who wants to save the planet by
demanding that we, the U.S. hand responsibility for our energy resources
over to UN control, along with our economic resources to the tune of
untold billions of dollars. We are being prodded by unrelenting peer
pressure via the media to do our part in “going green” saving the planet,
and that means an ultimate willingness to give up anything or everything
for the FEAR religion of global warming. Much damage is already done, and
it’s caught hold across party lines. No drilling in Alaska, regardless of
how much it might bolster energy independence. The Chinese can drill just
outside our territorial waters, but we can’t produce within them!
It’s also time to cry “Wolf” about several of
these shameless self-styled “heirs” to Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong. Since
when is it a minister’s (servant’s) place to demand immediate and
unquestioning obedience in regard to decisions that should be personal?
Since when are “ministers” supposed to be strong-arming hapless,
well-meaning members of the Church of God? I’ve seen about enough of this
kind of wretched ABUSE. People have been financially destroyed by this
kind of abuse. Families have been rent asunder by the dictates of
so-called “ministers.” It’s enough already! There are “bad actors” of
the cloth in just about every surviving entity of the COG, sometimes where
you’d least expect it. But there are at least a few entities claiming my
Grandfather’s name, preaching imminent tribulation and thriving on
organizational authority. “WOLF!”
The U.S. is in mortal danger from the fear
religion of global warming. Members of the COG are in danger of
immediate, imminent tribulation, alright. Tribulation imposed by their
authoritarian “ministers.”
Mark Armstrong
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12/15/2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
I sure hope those of you on the weekly sermon
list have received your DVDs by now. They were mailed early in the day on
Tuesday, and I hope the “seasonal” mail has not caused any delay.
News came to me this week that is sickening.
That is, that one of those claiming to have inherited “the authority of
Herbert W. Armstrong” has told his congregation that they should liquidate
any holdings and send in their money.
How many abuses will be committed in the name
of my deceased Grandfather? And how long will some poor abused people
remain in a state of deception, or worse, mind control?
I realize that there is a lot of legitimate
respect among the churches of God for Herbert W. Armstrong. But
honestly! He was not a deity, and no one should be blindly obeying any
men, ministers, or otherwise, who falsely claim his authority. Yes, it’s
a touchy subject, and I realize that our reach is limited and that
hundreds or thousands of people are going to be bilked out their family’s
financial security because they don’t have access to any source of truth
on the subject. And that’s a crime.
My Dad spent the last thirty some odd years of
his life trying to warn against following abusive, demanding, bogus
religious leaders. But its still going on. Do people think God will
reward them, or at least hold them guiltless if they accept the bizarre
demands and edicts of a religious authoritarian? Garner Ted Armstrong was
against it! I’m sure neither my Grandfather nor my Dad ever expected the
family name would be used by brazen unknown individuals to issue edicts
and make abusive demands over people’s personal lives.
No, I can’t sum it all up here. But under the
circumstances, my mind is working overtime wondering how to discharge a
responsibility to warn the unsuspecting “members” of the dangers they face
from the abusers of the Armstrong name. I’m not asking anyone to leave
one organization and join another. But I’m miserable knowing that my
Granddad’s legacy, and my family name are being used to impoverish
people. What’s next? Coolaid!?!
Some of you may or may not even be interested
in this subject. Unfortunately, I have to go on the record, and this is
only the beginning. But it’s way past time people have access to the
knowledge they need to see through the misuse of Herbert W. Armstrong’s
name. Unfortunately, it’s reached a stage that can’t be ignored.
The GTA telecast this week brought in 514
requests for material on the Trinity with two hundred twenty three first
time contacts! How ‘bout that? If people in the world of mainstream
churches aren’t afraid to entertain a discussion on the origin of the
doctrine of the Trinity, after all the brainwashing that’s transpired in
every so-called “Christian” church, maybe there’s hope for some of the
Church of God refugees as well. I hope you’ll pray with me that that is
the case.
I’m told that we’ve mailed out some seven
thousand parcels this week, and will very soon be completely caught up to
the point that we are entering requests on the very same day they arrive!
I can also tell you that we’ve had over 100 first time contributors during
the month of October alone, and that means growth.
The weather has brought some segments of the
country to a virtual standstill, and some few of our folks may have been
without power for days. Most that I’ve heard from have been spared the
worst of it and were making do.
There’s much more to be discussed, but this
day is done and the Sabbath has arrived.
Stay safe, stay warm, and have a good Sabbath.
Mark Armstrong
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12/1/2007
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Greetings from HQ,
I guess you got Chris’ note about the office having been closed Thursday and Friday of last week for Thanksgiving. What a wonderful occasion it is. I hope all of you enjoyed it as much as we did! Even though last week was a short workweek, we were still contacted by 247 people requesting material (144,000) offered on the GTA telecast, one hundred twenty were in touch with us for the first time. This week has been significantly stronger, with 550 requests and two hundred twenty six first time responders. The 550 came in response to a program on the subject of Christmas, which is also the subject I chose to be the theme of our December letter to the mailing list. That new letter should be arriving in your mailbox within a matter of days now. It offers a fantastic sermon that I was unaware of until recently. Be sure to request it. It is an all-time great. I guess you’re aware of the latest international incident that has sparked rioting in Sudan? Imagine the insanity of calling for the execution of a British school teacher for the capital crime of allowing seven year olds to name a teddy bear Mohammed! Obviously, the riots were not a case of spontaneous combustion, but orchestrated by crazed Islamic clerics. I’ve known for many years that Muslim culture is all about the perception of an insult. But naming a teddy bear Mohammed? Who new? If you travel anywhere near the Middle East, you’ll find more men and boys named Mohammed than anything else. Why isn’t that considered blasphemy? Recent talks about future talks regarding the status of Israel, the Palestinians and Jerusalem have been played up as having great import. Of course the Palestinian president Abbas does not have the support of the duly elected ruling faction in Gaza, Hamas. Hamas called the summit a “failure.” But most disconcerting were the comments by Israeli PM Olmert. It now becomes clear that he has apparently been in favor of abandoning territories so that those swelling Muslim populations cannot vote in Israeli elections. He now says, “If the two-state solution collapses, and we face a South African-style struggle for equal voting rights, then the State of Israel is finished.” It sounds like the Israeli PM is neither confident nor committed to Israel’s survival! It also sounds as if he is not confident that future U.S. leadership will back Israel’s right to sovereignty. We’ve just lost a staunch ally with the defeat of PM John Howard in Australian elections (see Murray Allatt’s Update). As Murrray noted, the just elected Mr. Rudd intends to ratify the Kyoto treaty immediately and begin withdrawing troops from Iraq in coming months. As we look across the spectrum of political candidates vying for the U.S. presidency in next year’s election, our continued status as a sovereign world power is also in jeopardy. May God inspire our present leaders, and guide our nation in the dreadful year ahead. The work going out from Tyler, Texas remains strong and viable, as does the church at large. Thank you all for your encouragement and support. We hope you have a safe and restful Sabbath. Until next time, Mark Armstrong |
11/17/2007
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Dear Elders, Hosts and Members,
We’ve made solid progress on catching up with orders, with several large batches of material delivered to the Post Office over the course of this week. In addition, two new DVDs have been prepared and will be in the mail either today or Monday. Please remember Mr. Bill Mays in your prayers. He’s dealing with heart concerns, and the situation is currently uncertain. He’s not in the hospital at this time, but expects he’s facing the prospect of medical procedures. Maybe you’ve noticed, now that the situation has changed dramatically for the better in Iraq, there’s hardly any reporting from the mainstream media. Even the politicians who’ve been so determined that the U.S. would “lose the war” have virtually dropped the subject. But there is big trouble elsewhere in the Middle East. Last week Iran boasted that it now has 3000 centrifuges installed and operating. Estimates, even by the UN’s agency puts Iran only a year or so from having one or more nuclear weapons. Rumor has it that Israel is studying contingency plans. The situation in Pakistan is emerging as an even more immediate crisis. Marshall law has been imposed by President Musharraff, and the country teeters on the brink of anarchy. The Taliban is said to have enormous popularity among the Pakistani population, and there is an operational nuclear arsenal at risk. The arsenal is protected by the Pakistani military, but the military itself is said to contain large numbers of radical Moslems. At least one expert on the situation believes that al Qaeda has a relationship with elements inside the Pakistani military, according to an article that appeared in today’s edition of THE SCOTSMAN. The article also suggests that contingency plans to destroy Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, on the part of Israel, the U.S., and possibly even India may come into play if radicals gain control. Oil prices have been bid up dramatically as a result of the numerous mounting dangers in the Middle East. Yet there seems no movement toward increasing production domestically. The price of gold has risen dramatically as a result of fear, not only in the financial markets, but also fear of global instability. And you are aware that the dollar has been falling in value steadily at the same time. I could go on about numerous other threats to our way of life, from the lack of any willingness to secure U.S. borders, to some of our politicians’ apparent urge to abandon our nation’s sovereignty. But enough of the bad news for now! Now we are looking forward to an autumn Sabbath, a time when we can take a break from daily cares and concentrate on the Good News beyond this world’s terrible troubles. And we have a great national tradition next week, and that is the day of Thanksgiving. We should give thanks year round for the many blessings Almighty God has granted us, and never forget that those blessings are largely the result of Abraham’s obedience and faithfulness, and God’s promises. The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast this week was on the subject of Christ in the Old Testament, and the Law Before Sinai. We’ve counted 470 requests, with 196 first time contacts! The Work is thriving, thanks to a solid and growing core of dedicated supporters. Mr. Jim Josephsen and his wife Barb are due in this afternoon. Jim will be our guest speaker here tomorrow, and you will have the benefit of having the service on DVD within a couple of weeks. I hope you will all have a great Sabbath. Until next week, Mark Armstron |
11/10/2007
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Hello from Tyler,
Several important events have developed dramatically just since I wrote
to you last week. The news from Pakistan has been somewhat limited due
to circumstances, but a very complicated and ticklish situation is
developing. President Musaraff has been considered a U.S. ally in the
war against terrorists, but an unpredictable ally due to the fact that
he has only narrowly been able to retain order amid a population that is
largely anti-American and sympathetic to radical Islam.
The situation has come to a head with national elections looming, and
has been further complicated by the return of Mrs. Benazir Butto, the
former Prime Minister who has returned in the hopes of regaining a role
in the Pakistani government. You’ve head the demands from Washington
D.C. that Musharaff back away from the imposition of marshal law and
allow democracy to function. However, democracy can lead to disastrous
results in this part of the world. Why should we care about
demonstrations, marshal law or the political atmosphere in Pakistan?
Because there is a nuclear arsenal at stake!
Another mighty touchy development is Iran’s boast that they now have
3000 centrifuges (for nuclear fuel enrichment) in full operation. That
is the magic number that is believed to be the key for Iran to be able
to produce nuclear weapons. And Israel is reportedly very concerned.
There are reports that an “urgent inner cabinet” meeting was convened
this week, during which experts expressed their belief that Iran will be
able to field nuclear weapons by 2009. Some scientists believe that Iran
may be able to achieve nuclear capability in as little as one year. This
is of extreme immediate concern to Israel.
The news regarding Israel’s September 6th bombing of a facility in Syria
has been shrouded, with rumors that the operation was an attempt to
“clone” North Korea’s nuclear advances, with further rumors that there
may have been Iranian involvement as well. Israel apparently had
intelligence that the facility represented a threat on their border, and
took action. The UN’s Dr. Mohammed al Baradei (chief nuclear
investigator) has reportedly failed to send inspectors, raising Israeli
suspicions as to his political neutrality. Nevertheless, Israel blasted
the Syrian facility, apparently with U.S. acquiescence.
But Iran seems to be daring the U.S. and or Israel to take action! The
defiance of their front man Ahmadinejad is absolute, and something is
going to have to give, lest we watch Iran emerge as a nuclear terrorist
power.
Not to depress you any further, but some worry that the U.S. dollar is
in a state of near collapse, that our domestic banking industry has an
unmanageable “bad debt” situation on its hands that threatens panic on
Wall Street and the world’s major stock exchanges.
I’ve only scratched the surface of some of the major stories that are
unfolding this week. But it is our responsibility to WATCH and to warn.
The GTA telecast this week offered material on the SABBATH, and pulled
in 482 requests, with two hundred nine first time contacts! The website
is also drawing large crowds, and we’re very gratified to see the work
going forward with solid results. Thanks to all of you.
Have a wonderful Sabbath.
Mark Armstrong
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11/3/2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
This week went a lot like last week. Our best
estimate is that we’ve mailed out about six thousand parcels over the past
two weeks, much of that in the way of DVDs, CDs and literature. Mr. Leon
Cunningham, (our eccentric but beloved sound man, for those of you who
aren’t familiar) usually comes in one day a week, sometimes two, to help
us duplicate our discs. He’s had some health concerns that have kept him
away since the feast. I’m sure he’d appreciate your prayers, and we’re
missing him in more ways than one! Anyway, we’ve maneuvered to fill the
gap and kept the machines whirring, the printers printing, the mail
moving, and I think we’re about to see light at the end of the tunnel,
meaning that we’re almost caught up, at least until the influx of requests
from the latest letter arrives!
I have big numbers to report, on requests from
the Garner Ted Armstrong television program. We’ve determined that the
numbers are swollen, due to the fact that we’re still handling some of the
backlog from the requests that were being generated just prior to, and
during the Feast, both from regular mail, and from the web sight.
Last week, our program offered The Real Jesus
paperback book, and we entered 740 requests, three hundred fifty three
were first time contacts. This week the program was on the subject of
death, and what happens next. We’ve tallied 708 requests, with three
hundred sixty one new contacts. These are big numbers, I realize. But
these are very popular programs, and a lot of interest is obviously being
generated, with the numbers boosted even higher as we’ve worked through
the remainder of the backlog.
Our trip to Louisville, Ky last weekend went
very well, and was productive. We were happy to have Mr. Jim Mgee and
some of the folks from Nashville come over for the meeting. The room was
full, with about forty in attendance, and seven or eight meeting with us
for the first time. I spoke first, and was followed by Mr. Mike Garrett,
who did a commendable job. We are confident that we’ll be able to start a
fellowship group with Mr. Monte Harpe and his wife Leanne as hosts.
I know that there are quite a number of issues
in the news causing concern right now. One is the acute water shortage in
the southeast. An article published today told of one small town
northeast of Atlanta where the water has already virtually run out.
