375 Star Light DriveFort Mill, SC 29715

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December 2008

Dear Friends,

To all of our new partners who have just started receiving this letter, please let me welcome you to our mission. Even though we are a mission and have definite objectives, we also believe that every part of the church is called to be a family first. For this reason, we seek to promote interchange, relationships, and fellowship between our partners and each other. I also write this letter to share behind-the-scenes details and to give you more insight into why we do things, not just what we’re doing.

I also typically focus these letters on what seems to be the main questions from our partners. My opinion on the recent elections has been requested the most, so that will be the main focus of this letter.

The Elections Even though the election of Barack Obama as Presi-

dent is considered a defeat by many evangelicals, we should all be very encouraged that our country elected an African-American as President. This reflects a remarkable transformation in America over the last half-century which is unprecedented in world history. What other nation has chosen a minority leader from a group that only represents 12 percent of its population? America has again shown extraordinary breakthrough leadership in the advancement of civilization and human relations. This is sure evidence that, as a nation, we are overcoming one of the most evil and devastating spiritual strongholds—racism. This should give us all cause for hope.

Although this is a big victory over the stronghold of racism, racism has not been defeated in America, and we can expect a major counterattack. However, it is encouraging that we elected someone from a minority, especially one that has been oppressed for so long. Obama was not elected because he is African-American—he ran the most effective campaign with great charisma and was obviously favored by circumstances due to the market meltdown. He was also able to read the mood of the country and then formulate the right strategy to get elected, which was impressive.

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However, all of this does not mean that he will also be a capable leader. If he succeeds or fails, it will not be because he is African-American, but because he is who he is. We need to keep that in mind, regardless of the things he does that we approve or disapprove of. The great prophetic vision that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. expressed was that people would not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

This election was not really about race. Obviously, the economy trumped all other issues. The Obama campaign seized this issue and imparted hope with very little substance, and they won on it. This shows the power of hope, which has a message that we must understand.

One of the greatest mistakes we, the church, have made is devoting far more attention to the signs of the end of the age rather than doing what the Lord indicated would be one of the most important signs—the preaching of the gospel of the kingdom. Gospel means “good news.” We have been given the greatest hope for the future that has ever been heard on the earth. It is not a shallow hope without real substance, but it is absolute, will come to pass, and can right now be one of the most powerful anchors for our souls.

The following is a brief summary of what I think the Obama Administration will mean for the U.S., starting with the natural and then the spiritual.

1) Reaction to the present economic emergency by the incoming Administration will cause even worse economic problems. I am certainly not hoping for this, but just think it is going to go that way.

2) The Republican Party will find its moorings and will emerge with renewed vision, focus, and popularity, gaining substantial seats in Congress in 2010. They will be positioned for a Reagan type hero candidate in 2012 who can lead the country back to believing in itself and regaining its leadership in the world.

3) Reaganomics will become popular and will be implemented again after 2012.

4) The U.S. economy will emerge after 2012 much stronger than it has been. Some of the serious weaknesses will get corrected, and the entire economy will be strengthened. This could include such things as moving away from a credit-based economy to a much healthier asset-based economy, balanced budgets, and so on, which would be my definition of a healthier economy. America will remain a primary engine for the world economy for some time to come.

5) The church in America will continue to revive and grow stronger by fastening itself even more to its biblical foundation, moving forward with much greater focus, vision, and power.

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Even if Obama had not been elected, the country would still go through some very tough times economically. It is also apparent that some of our basic moral moorings as a nation will be loosened by the Obama Administration, at least legally. The laws of a nation are important, but they may or may not reflect the true morality of a nation. Laws can affect behavior, but they do not change hearts. Therefore, I see this as the best opportunity that we have had in years to impact the heart of the nation.

The election of Obama, who stands for issues very contrary to those embraced by most Christians, is already working to strengthen the church. Though many are feeling depressed after the elections, there is also a growing resolve to unite and push back the expected onslaught against our moral values.

In short, many in the church are already waking up to the fact that the government is not going to do our jobs. We need to win the spiritual wars on the value of life, morality, and integrity. Passing Proposition 8 in three states was a big, important victory, but while this is a noble effort, we must do more than just try to legally define what a family is—we need to have strong families.

Passing laws have their place, but the spiritual battle which changes hearts is our real purpose as the church. We must not get distracted from our own domain, and we must fight with the weapons of our warfare which are not carnal but spiritual. If we learn to use these, we cannot lose.

At the same time, we must also care about people’s well-being in every way. The economy is important. In Scripture, poverty is a curse and prosperity is the blessing of God. The Scriptures make it clear that the Lord gives His people prosperity to enjoy but also to help those who are less fortunate. For this reason, we should always seek to heed the exhortation to “let your moderation be known unto all men” (see Philippians 4:5). America is going to learn a lot about moderation in the coming times, and this is a healthy thing. Recession is like the pruning of a tree—the unneeded branches are cut off as well as those which are not bearing fruit and are consuming the resources of the tree. We will come out of this, but we will also come out very differently. Jobs will be appreciated much more than they have been in the past, and efficiency will be valued much more.