Apparently water is cut off to the town all night and day to allow an
incoming trickle to supply the town’s water tower, and the spigot is only
opened for a couple of hours in the evening to give the population a
chance to take care of the necessities. But that’s just a town of 145
people. As the mayor of the little town of Orme, TN said, they’ll make
do, but what happens if the water runs out for the 4.5 million residents
of Atlanta? I think we should all remember our friends in the drought
stricken region, and pray for them to get some serious rain. It is
estimated that Atlanta only has around a two-month supply of water
available.
Our nation needs God’s favor and His blessing
if there is any hope of maintaining the peace, security and abundance that
we’ve collectively taken for granted. As you look at the many wrong turns
our country has taken, you can’t help wonder what lies ahead.
We’re working on an issue of the
Intercontinental News, which will carry detailed Feast reports, in
addition to some really excellent and strong articles. Our thanks go out
to all of you from all of us here. May we all have a good and restful
Sabbath!
Until next time,
Mark Armstrong
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10/27/2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
I’m writing to you Thursday afternoon this time, as we are scheduled to be on our way early tomorrow morning for a special Sabbath meeting in Louisville, Kentucky. We’ve tackled the backlog of requests from television, the Internet and monthly letter offers, and have kept the machines, and the employees working hard all week. There have been several trips to the post office, getting out large mailings of requested material. We’ve duplicated and printed probably close to three thousand DVDs and CDs this week, and the work goes on! It has been terribly disheartening to witness the fiery destruction in Southern California. There seems to be no doubt that arson is involved, so it is a kind of terrorism! The question is, who would do such a thing? We may never learn the answer. Some reports have reminded us that the FBI has warned in recent years that brushfires are promoted as a strategy in Jihad manuals. Fires have been intentionally set in Israel over the years, by adherents to terror organizations. Then again, this disaster in California may have come from an entirely different source. CNN has suggested that “global warming” is part of the equation. And, of course, the very phrase comes with all kinds of baggage that I can’t begin to deal with right now. But lately, it seems that nearly every story on the network has a “global warming” component. And that’s in addition to the foreboding Planet in Peril series that airs so often. Talk about dire predictions! There’s no end to them. It is a never-ending stream of indoctrination, and recent opinion polls indicate that it is getting traction. Of course the solution is to sign international treaties that would supersede our own interests, and put our nation under the jurisdiction of international interests. It follows the logic of so many of the mainstream personalities who virulently hate the current administration, disdain our founders, and work to undermine the very concept of our God-ordained place in the world. Our weather here is perfectly seasonal, as it is pretty much everywhere else. I know there is a serious drought in the Southeast. Maybe the water planners should show a little more concern for the human population, and not deplete remaining supplies for the sake of fresh water mussels. Just a knee-jerk reaction. The response to recent programs and monthly letters has been all but overwhelming, and we are very happy and thankful. I won’t have this week’s statistics for the Garner Ted Armstrong program in time for this update, but will include them next week. Thank you all for your interest, your participation and dedication. A simple thanks is really inadequate. Have a wonderful Sabbath, and we’ll be in touch next week,
Mark Armstrong
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10/20/2007
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Greetings from Texas!
Last week I promised figures on the Garner Ted
Armstrong telecast response would be carried in this week’s report. We’ve
had a huge week here, in spite of the fact that the program is not
currently airing on the ION network. Over the past two weeks we’ve had
1358 requests for material offered on the television program, and just
over seven hundred fifty of those were first time contacts. These numbers
are unusually high, even for two weeks, particularly without the dish
coverage from the ION network. But we did offer the Bible Fact or Fiction
this week, which consistently gets the biggest response of all. (Some may
also have spilled over from the last program that aired on the ION
network.)
Did you see the story the Vatican TV station
in Rome deemed newsworthy this week? A photograph of a bonfire near Pope
John Paul II’s birthplace, lit to mark the second anniversary of his
death, appeared to mimic an actual photo of the pope when alive. That’s
right, a momentary flare out of the fire is being hailed as a “sign” from
beyond the grave. Although I’m unaware of any discussion of this story on
domestic television, the picture was “broadcast continuously on Italian TV
and also posted on religious websites, some of which crashed as thousands
logged on…” You can see how incredibly gullible people can be, which has
been amply demonstrated long prior to this absurd incident. Those who
took the photograph conferred with their priest and agreed that the
deceased pope is still making pilgrimages, even in death. Interesting
that a story with this kind of sensational potential didn’t seem to rate
mention on the American talk circuit. Among the true believers, including
priests identified in the story, there was no explanation for why the
blurry image thought to be the former pope is seen on fire!
The other quirky religious story this week was
of the “desecration” of a mass ceremony in San Francisco by flagrant
homosexual advocates dressed as “nuns”. Actually, the gay nuns weren’t
the first guys doing mass in drag! Maybe the priests should begin
dressing as men. But, no, that wouldn’t work either.
A story of much greater import is the
assassination attempt on the life of former Pakistani PM Butto as she
returned home after years of self-imposed exile. She survived unhurt, but
over 130 were blown apart by a massive explosion, thought to be a suicide
car bomber. Who would do such a thing? We all know the answer. Pakistan
is not only strategically positioned, but it has operational nuclear
weapons. Radical Islam has enormous influence in Pakistan, and General
Musharaff, himself the object of earlier assassination attempts, is
politically weak and physically vulnerable. Mrs. Butto, still politically
powerful, returned to Pakistan to negotiate some kind of power-sharing
arrangement with Musharaff, which is designed to prevent the collapse of
the current government. Can anybody imagine the outcome if proponents of
radical Islam should gain control over Pakistan’s arsenal?
You heard, of course, Russian President Putin
warn the United States not to contemplate interfering with Iran’s nuclear
program during this week’s visit to Tehran. Unfortunately, unless the
Iranian theocracy should fall from within, those few responsible nations
left in the world may have no alternative but to interfere. The stakes in
regard to Israel are off the chart, and to the rest of the world would
come the specter of nuclear terrorism.
Yes, there are some mighty important
developments unfolding, and I for one, am thankful to be in East Texas!
May God protect our nation, our young men and women overseas, and see us
through the frightening prospects that lie ahead. Enjoy your Sabbath.
We’ll be in touch.
Mark Armstrong
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10/13/2007
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Greetings from Tyler!
Having spoken with Feast Coordinators and
members who attended at each of our Feast sites, and having visited most
of them personally this year, I can say that the Feast of Tabernacles
2007, for the Intercontinental Church of God, was an unqualified success!
I know that all of you individually and collectively contributed in a
whole range of ways to make the meetings and activities this year positive
for everyone. I want you to know that your efforts do not go unnoticed,
and that we very much appreciate all your assistance.
Back here at HQ, we’re covered up in mail and
television requests and working to rapidly supply the backlog of printed
materials, CD’s and DVD’s that have been requested while we’ve been away.
Most of our staff has been back since Monday, but some just arrived back
today, and that relates to the computer entries and reports that are
generated for the weekly telecast. All indications show that response has
been better than expected, but we won’t have the statistics on current TV
response until next week.
I guess you’ve all seen the big news of the
week. Al Gore has won the Nobel Peace prize for his promotion of the “new
age religion” of man-made global warming! And of course the solution is
for the United States to abdicate its sovereignty to global entities who
can police our use of resources. What has this to do with “peace”? I
can’t figure it out. The important thing to note is that Al Gore has
become the self appointed “savior” of the eco-system. His messianic
complex is evident in every photograph and video clip. It represents a
giant leap forward for the religion of Gaia. Mother earth must be very
proud.
Today, October 12, is the day Iran promised
its “final response” to supporters of the Zionist state of Israel. That
would be us, here in the United States. I’ve been checking the news for
some word of the “final response” but there is nothing so far. Not that
these terror-mongers don’t have the will and the means to carry out
vicious attacks, but they’re also prone to great gusts of hot air. Let us
hope our nation’s current leadership has not completely lost the nerve and
resolve to deal with those who endeavor to destroy our God-given heritage.
I’ve just noticed a story detailing U.S. plans
to build a military airbase inside Lebanon, close to the border with
Syria. It will be interesting to see how that all plays out. You’ll
remember what happened the last time the U.S. had an installation near
Beirut, when some three hundred Marines were killed in their barracks by a
car bomber. If this airbase story is accurate, it will no doubt become a
terrorist target. And it will be interesting to see whether American
policies in the Middle East have any continuity with the present given
some of the likely prospects for the U.S. presidency.
Concerns over Iran’s intentions to build a
nuclear arsenal remain red hot, and there is a fair likelihood that this
situation will reach critical mass before the end of the Bush term. And
on that happy note, we’ll wish you all a good and restful Sabbath. The
Feast everywhere was terrific, but it sure is good to be back home!
Until next time…
Mark Armstrong
|
9/15/2007
|
Dear Elders, Hosts and Members,
We had a wonderful feast of Trumpets here in Tyler yesterday, with an absolutely excellent message from Mr. Stan Roberts, and our third potluck meal in the last four weeks. I don’t know how the ladies have managed, but they sure have been feeding us well! The office has been a blur of activity, keeping up with phone responses to the telecast and of course producing, handling and mailing all of the materials we offer; not to mention getting out materials for all the Feast sites and all manner of additional preparations. Plus we’re sending an additional three new DVDs to our congregations, fellowship groups and far-flung members. Those will be arriving in time for your return from the Feast of Tabernacles. I can hardly write this Update without making reference to the most recent rant by Iran’s president Ahmadinejad. In a wildly contradictory statement, he said that his nation loves all nations and all peoples, but that Israel “cannot continue to live.” I’m surprised the warped ayatollahs can even stomach his rambling tirades. And there was something published this week about our administration studying strategies for taking out Iran’s nuclear facilities. Somehow, it seems likely that such plans have been under discussion for some time now. On the Israel/Gaza front, rockets fired from Gaza hit an Israeli boot camp injuring sixty nine recruits, some seriously, a few critically. According to the report carried by the Debkafile, Israeli jets retaliated with pinpoint strikes on missile sites. The report ended by saying Palestinians celebrated their strike on Israel by firing celebratory shots in their mosques! Talk about lunatic! You may have seen some of the reports about Israeli jets making passes over Syrian territory this week. Israeli analysts are convinced that North Korea has sold nuclear technology and materials to Syria, and that it represents a potentially serious threat. On the home front, the California Parent Teacher Association is supporting legislation that will make the promotion of “alternative lifestyles” mandatory, even in the grade schools. If you have the stomach for it, the details are carried on WorldNetDaily. It seems to me unbelievable that our school system is determined to subject young school kids to any such discussion, depriving parents of their right to protect their own children’s right to have a childhood, and be free of perverse indoctrination by their teachers! The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast this week was precisely the kind of witness and warning message we are commissioned to provide, offering The Best News Ever about the coming establishment of God’s Kingdom on Earth, and Your First Priority, a message on salvation. I think it is fitting that this message aired now, just prior to the Feast of Tabernacles. Once again, the telecast brought in a mighty respectable response. By early afternoon we’d had 613 requests, with two hundred forty three first time contacts. And the phone has continued to ring steadily until well after five o’clock. Now, we’re looking forward to our Sabbath’s rest, and very thankful for it! Hope all of you have a great one too! Thanks so much to every one of you,
Mark Armstrong
|
9/8/2007
|
Greetings all!
You’ve heard the news. Bin Laden is widely believed to be alive and well by some analysts who’ve seen the “new” videotape released today. Having read some of the analysis and commentary, I’m inclined to reserve judgment. His beard looks phony and I’ve not heard of any reference to some current event that would guarantee the tape is new and the criminal mastermind is still alive. Time will tell. His monologue reportedly urges young Muslims to be willing to give their lives perpetrating attacks against Westerners.
However, other news this week makes it abundantly clear that the al Qaeda terrorist organization bin Laden founded is alive and active. Three native Germans, along with one Turk were arrested in a massive bombing plot intended to target American soldiers and civilians in Germany. The authorities say al Qaeda was responsible for the plans. One of the most troubling aspects of this incident is the fact that three of these Islamic fanatics were white skinned German “converts,” seething with intense hatred toward Americans. There are reportedly some more than 5000 native Germans who have “converted” to Islam over the past three years. Germany’s Interior Minister is quoted as having said last May that Islamist groups present the “biggest threat to the stability and security of Germany.” According to the Associated Press, German officials are still looking for at least 10 additional terror suspects. This may be an even bigger story than it appears at face value. You may want to refer to some of the articles we’ve posted by Michael Burkert in recent months, describing the extreme discomfort Germany’s citizens (and all Europeans) are feeling toward the large and unassimilated Muslim communities in their midst.
Presidential debates this week were dedicated in large part to discussions about the possibility of military action against Iran as they progress nearer to the ability to produce nuclear weapons. The question was presented primarily to the more conservative candidates, and the consensus seemed to be that there may ultimately be no choice but to strike militarily to deprive Iran and its terrorist henchmen of the ability to wreak mass destruction.
Attacks against Israelis continue to be launched on a daily basis from within Gaza utilizing weapons that have been smuggled in from Iran. Israel’s Defense Minister says that Israel is preparing an offensive to “stamp out” the missile and mortar attacks. We’ll see.
While news out of Iraq has been largely encouraging of late, our American soldiers are still suffering heartbreaking losses. Let us not forget to pray for them on a regular and continuing basis.
The Garner Ted Armstrong television program has logged another banner week! This week’s offering included the audio sermon entitled Is Jesus God? and the brochure, Only a Fool Says there is no God. By mid-afternoon we’d received 687 requests for the material, with three hundred fifty eight making their very first contact! Thank you all very much for your support of my Dad’s program. It continues to reach a wide and interested audience!
We’re
looking forward to guest speaker Mr. John Mitchell and his wife Charlotte
being here in Tyler with us this Sabbath, and a special potluck has been
scheduled to make sure all our folks have plenty of time to spend with
them. I hope all of you are looking forward to your Sabbath as well. |
9/1/2007
|
Greetings Again!
The New York Times, not known as a “hawkish” publication, ran a story today claiming that Iran is “ramping up” its nuclear enrichment program. This comes only a couple of days since President Bush warned that the world would be “under the shadow of another holocaust” if Iran is allowed to achieve nuclear weapons. Even France’s new president Sarkozy made a statement indicating a near resignation to the necessity of bombing Iran’s nuclear facilities if they fail to respond to the incentives that have been offered. (Sarkozy is the first U.S.-friendly French leader in recent memory.) Will there be military action against Iran prior to the end of the present administration? Given Iran’s apocalyptic complex, it looks like a pretty good bet.
Though it’s not big in the news, terrorists in Gaza continue firing rockets into Israel at the rate of several per day. This is in spite of the recent amnesty PM Olmert granted to hundreds of Palestinian terrorists in exchange for an agreement to no more attacks. And yet the attacks continue, and top leaders of Abbas’ Palestinian Authority openly state that they have no intention of ceasing terrorist actions against Israel. They even boast that they now have a supply of longer-range rockets that can penetrate significantly farther into Israel. This is the same phenomenon that’s been recurring for the last forty years under Yassir Arafat. Nothing has changed! Peace deals with terrorists aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. Maybe the diplomats who demand that we bargain with Iran should take note.
The UN held a major summit in Brussels this week, primarily to denounce Israel as racist and call for trade sanctions. The tall security fence erected to keep terrorists from simply walking or driving into Israel to carry out bombings of innocents, was repeatedly condemned as equivalent to “apartheid.” The stated goal is an international boycott of Israel, and the theme was pushed by leaders in the European Parliament as well as representatives from UN agencies and dozens of nations. Israel is being demonized as a hated, racist nation. If anybody thought things might be different under the new UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, they were wrong.
And no wonder the inspectors couldn’t find Saddam’s weapons of mass destruction. At least some of them were being stored, at the UN!
The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast this week was on the subject of that most cherished of mainstream Christian beliefs, “the Trinity.” My apprehension was that it wouldn’t get near the response we’ve seen in recent weeks, but check this! We had 712 requests, with three hundred twenty six first time contacts! This is what we, together, are accomplishing. Thank you all so much for taking part in this work, and for being instrumental in opening the minds of so many who’ve grown accustomed to the deceptions of mainstream religion.
And now we’re entering the weekly Sabbath, to be followed by one of our good and great national holidays, Labor Day. We can all take part in this terrific guilt-free national holiday. Let’s enjoy our blessings, and remember where they come from!
Mark Armstrong |
8/25/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
On Thursday afternoon of last week we attended the funeral of Mr. Thurlow Mooney, a long-time member of the Tyler congregation and a great friend. The service was beautifully officiated by Mr. Stan Roberts. Mr. Mooney had continued driving a considerable distance to services, until about the middle of last year, even though his health was obviously waning. He was always so happy to be here, he’d be on the brink of tears. What a lovely old guy! We’ve been missing him for some time. Mark Petkovich and I went to visit him in a rehab center just a matter of days before he expired. What a shock to learn that he’d hurt his back just a couple of weeks earlier while riding his lawn tractor. He leaves behind his wife, Jenny, and a large and beautiful family that must number about thirty.
Between the long drive to the funeral and our early Friday departure for a meeting last Sabbath in Pocahontas, AR, I didn’t manage to get out an update last week, so will be reporting two weeks’ responses for the Garner Ted Armstrong telecast. We had a good meeting in Pocahontas, with about thirty-five in attendance. About twenty-five of them were new, non-members of the ICG!
Last week we ran a program offering audio sermons on the Resurrection, and the booklet When I Die… We tallied 669 requests, with three hundred thirty four first time responders. This week we aired a program on (the false hope of) The Rapture… and the booklet Heaven on Earth. It produced a whopping 817 requests, with four hundred fifty one first timers!
These results are beyond what we’ve expected, and the quality of the calls we are getting is remarkable. I took a call from a gentleman in New York yesterday, and he had absorbed the teaching in the program and expressed a genuine thirst for more. In fact he said that after seeing the program for the third time, he is “hooked” and can’t wait for it to come on each week.
One of the big news stories released today is about the scientific report released regarding a recent discovery of a “handful of teeth from the earliest direct ancestors of modern gorillas ever found.” According to the story, the find “shows that humans and apes probably split six or seven million years earlier than widely thought, according to the landmark study released Wednesday.” Every time an anthropologist discovers a bone, the entire evolutionary theory has to be wildly “adjusted” to account for the new discovery. And they call it science!
We’ve just posted a new article by Mr. Michael Burkert on the GTA website [will be posted by morning], on the coming ecumenism, showing how all the world’s “Christian” churches are already in acceptance of the doctrines set forth by the Roman Catholic church, and how the current pope is trying to bring them all back under Vatican authority. It is a good and logical article that shows how such a move is right in line with Bible prophecy for the end times.
Tomorrow we’ll have Mr. Mike Garrett as guest speaker, and I believe he’ll
have Mr. Bill Burchell and his wife Mary, and Mr. Daryl Craig too, I hope!
Plus we’re having our monthly potluck, so it should be a very good and
enjoyable Sabbath. I hope all of you will have a good Sabbath as well. |
8/11/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler
Mr. Robert Nunnery traveled up to Pennsylvania earlier this week to
perform a very emotional funeral service for our beloved Bernie Berkosky.
Mr. Frank Scherich also spoke at the funeral, and was able to draw on his
long friendship with Bernie and inject stories of some of the good times
they’d shared. There were over 125 present to pay respect to Bernie, and a
great number of them expressed their appreciation for the messages
delivered on this sober occasion. It was, of course, not your “standard
Christian funeral.” Please remember all the members of the Bercosky family
in your prayers, and particularly his dedicated wife, Lois.
I’ve seen welcome news reported today. That is that the President has ordered what appears to be a serious crackdown on the flood of illegal aliens flowing across our borders. This report coincides with news that al Qaeda is partnering with drug smuggling cartels, and learning to pass themselves off as Hispanics once here in the U.S. You may also have noticed reports earlier in the week showing that people of Anglo descent are already in the minority in one out of ten of our most populous counties. One of the examples cited is Denver, Colorado, where foreign-born immigrants already outnumber indigenous Americans. Another threat to our way of life came from China. They’ve built up such a trade surplus over recent years that they reportedly hold some 1.3 trillion dollars worth of American securities. They’ve threatened to torpedo the dollar with a massive liquidation of those assets, should the American Congress impose trade sanctions. Hopefully it’s an idle threat, due to the fact that such a move would not be in their own best economic interests. But it is one more example of how the U.S. has allowed our economic security to fall into the hands of a potential enemy. The other most obvious example of this is our absolute dependence on Muslim sheikdoms to supply American energy needs. Threats against the U.S. delivered by bearded turbans over terrorist web sites have become so commonplace that few seem to take note anymore. And that is really starting to irritate them. DEBKAfile is carrying a story where they are claiming that we will pay for not taking them seriously when large trucks carrying radioactive materials go off in LA and New York. True enough, it seems that many Americans, taking their queues from our media, do not take the threat of Islamic terrorism nearly seriously enough. Let’s hope another attack on the scale of 9-11 will not be the impetus for another brief wave of patriotism. There is better news out of Iraq in recent weeks, where despite regular explosions of Iranian-made munitions, significant progress is being made against terrorist factions intent on fomenting civil war. There are quite a few children and relatives of our own membership in or on their way to Iraq to serve in our military. I have deep respect and admiration for them, and for all of America’s finest who are risking their lives to preserve what we have here by taking the fight to the terrorists over there. Let’s remember them daily, pray for their success and their safe return! I had the opportunity to talk to a soldier in his early thirties in the DFW airport a few weeks ago. He was with about fifteen others who were coming home for two week’s leave. Contrary to the reports of low morale and a lack of belief in American goals in the Middle East, this man and his buddies were gung-ho! He was animated, enthusiastic and obviously committed to his mission. We can all take a lesson from their courage and determination. I have great news on the results of this week’s Garner Ted Armstrong telecast! We’ve had a total of 815 literature and tape requests, and five hundred six of those were from people contacting us for the very first time! Most of those were asking for the Answer to Unanswered Prayer book (one of my Dad’s finest!), but a few of the local stations were broadcasting one of our GTA programs contrasting Sabbath and Sunday worship. We’ve already placed an order for an additional seventy five hundred Answer to Unanswered Prayer books, as this current response should just about wipe out the last of our inventory! All of you who own a copy know that it is a very substantial work, from the standpoint of its size and its content. Many have confided how valuable it has been to them, may it never be out of print! We’re looking forward to our day of rest here in East Texas, and hoping all of you will have a fine Sabbath too! Thanks to all of you, |
8/4/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
It is with sorrow and disappointment that I must report that we lost Mr. Bernie Bercosky at 2:45 a.m., Friday, August 3, 2007, to his long bout with illness. Bernie maintained a tremendous attitude even in his darkest hours. I spoke with him last Sunday, and could tell he was weakened. His was a record of love and unselfish service, and we will miss him terribly. At least Bernie’s suffering is over, and his legacy secure. Please remember his wife Lois in your prayers. Mr. Robert Nunnery will be traveling up to Pennsylvania to perform the funeral, scheduled for Monday, August 6th. We were in Tulsa, OK last Sabbath along with Mr. Tom Griffith. Turnout was better than expected, with 33 in attendance. Everyone seemed very supportive, and I thought the meeting went real well. I found out yesterday that some of our members in the Minneapolis area were planning to traverse the I-35 bridge shortly before it collapsed, but decided to delay crossing due to the traffic. We can be thankful that they are safe. But many others are dealing with death and terrible injuries in the aftermath of the catastrophe. It’s amazing that many others actually survived it! The Garner Ted Armstrong program has produced excellent results over the past two weeks. Last week we had two different programs airing, The Real Jesus, and The Answer to Unanswered Prayer. We had a total of 636 requests, with three hundred thirty first time contacts. This week we aired a program on the false religious concept of going immediately to “heaven.” It brought in 608 responses with three hundred twenty-four new contacts. Thanks to all of you in the field for your help in the local areas, and your assistance to HQ as well. Have a good Sabbath, and we’ll be in touch next week.
Mark Armstrong
|
7/28/2007
| Dear Elders, Members & Hosts, Please continue to remember Mr. Bernie Bercosky, his wife Lois and all their family in your prayers. His situation is increasingly grave. I know I’ve said it before, but Bernie has been a great asset, a terrific example of service to others even when he was dealing with very serious health problems of his own. I spoke with him early Sunday morning, and was touched, again, by Bernie’s calm and his confidence. Mr. Jim Josephsen and his wife Barb were here as scheduled last Sabbath. He delivered an excellent, thoughtful message you’ll appreciate. We sure appreciate the efforts of those who have been willing to travel and give of their own personal time for the benefit of the whole church. Two new DVD’s were mailed out on Monday of this week, one by Mr. Frank Scherich and another by Mr. Tom Haltom. Both are terrific messages. We hoped they would reach everyone before this weekend. The one from last Sabbath with Jim Josephsen’s message will be in the next mailing. We (my Mom and I) are leaving tomorrow for Tulsa, OK for a visit with our group there and Mr. Tom Griffith who will be coming up from Dallas. Everyone seems to be trying to wrap up Feast plans for this year, as the time is growing very near. I hope everything is working out for each of you to be able to attend with us and make this year’s FOT another great occasion. We sure appreciate all who’ve pitched in and volunteered to help in planning and execution at all the various sites! Since I’m writing on Thursday, and our response reports will not be completed until tomorrow, I’ll have to give you this week’s numbers in next week’s update. Thanks again to all you in the field. Have a good Sabbath, and we’ll be in touch again next week. Mark Armstrong |
7/21/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler, We had a fine turnout, and a great meeting in Columbia, Missouri last Sabbath with the group led by Mr. Dave Kleindienst. We had nearly one hundred in attendance, as many as eight or nine first timers, and it was really an attentive and appreciative audience. I spoke first, and was followed by Dr. James Ricks. Everyone asks about my Mom, so I’ll just tell you that she made the trip with me as always, and really enjoyed getting together with so many good friends who were there. I’ve just completed a draft of the next monthly letter, and may have to come in and cool it down a little Monday before it goes to print. Can you believe what an absolutely brash, insulting, ridiculous statement came out of the Vatican late last week? And yet hardly a peep out of anyone about it. No salvation without acceptance of papal authority? Well, that’s preposterous! It disputes the whole theme of the New Testament! This was up for discussion in Columbia, it will be in the letter you’ll get around the first of the month. Try as you might, you won’t find anyone prominent disputing the brazen statements of the German pope. It’s almost as if it’s a trial run for the kind of blasphemy prophesied at the time of the end. Similar claims are being made by some self-styled Church of God leaders. Have they no shame at all? And what of those who buy into their megalomaniacal rants? Have they taken leave of reason? The whole thing is sickening, particularly where it concerns the name and the memory of HWA. Not to get carried away again, but the letter deals with some of these pertinent, important, and potentially dangerous issues. I can’t tell you folks how thankful I am for you, practical, friendly, down to earth people who aren’t playing these sick games. Pity the poor, abused, intimidated people who’ve been ensnared by the abuse of people’s love and respect for name of HWA. Lucky for his “successors” he’s not here to witness their false claims or their tyranny. I have two weeks’ response to the GTA telecast to report. Last week we had a combination of programs playing on our stations which include the one on “Harry Potter” (you notice, the news commentators are on a first name basis with “Harry”) and the Bible – Fact or Fiction. We tallied 618 with four hundred twenty one new! This week we aired a program on The Mark of the Beast and the Antichrist. It brought in 765 requests with three hundred eighty three first time callers! The GTA website is also getting near record traffic, so there are a great many in the aggregate getting a strong dose of truth. Mr. Jim Josephsen and his wife Barb from Chicago are due to arrive this evening and participate in tomorrow’s service, and we’re finally having that potluck we delayed due to flooding. The work is going forward, and yet it looks as though many challenges remain. Thanks so much! Hope you all have a great Sabbath. Mark Armstrong |
7/14/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
Things are looking up considerably since I wrote last week. Power was restored on the office property late Friday afternoon, and the weekend deluge that was forecast failed to materialize. We’ve only had isolated showers a couple of times since and, thankfully, the floodwaters have receded.
I mentioned that we’d had a busy week fielding television responses, but that no statistics were available yet. Well, last week the GTA telecast brought 612 requests, with four hundred and five first time responders. Two different programs were circulating on the various stations, one of them offered The Bible Fact or Fiction booklet and tapes.
This update is being prepared today, Thursday, as we are leaving tomorrow morning for a visit, along with Dr. James Ricks to Columbia, Mo. Minister Mr. Dave Kliendienst and his wife Dot have helped to organize our visit there, and we are looking forward to a positive and productive meeting.
Articles appeared yesterday about recent official statements issued by the pope and released through the Vatican stating that the Catholic Church is the only route to salvation and any group or organization claiming to be Christian cannot be legitimately called a “church.” He extended his remarks to include the Anglican Church, and all protestant churches who reject papal authority! Only the Catholic Church can “prove” an unbroken succession of “apostles” leading back to Jesus Christ, according to the statement.
There are several obvious problems with the assertion. History shows that there have been two and as many as three competing popes at one time in the past and also records all manner of corruptions, including the “selling of indulgences.” And that’s only the tip of the iceberg when you consider all the ways God’s clear instructions have been argued away and overruled in favor of “the traditions of men.” News of the pope’s vast assertion of authority is right in line with the article just posted by Mr. Michael Burkert on the GTA web site, showing how rapidly this pope and the Catholic Church are moving to assert influence in Europe. The pope’s official statement may be the most brash assertion yet that all non-Catholics and deniers of papal authority are in effect, heretics!
Furthermore, a debate is raging in Germany about how to avoid inevitable terrorist attacks in the wake of last week’s airport bombing in the U.K. There are “conservative” elements such as the German interior minister, proposing eavesdropping measures to identify terrorists before they can strike. This is prompting the same kind of uproar we’ve had here in the United States where the Bush Administration has been accused of “spying on the American people.”
Don’t you feel safer since Al Gore’s worldwide concert to save the planet from the global warming crisis? We have so many threats to our nation, to our way of life, and to our freedoms it’s hard to accept the preachments of a politician with a messianic complex, and musicians, most of whom don’t even fit that description.
Please pray for Mr. Bernie Bercosky. He is in the hospital with leukemia. I talked to him quite a while yesterday and he is a tremendous example of faith and a full heart at a time when his situation is very grave. Bernie needs a miracle, and one that only God Almighty can perform. Even though his health has been deteriorating, he has continued in dedication and service way beyond the call of duty. His wife Lois, and his family are with him, they desperately need our support and prayers.
I hope you all will have a good and restful Sabbath. |
7/7/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
The situation with local rain and flooding has changed dramatically since the reassuring message I sent you last time. We’ve cancelled tomorrow’s service due to the fact that many of our roads are closed with sections under water. Electricity here at the office has been out all day, apparently due to uprooted trees on the power lines. Since the outage came suddenly and without warning we had not time to transfer our lines to the answering service. Consequently the line will sound to be ringing, unanswered, to anyone calling in.
Another six to seven inches is forecast for the next 24 hours, and the storm trend is expected to continue through next week at least.
What a relief to know Al Gore and his favorite rock band and celebrities will be saving the planet this weekend. You might want to look at details of the pledge he’ll be urging his audience to sign. Signing means you promise to demand US and all nations sign on to international regulatory treaties. It also includes important economic clauses, such as buying “carbon credits”, and demanding the US institute “carbon taxes.” We’re already under a horrendous energy tax burden. But if Al Gore and his performers get their way, we ain’t seen nothin’ yet.
Mr. Michael Burkert has written an excellent article on Europe and the coming State Religion, showing how Catholic church is growing powerful while the European Union is faltering. It won’t be posted on the GTA web site till early in the week due to the fact that all system are down for the time being.
I know many of you desperately need rain. We’re in a reverse predicament. I hope we call all enjoy our Sabbath regardless.
We’re
scheduled to be in Colombia, MO with Dr. Ricks and Mr. Dave Kleindienst
for a special meeting next weekend, if the water don’t rise and the levy
don’t break. We’ll be in touch! PS... There are no stats on the program, as our database is currently inoperable. But we had a very busy phone bank this week. We also had 15,707 visitors to the EA web site over the past week! |
6/30/2007
| Hello from Tyler, Everyone who calls me from around the country asks if we’re in any danger of being washed away by flooding. I let them know that we’ve not had anything that serious in this area, we just keep getting thunderstorms and showers dropping another two or three inches every two or three days. It’s been unseasonably cool lately, finally hitting about 90 degrees today, but there is thunder nearby even now. I got away without writing an update last week, as we left fairly early Friday morning for North Little Rock, Arkansas. The meeting there was attended by 29 or 30, which was unexpected, and went very well. We have a solid core group with the potential for growth. It seems that much of the country has breathed a collective sigh of relief since the political attempt to legalize all illegal foreigners in the U.S. failed in the Senate. We as an organization certainly never get involved in political activism, but we do love, respect and treasure the fabulous inheritance that is the United States of America, and pray for God’s protection and guidance. The very institution of the United States has begun to look fragile, as it is under attack from the Islamic world, from many quarters inside the nation, and with this unbelievable “immigration plan”, even being jeopardized by our governmental representatives! One bullet has been dodged, but many more are in flight. You’ve no doubt heard the news today, that two car bombs that would have caused massive injury and death in London were discovered before they could be detonated. The threat is real, and it is continuous. We can be thankful that many innocent lives were spared, but we must also be aware that they (radical Islamic believers) will stop at nothing in their pursuit of worldwide Islamic domination. Israel is in tremendous jeopardy, and every peace plan has resulted in bought time for her enemies while Iran’s proxies gain organization and strength. Will the U.S. continue to pursue a doctrine of diplomacy with enemies sworn Israel’s defeat and the destruction of our homeland as well? It appears that the enemies of western civilization are growing ever stronger and bolder as we, as a nation, occupy a position of weakness. The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast last week brought in 415 requests, with one hundred thirty one first time responders. This week, (the first program of the quarter on the ION network) pulled 581 requests, with three hundred twelve contacting us for the very first time. I believe that the audience for the new network will build each week, and the response should increase as well, although this first program offered The Real Jesus in paperback, and it is a very popular offer. We’re hearing encouraging news of new contacts and growth in several of our local groups around the nation and are very thankful for the support and the growth that God has continued to provide. Mr. Tom Haltom, from the Chicago area, is making his very first visit to our facilities here, and will be our guest speaker tomorrow. I always look forward to hearing him speak, and you can look forward to having a copy of our meeting tomorrow on DVD in the very near future. As always, our thanks go out to all of you wherever you may be, and we hope you’ll have a safe and happy Sabbath! Mark Armstrong |
6/16/2007
|
Hello All,
News from Gaza over the past two days has been
absolutely stupefying. Israel’s withdrawal from the territory, the
bolstering of that ridiculous “coalition government,” the appeasement of
one group of more moderate terrorists hoping to hold at bay the more
radical terrorists, the whole thing has turned into a slow motion train
wreck. And it’s not over yet. The way the U.S. and Israel have chosen to
play the “diplomacy” game with these animalistic zealots has led to an
entire region, Gaza, within what should have remained sovereign Israel,
becoming an outpost for Iran and terrorists of every stripe.
What a stroke of genius it was to arm Abbas
and his “fighters.” A sizable percentage of Abbas’ military (cough,
choke) force are open members of al Aqsa brigade, and have boasted
responsibility for nearly all of the suicide bombings that have taken
place in Israel over the past couple of years! The U.S. and Israel
determined that this bunch of rag-tag murderers should be armed with
American vehicles, weapons and ammo, but not only that, they were also
provided all manner of sensitive CIA intelligence on American operations
throughout the Middle East to be held in a “Security” compound inside
Gaza. Obviously the compound wasn’t too secure. And how could anything
of value have been entrusted to these people?
None of that matters now. Gaza, the Abbas
“government” has fallen to the more radical Hamas. I’m sure you’ve seen
and heard the stories of defeat and mayhem. Palestinians killing
Palestinians. The more radical of the terrorists have prevailed over the
“moderate” terrorists. It’s just beyond comprehension that our
Administration or our State Department or the Israeli government could
have done business with any of them in the first place. But the fallout,
as the news has detailed, is unbelievable.
And it doesn’t stop there. World Net Daily
posted an article today saying that the U.S Administration is pressuring
Israel to make additional concessions to Abbas. They apparently want to
attempt to prop him up further, now that he’s already been defeated and
deposed, thinking that somehow this will keep Hamas from gaining control
in the West Bank as well.
For Israel to have given over any of these
territories in the first place was madness. Now it’s led to disaster.
And it looks like the diplomats are in the process of arranging the
ultimate disaster. And that would be part of Jerusalem and the West Bank
ending up under the control of these mindless Islamic zealots who have
sold their souls to the ayatollahs, and are obsessed with the killing of
Jews and Americans. If the State Department had planned it this way, it
couldn’t have turned out any worse. I’ve written an article for the GTA
Web site. It’s called The Iran Connection.
The GTA telecast this week offered Is Jesus
God, and Only a Fool Says There is no God. It brought in 415 calls with
one hundred thirty seven first time contacts. We’ll be commencing on
national television again in just a couple of weeks, and have already paid
for the first five programs. I think we’ll see a major increase in
response when that begins. You’ve no doubt seen some of Chris’
communications about the recent surge in traffic to the GTA website.
We’ve set records like crazy over recent weeks. We sure appreciate all of
you in the field, and hope you have a fine Sabbath.
Until next time, Mark Armstrong |
6/9/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
The news this morning indicates that the long-term plan for national suicide has suffered at least a temporary setback. The idea that those who’ve sworn oaths to preserve and protect the integrity of the United States would argue tirelessly in favor of making “wards of the state” millions here illegally has got to be one of the most divisive moves we’ve seen yet. I thought the United States government was supposed to be on our side! I thought they ran for office to represent the interests of “we the people.” So much for trusting our elected representatives to stand for the integrity and sovereignty of this great land, which was founded on sincere belief and trust in God. I wonder how often our modern politicians reflect on that! You’ve probably been unsuccessful in your attempts to ignore the many politicians campaigning to become the next president. You have my sympathy. Ninety eight percent of the posturing is pathetic and so transparent. You can’t help but wonder how long peace and prosperity can survive. Something seems to be driving a dramatic increase in traffic to our websites, but I’m not sure what it is. Chris reports that all three of our sites are seeing traffic at nearly forty percent above average. We had a good week’s response to the Garner Ted Armstrong telecast. (I think some were delayed arriving from the last two weeks, both mail and internet.) Nevertheless, we’ve logged 438 requests this week, with two hundred thirty two contacting us for the first time, and this week’s telecast was on the validity of the Sabbath! Speaking of the Sabbath, I hope you’ll all have a good one! I’ll be in touch next week.
Mark Armstrong
|
6/2/2007
| Greetings from Tyler, From all reports, our groups around the country had positive and uplifting Sabbath and Pentecost services last weekend. My Mom and I had the pleasure of meeting and socializing with some 46 people who traveled to Holland, Michigan for the special meetings organized by Mr. Gary Johnson from the Detroit area. Speakers included Mr. Tom Haltom, Mr. Jim Josephsen, Mr. Gary Johnson and myself. The ministers on hand served up “meat in due season”. I spoke about the march of world events, relating to Europe and the Middle East, as well as the United States on the Sabbath, and on Pentecost about the things that set us (the ICG and GTAEA) apart, not only from the world’s churches, but also apart from the other churches of God. I can say unabashedly that we all had a terrific time! All of the folks in attendance were happy, positive, and as a group contributed to a genuinely joyous atmosphere. To top it off, two new members were baptized. The congregation here in Tyler had over 60 in attendance, and a fine message from Mr. Stan Roberts. We arrived home to some blinding rainstorms that made the drive home from DFW somewhat tense. I know that much of the country is suffering drought conditions, but we’re being flooded with another two or three inches every day or two. I hope some of it moves your way if you live in the southeast where it is particularly parched. I’m sure you realize that our nation is in a world of trouble. If you’re keeping one ear open to the news, you are aware that there is very grave concern, even in high places, for the future of the United States. Not only is Islam, one of the world’s largest religions, intent on our destruction, it seems some of our politicians and many in the media have a vision of our future that is very different from the bountiful and free nation we have loved, enjoyed, and taken for granted. It is frustrating, maddening, heartbreaking to see where these preachy politicians are taking us. Will God intervene to halt this juggernaut? For the sake of our children, and our children’s children, I sure hope so. The GTA program last week brought some 430 requests. This week we tallied 360 calls with 151 first time contacts. I keep getting calls and letters thanking us for the work we are doing, and for the visits. But the real thanks are from us to all of you across this country, who have seen through the legions of pretenders, and persevered in the plain, practical teachings, and the way of life that God’s truth represents! We’ll be in touch again next week. Have a great Sabbath! Mark Armstrong |
5/26/2007
| Greetings from Tyler, It has been a great week here in Tyler. Chris Cumming is off to Fayetteville, North Carolina and I am off to Holland, Michigan, so there will not be the normal Weekly Report. Wishing everyone of you a wonderful Pentecost Weekend. I will catch up to all of you next week. Mark Armstrong |
5/19/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
This week has gone by so rapidly, I couldn’t
believe it was Friday! But now it’s very late on Friday, so forgive me if
I’m brief. The good news is that we have finished our long awaited Feast
brochure and sent it to be printed. The monthly letter was also due, so
work on that has transpired throughout the day amid quite a number of
interruptions and distractions. But, not to be negative. I hope the
letter will be well received, as the last couple obviously have been.
Believe it or not, our donor list is actually growing steadily, and the
last couple of letters have brought a return response beyond our
expectations.
The weather here is absolutely gorgeous, the
rivers and creeks, the ponds and lakes are brim full, everything is green
and the air is like velvet. When I walked with Mom around Emerald Bay
last evening, we remarked how much Dad would be enjoying the beauty of the
atmosphere if he were there with us. “He’d be doing backstrokes through
it.” But, with the necessity of the instruction that we must watch the
march of developments around the world and here at home, attention must be
focused back on the news and the wretched politically correct conventional
wisdom that has overtaken the vast majority of the American population.
It seems the media works to create the
conventional wisdom, also known as public opinion, and then the
politicians have to pander to it. I’m sure you are aware of how some of
that is playing out, not only in the unending harangue of political
campaigns, but also with the grandstanding politicians who are busy
writing laws that negate and subvert laws that stood our nation in good
stead when they were enforced! Remember that? It looks as though both
political parties may well join forces, with the blessing of the
president, in passing legislation that may alter the future make-up of our
population in ways no one would have dared predict only a few years ago.
But that is something that will play out over
a period of many years. Just an observation, but are the politicians more
interested in advancing their personal power than securing the future of
our nation? Of course there are more immediate concerns. Not only were
there several new reports on Iran’s rapid progress toward the ability to
manufacture nuclear weapons this week, but an interview with the FBI
director I made mention of in the body of the monthly letter which says
there is intelligence showing that al-Qaida is completely obsessed with
the idea of detonating nuclear weapons in major American cities. I read
the interview, and it’s clear that the intelligence agencies are taking
the threat seriously. One quote from FBI Director Robert S. Mueller III
in the NewsMax.com interview, “We are going to be hit at some point. It’s
just a question of when and to what extent.” Sorry to pass this kind of
news along. I don’t like it either!
The Garner Ted Armstrong program brought 345
responses this week, one hundred twenty were first time contacts. I hope
you all have your plans firmed up for the observance of Pentecost next
weekend. We (my mom and I) are planning to travel up to Holland, Michigan
to meet with some folks we rarely get to see, for the Sabbath and for
Pentecost. We’re looking forward to having Mr. Tom Griffith here as
guest speaker tomorrow. I hope all of you have a terrific Sabbath too!
Thanks,
Mark Armstrong
|
5/12/2007
|
Hello again from Tyler,
We’ve had a fairly frenetic week here at HQ. The Post Office began to circulate information on coming rate and rule changes just over a week ago. It appears that many of our bulk mailings may have to be configured in ways that are yet unknown and unfamiliar to us, and will be subjected to higher rates. The new rates and regulations take effect as of Monday. Consequently, we’ve been trying to get as much as possible that is already in the pipeline ready and out the door by today! Several on our staff have gone to considerable trouble to get this accomplished, and I owe a particular debt of gratitude to Mrs. Wilma Gilbert and Mr. Leon Cunningham. It’s hard not to feel good about the results of the election in France. News reports say that more than 90% of eligible voters turned out, resulting in the election of Nicolas Sarkozy. He has signaled a willingness to confront the domestic problem of vast ghetto’s of unassimilated foreigners who are prone to violence and determined to create their own society within the host nation. His Socialist opponent warned of an outbreak of violence if Sarkozy should win. Well, she (Ms. Royal) was right. Riots broke out, businesses were vandalized and cars burned. Presumably, Mr. Sarkozy will take steps to curtail these kinds of outbreaks that have become so commonplace there. France is not the only place this problem has taken root. It is also a major point of concern within Germany, and England, and one that may well warrant attention here in the United States. On the surface, this change in leadership looks like good news. How it plays out in the context of the overall situation in Europe may not be that simple. Israel is in a state of political disarray. Prime Minister Olmert has so far ignored calls for his resignation from across the political spectrum. For many years, we in the western world have felt confident that Israel could rise to any military challenge that might confront her. With last summer’s war with Hezbollah in Lebanon still fresh in everyone’s memory, that confidence has dissolved. Iran responded to a statement that Olmert issued regarding the possibility of military action against the Iranian nuclear program by saying that they would rain down “more than 10,000 missiles on Israel.” Europe’s Islamic problem, and for that matter America’s terrorist problem all goes back to Israel and Jerusalem where it all started. And regardless of all the decades of trying to assimilate a magic formula under which the parties can live in peace, there is no peace. There is only the prospect of more violent upheaval. I’m sure you are aware of the terrorist plot against our service men at Fort Dix that was averted this week. You can’t help but wonder how many cells may be here in the U.S., plotting some diabolical plan to kill Americans. Our country needs our prayers for God’s continued protection from the terrorists, and from the social and political forces that are working so fervently to undermine American sovereignty. The Garner Ted Armstrong program this week dealt with the concept of the Rapture, (mainstream Christianity’s own version of escapism) and offered the booklet Heaven on Earth, showing that God will establish His kingdom here on Earth following Jesus’ return. It brought 512 requests, one hundred eighty three of which were from first time contacts. I hope you’ve all had a good week, and are looking forward to the Sabbath. Have a good one, and I’ll be in touch again next week.
Mark Armstrong
|
5/5/2007
|
Greetings from HQ,
We’ve suffered a tremendous loss this week with the death of Mr. Cecil Reece. Mr. Reece has been a faithful worker and member of God’s Church since 1952. Many who’ve called in response to the GTA television program know his voice and had interesting conversations with him when time permitted. He was here at services with us last Sabbath, and was in his usual good form during the fellowship of the potluck meal that followed. Would you believe, he worked on his last day. This past Sunday morning, he came in and helped answer the phones as responses came in from the telecast. He went home to rest, and died. He was eighty-four years old. He leaves behind his wife Opal, his daughter Cecilia (our receptionist and gal Friday), three living grandchildren (including a baby boy born this Monday), seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. His funeral was Wednesday afternoon, conducted by Mr. Stan Roberts and included a twenty-one gun salute by the military Honor Guard. He’s been such a supportive, can-do personality in all our lives for so long, his death will leave a void with all of us here in Tyler. We have two new “Word From” editorials about to be posted on the GTA web site. Both are timely and pertinent. A news story that will be playing out over this weekend is also interesting, and quite possibly connected to the trends those new postings illustrate, and that is the story of the presidential elections that are playing out in France. If French polls are accurate, it looks as though France’s conservative candidate Nicolas Sarkozy will be elected. Is this another early indication that Europe is beginning to turn away from the Liberal Socialist policies that have wrought such havoc on the continent’s economy and social environment? Female Socialist Candidate Segolene Royal is warning of social unrest and an outbreak of violence if her opponent Sarkozy wins at the polls. And that is precisely the kind of reactions we’ve seen in France in recent years when it looked like policies unfriendly to unassimilated immigrant populations might become the law of the land. You’ll remember the riots, the vandalism and the thousands of torched vehicles that lit up French streets last year. Will Europe finally begin to grapple with the feel good policies that have created the dangerous environment that now exists? If so, how far might it go? Consider those questions while you’re reading Michael Burkert’s latest article, Papal Power and the End Times. We had our annual board meetings here last Sabbath, and they were uplifting and productive. God has blessed us with peace, cooperation and optimistic support! The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast this week brought 365 responses with one hundred thirty five first time contacts. The mail from last month’s letter has continued rolling in all week long, and we’re already starting to get a few responses from the new letter. It sounds kind of like that promised blessing of the plowman overtaking the reaper! We here in Tyler extend our gratitude to all of you in the field, and hope you’ll have a good Sabbath. Until next week Mark Armstrong
|
4/28/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
Eighteen months prior to the next presidential election, campaigning is well underway, complete with televised debates and constant media coverage. It looks like the country is headed for trauma, as there simply are no prospective leaders who can be expected to turn this nation back toward the God-fearing principles that made it great. It looks as though the war in Iraq will continue to be the focal point, and even our most virulent enemies are looking forward to the post-Bush era with eager anticipation.
Palestinian terrorist leaders responded to the anti-war rhetoric from last night’s televised Democratic debate calling it a “moment of glory” for Iraqi insurgents (terrorists) and the global “resistance movements” (more terrorists). You can’t help wonder about our future when front-running candidates are endorsed by Middle East terrorists!
You may also have noticed the news that rockets have begun flying from Gaza into Israel again, amid statements that the Palestinian movement will “never recognize Israel’s right to exist.” The rocket attacks were reportedly approved by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, thought to be the most moderate of Palestinian leaders. More attacks have been promised.
In other Middle East news, the latest predictions as to when Iran will have nuclear weapons capability has been pegged at 2009 by CBS News. Israel believes it may happen sooner. You may have noticed that Ahmadinejad has been uncharacteristically quiet of late. Threats of retaliation against the U.S. (“all over the world”) for any attack against their nuke program were made this week by another of Iran’s government spokesmen. Clearly, Iran’s nuclear program is proceeding apace, and it doesn’t seem as though our news media, or our population at large is all that concerned, yet.
Conventional wisdom has it that the Bush administration is to blame for all that is wrong in the world, and Global Warming is our most pressing concern. Even the Vatican has released a pronouncement saying, “As Christians…we need to recognize and accept the intimate ethical and deeply religious implications of climate change.” I simply couldn’t bring myself to continue the ridiculously sickening quote. But the upshot is, if Global Warming isn’t your religion, you need to work it in to your faith, somehow.
We’re looking forward to having
some respected visitors here this Sabbath, and will be holding our annual
board meetings. Dr. James Ricks is scheduled for the main message. God
has certainly blessed us, His people and His work, and we look forward to
spending positive and productive time We had an unusually quiet week for television response this time. But the message was important never the less, and some 348 did call for The Best News Ever booklet, and the audiotape entitled Your First Priority, with one hundred twenty four contacting us for the first time. I know that a great many of you go to a great deal of time and trouble to make the Sabbath a delight for others. We certainly appreciate all that you do.
Have a great
Sabbath, and we’ll be in touch. Mark together with our esteemed visitors
tomorrow. |
4/21/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
I know you’re sickened, as is the entire nation, by the murderous rampage that took place on the Virginia Tech campus this week. The news of this travesty has produced a range of emotion and anger that is helpless and frustrating. I can hardly stand to watch any more of the coverage, and barely trust myself to respond to much of what’s been broadcast, cumulatively, by the hundreds of hours over the course of this week. It illustrates the fact that some among us are consumed with pure evil, and have no empathy or conscience. A close friend and local member wrote a brilliant poem earlier in the week that seemed to sum up most aspects of this hideous crime, and the opportunists that flock to it. I found it moving, and appropriate to be included it in the body of the monthly letter that we’ve just sent to be printed. You should have yours shortly.
Here in Tyler last Sabbath, Mr. Stan Roberts unleashed a truly brilliant sermon, and the letter I mentioned above offers his message on DVD. I thought it so extraordinary, that we have reserved it for the special offer as opposed to sending it out as a regular weekly sermon. Of course it will be excellent to be viewed by congregations as well!
We’ve had an enormous response to last month’s letter, on top of the cards and letters that continue to roll in requesting items that we’ve offered in recent months. Our staff is working hard to keep up with the requests as they seem to just keep on coming! Items that have been offered even several months ago continue to be in demand, and we have to continue producing ever more copies of CDs, DVDs and printed materials as well.
The new booklet, The Real Reasons Christ Came to Earth has been delivered and is being prepared to be mailed out to thousands. We’ve made good progress on the Feast Brochure for 2007, and should have it completed and printed soon.
The Garner Ted Armstrong program did a good job this past week over the independent and network affiliate stations. The program offered the Answer to Unanswered Prayer book, and brought in 519 requests, two hundred fifty-two were making contact for the first time.
I
trust that you’ve all had a good start to the spring Holy Day season, and
are looking forward to the Sabbath that is upon us. We’re now looking
forward and planning for Pentecost, and will be sending a terrific GTA DVD
out for the occasion. We certainly appreciate all your efforts in the
field, and hope you all have a good Sabbath. |
4/14/2007
|
Hello to all,
Some severe weather is threatening our area just now, and I know that there are weather watches and warnings across the mid-section and northeast parts of the country. Some areas are even bracing for more snow. Even though it snowed here in Tyler and the surrounding area last Sabbath, (the first time in April since they began keeping records) the current patterns are more ordinary for this time of year. I hope the weather won’t spoil anyone’s plans for this Sabbath.
We have two new local television stations that are commencing airing the Garner Ted Armstrong telecast for the first time! One is in Chicago, a very expensive and difficult market to enter. It is Channel 34, WEDE, and we’ll be on Wednesday at 8:00 am and again on Saturday at 6:30 am. The other new station is in Sacramento, Ca., a market where we’ve been trying to find an opening for some time. That station is Fox affiliate KTXL and the program is airing Saturdays at 6:30 am.
We are well along with the production of this year’s feast brochure. If any of you are having any difficulty finding appropriate accommodations for Sandestin on the Gulf Coast, please let us know and we will try to assist.
The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast last week offered Did Christ Speak to Spirits in Hell?, and The Resurrection was not on Sunday. It brought in a total of 391 requests one hundred eighty four of which were first time contacts.
It appears that response to the last letter is
very strong, as we are buried in mail right now, and doing our best to get
through it and get it processed and all the requests fulfilled. Income
also appears to be good and strong. This work has been blessed, and we
continue to receive many calls and letters of thanks and support. We are
looking forward now to the weekly Sabbath, and as we see what is going on
in the world around us, realize that we have a great deal for which to
give thanks. Thank you all for the part you play in God’s church, and in
the Work. Mark Armstrong |
04/07/2007
|
Greetings from H.Q.,
We’ve just returned from a visit to Mr. John Mitchell and the group in Sacramento for a special dinner on the “night to be much remembered” and a meeting on the first day of Unleavened Bread. The audience was very warm and attentive, and there were several people new to us who had come only as a result of the telecast and receiving the invitation letter. Initial indications are that some of the new folks plan to attend with the local group again this Sabbath, and again on the last day of Unleavened Bread. The travel itself got a little complicated this time around, but my Mom and I made it home in one long day, and were thankful we did! But we sure enjoyed our time with the fine folks in Sacramento.
It was good to see the British sailors and marines returned to Britian unharmed, at least physically. As we suspected, it wasn’t exactly the all expense paid vacation Ahmadinejad tried to claim. Now that the former hostages are safely home, they are free to contradict the erroneous statements they were forced to make in fear of their lives. If you’ve seen their reports, you realize that they were subjected to intense fear and intimidation. They were 1.7 miles inside Iraqi waters when they were seized.
Iran, it appears has gotten away with it. They’ve tweaked the west’s nose again, and pretended to be heroically altruistic in the process. Just consider the source and get used to it. Ahmadinejad is convinced both the U.S. and the UK have lost their resolve, and believes he has just demonstrated that reality to the entire world. Time will tell whether or not he has miscalculated. I’m hoping he has.
Here in Tyler we’re looking forward to having visitors for our meetings on the Sabbath and the last day of UB on Monday. Mrs. Lois Chapman is in town, and some good friends who moved quite some distance away are planning to be with us over the next few days. Mr. Tom Griffith and some of the folks from Dallas are expected on Monday. I hope all the meetings attended by God’s people, large and small, around the U.S. and elsewhere in the world will be positive and successful.
The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast this week was on the
subject of mainstream religion’s belief in “going to heaven” and
resulted in 504 responses, with two hundred thirty nine contacting
us for the first time. I know that a great many of you in the field
go to significant trouble to make the Sabbaths and Holy Days the
good and proper convocations they are intended to be. I’m sure the
folks in your areas appreciate that, and we sure do too! Thank you,
from all of us in Tyler. Mark Armstrong |
03/31/2007
|
30 March 2007 Greetings from Tyler,
Sorry I didn’t get a message to you last week. We were en-route to a Sabbath meeting in Jackson, TN (between Memphis and Nashville) and to complicate even further Chris was in the process of moving the web site operation. We had a good and worthwhile visit with the fine folks within reach of Jackson with about ninety in attendance and an excellent main message by Dr. James Ricks. Our sincere thanks to all whom attended and contributed to the success of the occasion. My mom and I enjoyed the chance to see and speak with everyone there.
The recent mailing of Passover and Unleavened Bread DVD’s should have arrived during this past week and I trust that everyone has what they need for these upcoming occasions. We’re scheduled to be in Sacramento, CA for the First Day of Unleavened Bread with Mr. John Mitchell and the group there. It will be my first visit to Sacramento since I was there with my Dad in the early Summer of 2003.
I’m sure by now you all know of Iran’s latest provocation, having taken and detained 15 British troops. It shows once again how lonely the U.S. and UK are in the war against radical Islam’s push toward world domination. Aside from a mild memo meant to represent the European Union, there has been no outcry from our former allies. Saudi Arabia took the occasion to condemn the “illegal occupation” of Iraq. It is obvious that Iran is taking advantage of perceived weakness in the west, and the non-stop campaign by the mainstream media, entertainment and educational communities to demonize the war against militant Islam. Although there are some signs of progress in Iraq, there are strong political elements in our country that are heavily invested in seeing the Bush administration dealt a humiliating defeat. It does not bode well for the future of our beloved country.
You are also probably aware that the U.S. has amassed a strong naval presence in the Persian Gulf and that military conflict with Iran, primarily over their development of nuclear capabilities, remains a lingering possibility.
The GTA program last week (Resurrection not on Sunday, Passover material) produced 639 respondents, with three hundred fifty nine first time contacts. It was the last program on the “I” network until we resume at the beginning of the next quarter. This week we aired the Visits from Space program over our local and network affiliate stations and logged 518 responses, with one hundred eighty eight first time callers.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of you once
again for your prayers and support. The work my Dad organized here
in Tyler, Texas is producing results, and we’re thankful to God and
to all of you for its continued success. I hope you’ll all have a
meaningful Passover (Lord’s Supper) and Days of Unleavened Bread.
I’m including a brief article written by Dr. James Ricks in reply to
a question he received recently as to whether the New Testament
validates the observance. Mark Armstrong
|
03/17/2007
|
I’m writing at the very close of the day and the workweek. We’ve been working to complete preparing the monthly letter for printing, and on preparations for the publication of a solid and lengthy booklet that I’ve never offered before. I’m not going to give the title or the subject matter away here and now, but rather save it for the letter which should be in your mailboxes on or before the first of April. That is important for a couple of reasons. One is that a very fine article by Mr. Jim Josephsen is included along with the monthly letter entitled, The Time for Searching is Now Upon Us. It is precisely correct for the rapidly approaching time of the Passover and Days of Unleavened Bread.
As we approach the Biblically sanctioned and commanded observances associated with the Spring Holy Days, the mainstream “Christian” world is gearing up for Easter. And the origins of Easter were featured on this week’s telecast, bringing 521 requests, with two hundred thirty one first time contacts. Last week’s broadcast featured the offers of material on the 144,000, bringing 749 requests, with three hundred seventy five first time callers. This week’s somewhat lower response is probably attributable to the recent time change, particularly as it related to the stations that air on Sunday. Next week’s program will again feature information on the origins of Easter and should do even better.
We enjoyed meeting with our friends in Chicago and some from surrounding areas last Sabbath, and we’re looking forward to having Mr. Mike Garrett in as guest speaker for tomorrow.
You’ve all seen the good response numbers from the recent weeks, and when you see the large bulk of materials that are being mailed out to fill those requests, it is fairly impressive. I noticed a whole wall of our bulk mail facility lined with large bulging mailbags, ready to go to the main Post Office, and more parcels being prepared in addition.
Thanks to all of you in the field who enable us to continue in this endeavor. Although it’s a long road from responding to the telecast to the life changing commitment to become a member of God’s church, we receive lots of calls from people who are really thrilled and thankful for the truths they are beginning to understand for the first time.
I
have to wrap it for now, but will be in touch again prior to next weekend.
Mark Armstrong |
03/3/2007
|
Greetings from Tyler,
Last week’s update was written on Thursday, prior to the time that the week’s television results are tabulated due to our trip for a special Sabbath meeting in Chattanooga, TN. We were pleased, and somewhat surprised to have 131 enthusiastic folks packed into a very pleasant room in the downtown convention center. The theme centered around who we are, what we believe, and what we’re doing. I spoke first and Mr. Robert Nunnery delivered the main message. Everyone I talked with felt that the meeting was positive, and they were glad to have been present. Even the dinner cruise later in the evening was well attended, with about ninety of us seated on the upper deck. The boat was stable, the food excellent, and it was another good opportunity to visit with a lot of people we only get to see occasionally.
The important news of our time has been concealed of late by a deluge of what I call “junk news”. You know about junk food: lots of volume with no nutritional value? The same applies to a great deal of current reporting. Lots of volume with no redeeming quality, playing to society’s lowest instincts. I can’t help wondering how the news programmers retain any sense of dignity when they’re doling out hour upon hour of meaningless detail about stories that should be relegated to the tabloid domain. Obviously it’s all about ratings and profits, and unfortunately the more important news that involves the world’s security and our nation’s sovereignty are not given the kind of urgency and analysis accorded to junk news every day of the week.
As far as the UN, Hollywood and the mainstream media are concerned, the greatest threat to world survival is of course, global warming. A story filed from the UN this week reports, “A group of 18 scientists from 11 countries is calling on the international community to act quickly to prevent catastrophic climate change.” Never mind nuclear weapons in the hands of suicidal jihadists, we need to begin paying a global UN carbon tax immediately to prevent a catastrophe! A member of the UN panel writes, “Our specific conclusions are that if the world were to go past the point of an increase above pre-industial temperatures greater that 2 to 2.5 degrees Celsius, we would be in a regime where the danger of intolerable and unmanageable impacts on well-being would rise very rapidly.” Oh no! Intolerable and unmanageable? What about all those people who were stranded in their cars on the interstate during last week’s ice storm in Pennsylvania. I’m pretty sure that was intolerable and unmanageable, and for some people pretty near catastrophic! Why didn’t the UN implement a global tax to prevent it? These sorry world diplomats and scientists had better get together and pass a resolution, enact a tax or do something about all this uncomfortable and downright dangerous weather. I better quit before I get all misty about the deep significance conveyed in the Inconvenient Truth theme song.
How many al Qaeda agents are living in the U.S.? Why are Jihadists teaching history at American universities? What can be done to prevent a nuclear Iran? Why is the EU suddenly at the center of negotiations regarding the handing over of the bulk of the West Bank to Palestinian terrorists? How can Iran and its terrorist arm Hezbollah along with so many other entities in the Islamic openly call for the destruction of Israel and maintain the support of most of Europe and the UN? Those are subjects that are of far more immediate importance than the junk news and for that matter the junk science, all of which points right to the bottom line: money.
The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast last week offered The Real Jesus and brought in 836 requests, with four hundred seventy five first time contacts. I don’t have to tell you how Dad would feel about that report. This week we aired a program (keep this quiet please) that WGN deemed too offensive, and steadfastly refused to play. That’s true! The so-called “trinity” is what you might call a sacred cow to Catholics and Protestants, and this program offered the booklet Is God a Mystery and the sermon Must You Believe in the Trinity to be Saved? We had 776 people request those items, four hundred fifteen were calling for the first time.
Mr. Chris Cumming has just arrived here at the office, and we’re looking
forward to hearing from him tomorrow. We’ll send you the DVD right away.
Hope all of you have a great Sabbath. |
02/24/2007
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Greetings again already! I’m pleased to report that a new commentary has been posted on the GTA website, this time by Mr. Jim Josephsen, entitled What Would You Give Up? It draws a stark contrast between the practice of Lent, with its pagan historical baggage, and the Spring Holy Days that God instituted. Two more new DVD’s were mailed out to the regular list this week and should be arriving any time now. The next monthly letter has also just been completed, is on its way to be printed, and I hope it will reach everyone in a timely manner. If you’ve been keeping up with the news this week, you know that another UN deadline for Iran to cease its uranium enrichment has just passed, and that Ahmadinejad has responded with predictable defiance. As we’ve mentioned previously, Iran is busily installing some 3000 centrifuges to enrich uranium on an industrial scale. This, some experts have declared, will give Iran the ability to produce at least a few nuclear weapons per year. Ahmadinejad always retorts that the nuclear program is strictly for civilian energy purposes, but then again, the philosophy he embraces regards lying and treachery toward us infidels as a virtue! As I pointed out in the new letter, we’re not the only ones to recognize that our nation is in a lot of trouble. Some have editorialized about a long-term inability to sustain the Western world as we know it, based on everything from birth rates to political trends. But it’s obvious there are some major dangers rising up in the short term as well, and given present time constraints, there are just too many to mention. Our country needs God’s guidance and protection as never before. And yet there’s no indication that America is about to repent of its many affronts to God and turn over a new leaf. To the contrary! Let us set an example, and be the exception. The GTA television program that aired from coast to coast via the i network this morning offered The Real Jesus paperback book and from all indications sparked tremendous interest. Not only was it very busy during the airtime, the phones rang so steadily throughout the day that it was difficult to concentrate. The tally won’t be complete until tomorrow, so I’ll report the numbers next week. Thanks to all of you who helped make it possible to republish that important work, and of course to promote it to the people of the United States on the telecast. It does a great deal to strike down one of modern religion’s most cherished counterfeits, and that is the false image that has been portrayed of the most important and influential man ever to walk the face of the earth. That’s all for now. I hope you’ll all have a great Sabbath! Mark Armstrong |
02/17/2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
Every so often a headline will appear that contains such irony that you can’t help laughing out loud. One came along a couple of months ago that didn’t amount to much of an important story, but was still pretty funny. It read, “Brawl Breaks out at Peace Rally”. It happened somewhere in the Far East, with some local factions of religious monks attacking each other. I had a private chuckle and let it pass. But another ironic headline appeared Wednesday of this week that made me remember it. “Hearing on Warming Planet Cancelled Due to Ice Storm.” This time the news was coming from Washington D.C., and related to some Congressional Subcommittee or other. And then there was the inconvenient ice storm this week that prevented the screening of Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth movie at a university. I find it worth mentioning because it illustrates the absurdity and audacity that attends man’s belief that WE have been responsible for upsetting global weather patterns, and that WE have the power to repair the damage. Not only that, but it is as if we (the United States) would be well on our way to “fixing the problem” if we would just sign some UN sponsored treaty that commits us to the authority of “the global community”. The awesome complexity and power of the forces of nature that God put on this earth are difficult for man to comprehend, let alone control. But then again, maybe there should be some kind of poll to determine just who, and how many on either side of the global warming arguments actually subscribe to the concept of God! Interesting, isn’t it, that the same parties who are hysterical in their demands that we do something, are the same ones who hold the view that U.S. sovereignty is responsible for most of the world’s problems, and that the world would think much more highly of us if we’d just let the UN and the World Court run the show, financed of course by the U.S. taxpayer. That is of course an oversimplification, but not far off the mark from the kind of philosophy that is gaining traction in education and, more importantly in politics. You can’t even discuss the weather anymore without getting into politics! It’s unbelievable, and sickening to see that the campaign for the next U.S. presidential election is already well underway, and that we’ll have to endure all the posturing for nearly two full years. But the outcome may indeed have extremely important consequences for the future of our nation. It’s obvious that the worldwide threat of Islamic extremism will not have been vanquished by that time, and there are a great many politicians who seem to think the problem was created by President Bush. Does that mean they won’t hate us anymore once he’s left office? Will the Koran undergo an edit? Will the diplomats finally achieve peace? That’s about as likely as “fixing” global warming by signing the Kyoto treaty, or for that matter, by holding an all-star outdoor concert! On the subject of progress in the work, I’m in an awkward spot here because I’d like to tell you about some exciting new materials we can soon offer, but don’t want to spoil the offer! But I will tell you that we’re working on another edition of the Intercontinental News, and a Special Edition of 21st Century WATCH of a more durable nature than the ordinary newsletter. Our television audience was treated to a Garner Ted Armstrong program on the subject of the seventh day Sabbath. Though it’s not a top puller by any means, we can still report 688 responses, with three hundred eleven first time contacts! Not bad, particularly for a subject as unpopular as the Sabbath. We have quite a few trips coming up over the next couple of months, and I look forward to seeing many of you along the way. Hope you’ll have a good Sabbath, and that at least most of you are not suffering as a result of the extreme cold that continues across much of the country. Until next
week,
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02/10/2007
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A Warm Hello from Tyler,
Well, not all that warm. But I know that large segments of the country are frozen solid. It is winter after all, and global warming has failed to prevent much of the nation from enduring one of the ten coldest Februarys of the past hundred years. It’s hard not to acknowledge the increasingly angry debate as someone of note seems to emerge almost daily amid several global warming stories to declare that humanity is facing the most serious crisis in history. Can’t imagine why they’d generate all this heat (sorry) in the midst of an arctic blast, but there it is day after day.
Two bizarre news stories have captured the nation’s tabloid imagination, and along with the attempt to generate panic over global warming, are diverting national attention away from the really important threat of our time. And this is despite Iran’s attempts to keep our attention focused on the great progress on its nuclear program. Twice this week, Iran’s chief religious leaders threatened the United States and its interests all over the world. First the ayatollah Khamenei said that Iran was prepared to strike back in the event of any attack against them, followed up by a deputy ayatollah who said that the U.S. was within Iran’s firing range. These guys may be talking out of their turbans at least part of the time, but there is no question that they are working hard toward their ultimate goal of igniting a world war.
Isn’t it amazing that the only strong Arabic and Muslim voices speaking out continuously against the violent Islamic movement are women! There are three women in particular who have written books or are speaking out publicly saying that the U.S. propensity toward political correctness is counterproductive. It encourages the enemy to believe that we can be defeated, and increases our vulnerability. None of them live within the Muslim community, and at least two of them have to take extreme precautions with their personal security.
I know that some of you already have already received the latest issue of 21st Century WATCH, but if yours has not arrived yet it should within a couple of days. One of the articles we posted last Friday on the web site shot up to the number two most visited page in a matter of three or four days. We’ve begun making headway on another major project, and I’ll let you know more about that as it develops.
The Garner Ted Armstrong program this week on the subject of Saved by
Grace brought in 771 requests, with four hundred twelve first time
contacts. And, this week being no exception, led to some very
interesting and some lengthy phone conversations. The program certainly
does continue to touch mind and hearts, and sometimes touches an exposed
nerve. Hope all is well with you and yours, your plumbing intact and your
car battery alive. Have a good Sabbath!
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02/03/2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
Unavoidable evidence continues to mount showing that Iran is at war with the United States, and moving rapidly to consolidate military and political gains throughout the Middle East. You’ve no doubt heard of the kidnapping and execution of four U.S. soldiers in Iraq, after a standard looking convoy of black Chevy Suburbans carrying unidentified gunmen wearing U.S. uniforms and displaying authentic looking U.S. military passes drove through U.S. Army checkpoints to carry out the crime. Although the gunmen ditched the vehicles after killing the American officers and escaped unidentified, this act is seen as retaliation for five Iranian “diplomats” who were captured and detained by the U.S. military in Iraq the week before. Two Iraqi Generals are being held for questioning in the incident, as the incident was clearly something of an “inside job.” You are also seeing reports about Iraq’s new government forging closer ties with Iran, and Iran boasting that it will see to the rebuilding and stabilization of the situation in Iraq. How can the Iraqi government turn to Iran for help, when Iran is clearly a big part of the problem, responsible for sending trained terrorists with bombs into Iraq and contributing to the mayhem and instability?
Iran is also the major player in the ongoing attempt to topple the government in Lebanon. Over recent weeks, Hezbollah has conducted a general strike to bring daily life to a standstill in an effort to bring pressure for the elected “moderate” government leaders to resign. Last week violence ensued, resulting in several deaths. The situation there has quieted sufficiently to be dropped from the headlines temporarily, but we definitely have not heard the end of it. And Hezbollah is an Iranian invention that has permeated Lebanon, and is also funding the Syrian military buildup across Israel’s border to the north.
And there is growing concern, in the American Congress and among western Europeans that the U.S. may be contemplating military action against Iran, despite denials this week by our new Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates. Still, the UN’s nuclear watchdog agency confirms that Iran is prepared to complete the installation of three thousand uranium enrichment centrifuges by February that will place them ever closer to the ability to build nuclear weapons. Additionally, the Debkafile reports that the Iranians are preparing to launch a spy satellite using a converted ballistic missile as a space launcher. “If this claim is correct, then Iran has a launcher able to put 300 kg into earth orbit – and by the same definition, an ICBM that could drop more than 300 kg anywhere in the world, including Washington DC. Some of the pundits are beginning to predict that President Bush will have to take action against Iran prior to the expiration of his term, rather than leaving such a monumental threat to his successor, whoever he or she may be.
And of course the manmade global warming movement continues to gain ground in ways I don’t have time to discuss right now. Even Prince Charles has jumped on the bandwagon in a big way, and his mother the Queen seems to have some reservations… Long live the Queen!
I’m out of time now, and Jim Josephsen has arrived to be our guest speaker here tomorrow.
The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast brought a tremendous response this week. We’ve had 936 responses so far, with six hundred thirty one first time contacts. The program offered The Bible, Fact or Fiction materials, and it is the subject that routinely pulls the largest response.
I’ve talked to some of our folks in Florida, and although they’ve seen
some quirky weather, none were in harm’s way as far as the destructive
tornadoes that were reported today. We can be thankful for that! May God
bless and protect all of us as we prepare for the Sabbath. Mark Armstrong |
01/27/2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
It’s been an important week from several points of view. The annual State of the Union message night before last was sobering from the standpoint that President Bush acknowledges that the greatest threats to world security and to U.S. interests are coming from terror promoting Islamic regimes in the Middle East. He dedicated nearly half of his message to the subject of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and his resolve to protect the American people from the threat of terror.
Beirut has been the scene of violence and confusion this week, as Hezbolla has tried to interrupt daily life in its determination to bring down the Lebanese Government. Government officials are claiming that Syria is involved, again, as is Iran. Hezbollah is funded and armed by Iran, and intends to topple the elected government so that their own “spiritual leader” Nasrallah can ascend to power. If that should happen, Israel will have the equivalent of another Iran on its northern border.
Disturbing reports are also emerging, suggesting that Israel may be warming to a plan to hand responsibility for West Bank security over to the European Union until such time as it can be handed over to the Palestinians! This is an unbelievable development, but WorldNetDaily has issued several follow-up reports vouching for the authenticity of Israeli negotiations with the EU to that end. This would, of course, place Europe squarely in the center of the disputed territories, right up to and possibly including some of east Jerusalem and the Temple Mount!
We’ve had a productive week here at the offices in Tyler. The new issue of 21st Century WATCH is complete and off to be printed. The next monthly letter is being mailed. And the Garner Ted Armstrong program drew 815 requests, with four hundred thirty contacting us for the very first time for tapes on the Resurrection and the booklet, When I Die… Oh, and one more thing. The annual receipts have been printed and mailed, so you should receive yours in just a few days.
We’re having mild weather here now, and are looking forward to a good
Sabbath with Mike Garret visiting along with some other friends coming in
for the weekend. I hope all of you have a good Sabbath too!
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01/20/2007
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Greetings from Tyler, This global warming is really starting to get to us down here! Tyler virtually shut down day before yesterday. There were dozens of accidents on adjacent highways and on Interstate 20 with eighteen wheelers overturned and vehicles smashed. But I know conditions have been even worse elsewhere, as much of the country has seen the effects of an arctic cold front. Last weekend, just before the bitter cold arrived, we had two full days of torrential rains. Our lake has been pitifully low over the past year with most docks and boathouses standing over mud some distance from water. Well, since last weekend’s rains the lake is full and threatening to flood. We’d planned to have Mr. Tom Griffith up tomorrow as our guest speaker, but there are freeze warnings in effect between here and DFW, and several counties including our own are under a flash flood watch for tonight and tomorrow. Under the circumstances, and after discussion with Mr. Griffith, we’ve determined that it would be wise to cancel services tomorrow rather than expecting the congregation to take the risks associated with the forecast. We do, however, have two more DVDs packaged and ready to mail, and you should receive them prior to next Sabbath. And we’re looking forward to having Mr. Mike Garrett and Mr. Jim Josephsen here over the next two Sabbaths. Since we don’t need any more rain, and have had our fill of the bitter cold, it would be nice if the weather would turn a little more moderate. In the news, Iranian president Ahmadinejad visited South America this week where he is courting allies to bolster his threats against the United States. Together with Hugo Chavez, he orchestrated a “Death to American Imperialism” chant in Venezuela. How very original! How many little Iran’s will confront us before action is taken? Both the U.S. and Britain have been moving additional naval assets into the Gulf region, and Iran is reacting with increased defiance, if that’s possible. The Middle East situation is so tangled up, I don’t see how peace can ever emerge. The U.S. is reportedly supplying guns and money now to Fatah so they can stand up to Hamas in Gaza. And President Abbas of Fatah went out and made a speech (according to an eyewitness from WND) saying that the guns should be turned on the occupation (Israel) rather than the “brothers.” It’s extremely disconcerting to think that American supplied arms would be used against our vulnerable ally Israel, but it wouldn’t be the first time. Meanwhile, Condoleeza Rice is touring the Middle East trying to re-institute progress on the “roadmap to peace.” Hard to believe that there’s some hope for negotiated settlement after more than thirty-five years of trying to get this “land for peace” thing to work. It’s got to be more for international consumption than any real hope of a peaceful solution between Israel and the Palestinians. For their part, the Palestinians, whoever qualifies as their leadership, has yet to recognize Israel’s right to exist!
Well, that’s the tip of the iceberg. The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast
this week was terrific! We had 843 responses, four hundred fifty eight
first timers, requesting the Answer to Unanswered Prayer. I
can’t begin to relate the stories of many of the heart-warming
conversations that transpired, but there were quite a few. It’s hard to
talk when all the lines are lit up and you know others are trying to get
through, but we do the best we can. Thank you all for your love and
support! Be careful in the dangerous conditions, have a great Sabbath and
we’ll be in touch next week if not before! |
12 January 2007
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Greetings from Tyler,
The Garner Ted Armstrong program this past week was on the subject of the Mark of the Beast and Who is the Antichrist? It received an encouraging 775 requests, with four hundred and one first time callers!
I encourage you to print out and pass around Murray Allatt’s update from Australia this week. He has gone into some detail on the subject of Australia’s own domestic Muslim controversy. As he mentions, a situation is playing out on the continent down under that has many similarities to the trend in Europe. It is that of large Muslim communities which refuse to assimilate into Australian culture, and yet claiming they have greater rights than natural born citizens. It goes into some detail about the controversy that has arisen as the result of overly generous politically correct policies.
It reminded me of an incident earlier in the week in an airport security line here in the good old USA. A man standing behind my son and me complained in a thick Middle Eastern accent that the line wasn’t moving at all. Craning my neck around the line I could see that an elderly couple, with the gentleman on a walker and his wife using a cane were having some difficulty negotiating the metal detector. I told the guy who complained that if it weren’t for our politically correct policies, all the rest of us would be passed right through and guys that looked like him could go right to the front! That put him into a huff. “Is that how you think it should be?” he demanded. “Yeah, that’s how I think it should be. Never in history has anybody that looks like that couple, or any of the rest of us in this line blown up a plane. Where are you from?” “Don’t ask me where I am from!” And with that, the conversation ended.
Maybe I shouldn’t have been so forward, but maybe people that look like one of the 9-11 nineteen shouldn’t be complaining about slow security lines!
The biggest news of the week has been President Bush’s speech announcing his plan to bolster U.S. forces in Iraq with 20,000 additional troops, and alter the rules of engagement to enable our military, in conjunction with Iraqi forces, to seek out and kill the insurgents. The President’s know-it-all critics used it as another opportunity to point out “all the mistakes that have been made,” and wonder aloud “if it is possible for an administration that has gotten so much wrong to get anything right.” This administration not only has the Middle East to worry about, there is a constant war of words being conducted against the Bush presidency, not only by his political opponents, but throughout the mainstream media. We can all be glad that we don’t have to carry personal responsibility for the terribly difficult decisions that must be made. Contrary to public opinion, President Bush did not create the world’s problems with radical Islam.
There is no question that Iran embodies a clear and present danger, not only to Israel and the United States, but also to the entire civilized world. Will this President have the courage, or the necessary support to bring the power of the United States to bear in confronting the crisis? If he fails to act during his remaining two years in office, is there any other potential candidate on the horizon with the required intestinal fortitude? Radical Islamics invokes “Allah” constantly in their determination to kill us all. The President only made indirect mention of “the Author of freedom” in his speech this week. What a contrast! And yet, some of the most virulent and mocking attacks upon this president have ridiculed the fact that he is a man of “Christian” faith. Let us hope that he puts his faith in God! Let’s pray for him, our troops in harms way, for Israel, for England, Australia, Canada, and for the peace and safety of the greatest nation in history, the United States of America. And don’t leave out our enemies. I’ve seen it work! Have a great Sabbath, Mark Armstrong |
1/5/2007
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Greetings Again, It’s been another whirlwind week here as Monday was Jan. 1, and the mail didn’t run Tuesday out of deference to the late President Ford. I hope you’re not running short of sermon DVDs yet. We’ve got two more ready to go, but there was a huge cassette duplication and mailing job in front of them, and that was delivered to the Post Office today. I’ve been dedicating quite a bit of time toward the next 21st Century WATCH, and making some difficult decisions along the way. The job should be able to progress now even in my absence, as I’ll be out part of next week. Yesterday morning started mighty early with our first program of the new season on the “i” Network. The phones rang like crazy beginning immediately at 5:30 our time. I enjoyed conversations with a number of callers, when things slowed down a little, and was impressed with how well they digested the information presented in the program. The Garner Ted Armstrong TV program aired this Thursday while many viewers still had X-mas very much in mind. All the people I talked to except one were contacting us for the first time. Of the callers from the “i” Network, nearly 75% were new! We had 684 requests with four hundred seven first time contacts.
The Sabbath is
upon us now, and it’s time to call it a day. We can thank God for the
peace and tranquility that we are still able to enjoy. It is a great
blessing that many in this world, and even in this country are lacking.
The Work is going strong, and we certainly appreciate all that you are
doing to help.
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12/30/2006
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Hello to All,
It’s been a fast week here, due to the holiday. We are planning for a number of events in various places around the country with all the details not yet completely worked out, but these things take time, planning and cooperation from numerous parties. We have some good articles that are being readied for 21st Century WATCH, and expect that this upcoming issue may be a little more elaborate than usual.
A lot of calls have been coming in regarding the publication of a book featuring a large photograph of my Grandfather, Herbert W. Armstrong on the cover. I am being asked about my reaction to the theme of the book, and to some specific references it apparently makes. The short answer is that I have a problem with the premise of the book, which is apparent at a glance. How much time should be devoted to the subject is difficult to appraise right now. It is something of a diversion from the tasks at hand, but certainly it is necessarily to respond to those among our own number who call to ask questions or express concern.
You probably saw that the United Nations finally agreed on a watered-down version of sanctions against Iran, sanctions that will not unduly affect current business dealings with Russia or Europe. But the Iranian government has nevertheless reacted predictably with defiance. Ahmadinejad told the Iranian parliament that these measures would not affect Iran in the least, and that they would respond by revving their enrichment centrifuges up to full capacity. The Iranian legislative body erupted into a “Death to America” chant.
In other news of note, the Archbishop of
Canterbury
used his “Christmas” message to condemn the Middle East policies of Prime
Minister Tony Blair and President George W. Bush. He says that the Middle
East faces “a future full of dread”, but lays blame on the US and its
allies. We might as well get used to the world’s mainstream “Christian”
leaders weighing in against the United States.
Hope your weather is better than ours here in East Texas. We’re getting pounded with severe thunderstorms, and the electricity has been off three times this afternoon. I’d just about given up on getting the update out!
Hope you have a terrific Sabbath, Mark Armstrong
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12/23/2006
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Greetings from Tyler,
I understand that last week’s update had a limited distribution due to the damaging weather that plagued the northwest this time last week. It resulted in Chris’ computer being down for a couple of days, even though our web sites remained up and running. We had a good and profitable visit from Mr. John Mitchell from Sacramento, and you’ll be receiving the message he delivered here on DVD next week.
Now that the Intercontinental News is out the door, we’re turning our attention to the next issue of 21st Century WATCH. Events are continuing along the pattern we’ve come to expect, and it’s not a pretty picture for Israel or for that matter, the United States.
President Assad of Syria was in Moscow to negotiate the purchase of more armaments this week, reportedly with $500 million of Iranian supplied money to spend. It is another example of Russia, under Putin, engaging in business that promotes Israel’s enemies in their preparations for war. An article published by DEBKAfile this week states, “Before the Lebanon war, only one company in every Syrian brigade was equipped with anti-tank rockets and anti-air shoulder-borne missiles. Since then, thousands of these missiles are being distributed to every Syrian unit.”
You’ve probably also heard about the infighting among Palestinians in Gaza between Fatah, and Hamas, the terrorist entity funded by Iran. For now, they’re at war with each other with skirmishes that have resulted in chaos. Hamas, the democratically elected government, refuses any suggestion that Israel’s “right to exist” should be recognized. In other news, rockets continue to be fired into the Israeli town of Sderot with impunity. Israeli PM Olmert has reportedly ordered rules of engagement that prevent the military from responding to prevent further attacks.
President Bush’s press conference this week seemed to display a similar weakness. It seems so counterproductive to be arguing the terms of “winning or losing,” or for that matter “sectarian violence versus civil war” when discussing the situation in Iraq. There does seem to be a consensus on the part of many Middle East experts that the presence of the U.S. military in Iraq is playing a vital role right now. A hasty exit by the U.S. would virtually guarantee that much of the region would quickly fall under the control of Iran, by nearly all accounts.
President George W. Bush has some impossibly difficult decisions to make, and those decisions may well determine the future well being, if not survival of the United States. Our radical Islamic enemies have praised the outcome of our midterm elections here in the U.S., claiming that they, al Qaeda and the other terrorist organizations, deserve the credit. Our president and military leaders need our prayers and God’s guidance, and that is my wish.
We have only a few more days of clanging bells and horrendous traffic. This is a nostalgic and meaningful holiday to the vast majority in the western world. And there certainly is merit in generosity and getting together with family. It’s just too bad they can’t name it what it is, the ancient pagan celebration of the Winter Solstice, and leave out the pretense that it has something to do with the birthday of Christ, which it clearly does not. I’m content to give the shopping district a wide berth, and look forward to a cessation of the obnoxious advertisements.
The Garner Ted Armstrong television program this week brought us 476
requests, with one hundred ninety-eight first timers. Thanks to all for
everything you do in the field!
Have a good
Sabbath,
Mark Armstrong
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12/15/2006
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Greetings from Tyler,
We’ve been a little concerned as to whether we could even get this update out to you this week. With the violent weather and power outages in the northwest, and our unsuccessful attempts to reach Chris, we were afraid he might not be able to forward the update this week. But, here goes regardless.
The Garner Ted Armstrong program this week posted respectable numbers on our regular local and network affiliate stations. The offers this week were The Rapture in Prophecy (and of course there is no rapture in prophecy), Way of Escape and the booklet, Heaven on Earth. So far we’ve posted 508 responses with exactly two hundred first time contacts.
Reports indicate the continued popularity of our web sites, both EA and Church, with 12,309 logging on to the GTA site last week, and over half a million this year. November was the best month ever for the ICG web site logging over one thousand visitors per day—you can do the math!
Whenever I talk to friends in the field they always want to know how things are going in terms of income and support. I can tell you that December is shaping up to be a good month, and that we are prepared for the GTA television program to commence on national satellite and cable television beginning Thursday, January 4, at 6:30 a.m.EST. and that’s no small thing!
I’ve just completed a draft of next month’s letter, and delve into some detail on a number of important events that have transpired over the course of 2006. When you think deeply about the impact and important changes that have been brought about by events that have changed the status quo in important ways, it’s sobering to say the least! Not to undercut the letter, but think for a moment about the fact that the Muslim Middle East no longer regards Israel as a regional superpower, due to the perception that they lost that skirmish with Hizbollah in Lebanon. Of course that’s not exactly accurate. It’s about as accurate as saying that the U.S. “lost the war” in Iraq. Ridiculous.
But it seems absolutely true that Israel and the United States have lost the fear and respect of the whole world! And there are so many other things we could talk about, including Christmas. Well, the letter will be on its way early next week.
We’re pleased to have Mr. John Mitchell visiting us for the first time
from Sacramento, California. He’s done a great job with a fine group of
folks there, and also been a major asset at the Feast of Tabernacles in
Lake Tahoe. Last week we had Frank Scherich up from Austin, and we have
three sermon DVD’s ready to go in the mail! We hope all of you will have
a restful and safe Sabbath, in spite of some bad weather here and there.
Mark Armstrong
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12/09/2006
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Greetings from Tyler,
The new edition of the Intercontinental News has been printed and mailed. You should receive your copy within a matter of days now. We actually printed some 12,000 copies this time around, and will be sending it to five or six thousand of those who have responded to the GTA television program.
Our visit to Vienna, Illinois was terrific. We seem to have been just southeast of that miserable storm that swept across the country, and our travel and the meeting itself were unaffected. It was gratifying to meet and speak with eight or ten people who had never attended with us before. There were 52 in all, and the room (the regular meeting location for weekly services) was completely full. Although no other congregations were specifically asked to come, we did have a number of visitors who surprised us. It was great to get to see and visit with quite a number of friends we only get to see occasionally. The publicized theme of the meeting was America’s role in prophecy, and Dr. Ricks did an excellent job. I think he was very pleased with the outcome.
There have been some other special gatherings of note recently. Mike Garret was in Huntsville, Alabama last weekend and spoke before an enthusiastic crowd of nearly one hundred, I’m told. Chris Cumming was in Knoxville, Tn, on November 18, and in High Point, NC on Nov. 25, for special services and his now famous menu-driven Bible Studies. He had about 50 in Knoxville, and 72 in High Point. Everything was positive, and we appreciate Chris’ efforts as well as the participation of the people.
Please keep Mr. Bernie Bercosky in your prayers. He’s in the hospital for some tests, and is battling some recurring health problems. I spoke to both Lois and Bernie yesterday, and they are both in good spirits, but certainly hoping that Bernie’s situation will improve right away. He has been tireless in his efforts on behalf of our far-flung groups and congregations, and he is a tremendous asset to the church.
The long awaited report from the “Iraq Study Group” was released this week. It has been characterized as a “negotiate and surrender” document. It seems that most parties realize that a precipitous U.S. military departure would result in a catastrophe that ultimately would increase the influence of Iran and militant Islam throughout the region, and wind up as another huge terrorist stronghold.
The chorus I’m hearing throughout much of the media is that President G. W. Bush must admit failure. Nothing, the reasoning goes, can be accomplished until the President agrees with his critics that the war in Iraq was ill conceived from the start, and a total failure in the long run. How that would help, I’m not sure. The President is still in charge of foreign policy for the next two years, and it looks as though he’s in for a rough ride. It has become obvious to all credible observers that the violence in Iraq can never be quelled as long as Iran and Syria supply a never-ending stream of terrorists.
Even though U.S. troops have won every single engagement, as long as these people keep killing one another we are characterized as “losing the war”. It seems overly simplistic to a fault. With many of our leaders purporting to “speak for the American people”, it’s interesting to note that a vast majority of the American people are not qualified to even have an opinion. A poll this week reveals that 82% of the American people don’t even recognize the name of the Iraqi Prime Minister, which means they’ve paid scant attention to any news on the subject.
Obviously, Americans are not well informed enough to grasp the worldwide danger that is brewing in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the radical Islamic movement throughout the Middle East. There is a long term plan to destroy western culture and impose Islamic rule throughout the west! It is well documented, in the words of the terrorists themselves. Iran’s President threatened the “west” again this week. We must acknowledge their version of religion or “disappear”. He appears to revel in his brash threats, rarely letting more than a few days pass before issuing another statement more outrageous than the last.
A vast movement is afoot, setting the stage for the “King of the South” of Bible prophecy. Whether or not that turns out to be Iran, remains to be seen. There may yet be unexpected twists and turns as events play out. But there is no doubt that Iran is now the major player, as they labor to complete work on their nuclear program.
And there is deep social and economic ferment in Europe, having already succumbed to a vast Islamic infiltration. Europe now fears the Islamic population that has been allowed to take up residence. Both domestic and foreign policy decisions bear the mark of that fear.
As we’ve said time and again, America has lost its faith in God. It seems that we may also have lost the pride of our power. Any discussion about dealing with Iran is largely muted, on the basis that the United Nations, Europe and diplomats the world over, not to mention a great many Americans have no stomach for further conflict.
The analogy of Chamberlain’s appeasement of Hitler is being cited publicly from time to time. There is a very great concern that a similar path is being followed in regard to Iran and the radical Islamic movement. And, as far as I can see, there is nobody to play the role of Winston Churchill.
We
must continue to do our part, regardless of all that we see going on
around us. The Garner Ted Armstrong telecast brought in an excellent
response this week over our local and network affiliate stations. The
program was on Sabbath observance, and produced 568 requests overall,
with two hundred twenty nine first time callers. Speaking of the
Sabbath, we hope you’ll all have a great one! Mark Armstrong
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12/02/2006
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Greetings from HQ,
The deep freeze has arrived in East Texas and we’ve gone from shirtsleeve comfort to bitter cold overnight. My mom and I are scheduled to be in Vienna, IL with Dr. Ricks and his group this Sabbath. We hope that road conditions will allow us to drive the hundred miles to DFW airport in the morning.
The layout is complete for the Intercontinental News and it will run a total of twenty pages. It is in the proofing and correcting process and may be ready for printing by Monday, if not then Wednesday at the latest.
You’ve surely been aware of the president’s whirlwind trip to Eastern Europe and NATO headquarters in Brussels. He is reportedly asking for military assistance in Afghanistan where the Taliban has managed something of a resurgence.
President Bush emerged from discussions with Iraq’s Shiite Prime Minister Malaki in Jordan expressing confidence in his prospects for eventually gaining control of the vicious cycle of attacks back and forth between Sunni, Shiite and al Qaeda terrorists. Former Secretary of State Colin Powell embarrassed the Bush administration by making a public statement declaring that there is ongoing “civil war” in Iraq. Top generals on the ground dispute that assertion, saying that the tit for tat terrorist bombings do not fit the definition traditionally applied to the term.
ABC News has come out just today to expose “smoking gun evidence” that Iran is supplying newly manufactured weaponry to Shiite factions. You may have seen over recent days that Iran’s President Ahmadinejad scoffed at the notion that Iran is fueling the violence in Iraq. This little episode also exposes again the transparent treachery that Iran’s leadership relies upon in its dealings with the international community.
Iran is making tremendous strides in its influence in the Middle East. They clearly are carrying out their plans for Iraq. In Lebanon, the Iranian controlled Hezbolla is working to topple the weak government in Beirut with the stated intention of “electing” the weird holy man, Iranian puppet Nasrallah who was responsible for directing the “rocket war” against Israel last summer. It’s not a pretty picture.
Speaking of weird holy men, the pope just visited Turkey to make buddies with Christian Orthodox leaders, amid noisy protests about the “Mohammed quote” he made in Germany a couple of months ago. You may be aware of the debate over Turkey’s admittance into the European Union. With Turkey’s enormous radical Muslim population, and the increasing discomfort with the Muslim populations in Europe, acceptance into membership in the EU is looking like a long shot. Before he left Turkey, the pope visited a mosque, and mouthed some platitude about brotherhood with Muslims. Whatever.
This is the same type of “solution” that is about to be officially released here in the United States by the “Iraq study group.” We must engage the enemy in “constructive dialogue,” in spite of indisputable evidence that to the Iranians, diplomacy means audacious deceit as a means to buy time and build military strength, in this case nuclear weapons! President Bush needs our prayers and God’s help, and so does America if our kids are to enjoy anything resembling the life we’ve had.
I have results of the Garner Ted Armstrong TV program over the last two weeks. As you are probably aware, these are responses generated from our line-up of local independent and network affiliate stations. The program offered the Long Tradition… last week bringing 380 responses with one hundred twenty six first timers. This week the program was on the subject of the Sabbath and Sunday, bringing 340 calls with one hundred sixty seven new respondents.
Everything is running smoothly here at HQ and throughout the field as
well, from all reports. We have some new and exciting projects in the
works, but I’ll save that for later. We hope you all have a safe and
peaceful Sabbath.
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Letter from Mark Armstrong, 11/26/2006
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Greetings from Tyler,
The office is quiet today as most of our staff enjoys a restful Thanksgiving weekend. We had a beautiful Thanksgiving meal with extended family and friends out in a beautiful remote country setting. As I mentioned in the monthly letter, (completed and printed this week) Thanksgiving is the one religiously oriented national holiday that acknowledges the creator God without paying homage to the traditions of paganism. This nation has been blessed with freedom and prosperity on a scale that is unique in the world.
And yet, the principles of respect and obedience toward the Creator God, the very foundational values that made this country great are under attack from without and from within. It is not at all clear that a majority of Americans comprehend the mounting threat to this way of life for which we give thanks, despite overwhelming evidence.
America is disdained and despised by a vast majority throughout the world. Nevertheless, we fund a world body that works tirelessly to support and defend the most virulent of our enemies. All hope that our traditional allies will stand with us against the global Islamic jihad movement is out the window. America has become the world’s enemy, as is demonstrated on a consistent basis at the UN and in the arms deals that are playing out on the global stage.
I won’t depress you with further details on this otherwise joyous Thanksgiving weekend. We can appreciate our blessings and freedoms while recognizing that they have come at a great price to those who came before us and were willing to stand against great adversity to preserve ideals that are no longer revered as they once were. As we see our nation drift away from its heritage, it’s hard too see how our way of life can long survive the determined forces arrayed against it.
Results from this week’s Garner Ted Armstrong television program are not
yet complete, but will come in next week’s update. I hope all of you will
have a wonderful Sabbath in conjunction with this Thanksgiving weekend.
We’re scheduled to be with Dr. James Ricks in Vienna, Illinois for a
special meeting next Sabbath and I’ll be in touch with you before we
leave. From Headquarters, we also give thanks to, and for, all of you.
Mark Armstrong
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