McCain/Palin

The fact that the McCain/Palin ticket came as close as they did to victory against the odds they were facing is remarkable. The market crash did them in. It is likely they would have been elected if it were not for that. They were outspent 8 to 1 in the battleground states, with the most biased media coverage of an election possibly ever, had the weight of one of the most unpopular Administrations from their own party in office, and the economy was tanking, With so much against them, it is truly

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remarkable that they came as close as they did to winning. It is also a revelation and message that the winners should be aware of. They came far from an overwhelming mandate, but they did get the victory. They are our leaders, and we should not only pray for them, but honor them with the dignity and respect our leaders deserve.

It is also obvious that Sarah Palin is going to be a major force on the national level and could well be our first woman President. There is a reason why liberals, the liberal media, and the Democratic Party continue to attack her so ruthlessly, even after the election—they obviously sense the threat that she is. They can and will hurt her in every way that they can, but this will ultimately strengthen her. I think she will be a major force for a long time to come, and should be.

Personal Input

When I was asked to spend some time with one of the Republican Presidential candidates early in the primaries, I tried to convey to him that the economy would be the number one issue. It did not get through to him. At the time, the sub-prime crisis had not yet become an issue, and the economy did not yet seem to be on anyone’s radar screen. I asked him to find out why the Feds had stopped publishing the M-1 money supply each week, which I felt would awaken him to the fact that something was going seriously awry.

This candidate was not running in order to save the economy, which I could appreciate. His heart, and reason for running, was because of his passion for pro-life issues. I agree that this is a more important issue, but I also knew that the candidate that seized the economy as the main issue would win the election. I was right, but not able to help. Our economic problems are so severe that they will continue to be a main issue for years to come. I’m praying for a pro-life, pro-family candidate that can win because he or she can provide leadership in the other important areas as well, especially those that are needed to win the election.

If you have been with us long, you know I began writing about these issues some time ago. Sometimes the Lord puts me in places where I can speak to those in positions of influence, and I’ve learned that most of the time it is to help us avoid serious problems, even disasters. However, I’ve learned that people in positions of influence do not want to hear about the potential for problems, especially when things are going so well at the time. It is very hard being a watchman at times.

The lack of willingness to address problems before they are upon us is also very true in the church. Many believe that to even talk about negative issues, especially potential ones, will be used by the devil to empower them and bring them to pass. We are told in Proverbs that “death and life are in the power of the tongue” (see Proverbs 18:21). We also have biblical examples, even from the Lord Jesus Himself, that most often prophecy is used for warning about problems or catastrophes so that God’s people can prepare for or avoid them.

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Pray for Our Leaders We should all want our new President to succeed for the sake of the country. I

for one will be praying for him and his Administration every day. I also believe that Obama, though he has been the most liberal senator and does lean far to the left, has been getting an education through the process, and is basically a pragmatic person. I do not think he is a secret Muslim, and after reading his books, I felt that he was a sincere Christian, though a very superficial one. I say this because of things which he wrote about his faith that are in conflict with the basics of the Christian faith. However, like it or not, this is not uncommon with even those who have turned out to be great heroes of the faith in history. Even so, it is not good that there is so much superficiality in the church or the nation. Our nation votes more on an emotional level than from a depth of understanding, and the average Christian is still very superficial in their understanding. This can and will change. Both the nation and the church are crying out for more understanding which should be our resolve.

I Corinthians 13 compels us to believe the best about people, not the worst. I pray and hope for the best about President-elect Obama and his Administration. I have resolved that if anyone holds to the basic doctrines about the atonement of the cross and the authority of Jesus, then I will accept him or her as a brother or sister. That does not mean I will trust that person. I could also understand why many Christians might doubt Obama’s Christianity because of some of his beliefs. We do have to consider what the Scriptures warned about “false brethren.” Even so, I do believe that he is a sincere Christian, even if he has a superficial understanding of the faith. I also believe he has sincere intentions, even if some of his methods and actions seem contrary.

Right now many who voted for Obama are afraid. We really do not know him, and he has not done anything in the past that would give encouragement about what he will do in the future. Having never led anything of consequence before, and then being thrust into the most difficult leadership position possibly on earth in very difficult times, is something that even his supporters are being sobered by. I will pray for him daily so that he will have the wisdom and resolve to do well. I also think that there has not been a better time in our lifetime to seize the high ground of hope for the future. We must start preaching the gospel, the good news, instead of just threatening with more fear by preaching judgment. This does not mean that warnings of judgment are not needed when given, but the message from God at the end of this age is one of hope, the greatest hope ever—the gospel of the kingdom.

I will be discussing issues such as these in video and written Special Bulletins posted on our website, if you are interested in going into these subjects in more depth. My goal is to help the church become the most informed and understanding of all. If we are going to be the light of the world, we must be those who understand and can point the way through the darkness.

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Heritage Towers Refirement Center Update

It seems that we hit the sweet spot on this project. Active Adult Communities (AAC) have suddenly become possibly the only growth industry in real estate, and the recent turmoil seems to have given it even far more impetus. We have not yet begun to market this project, and we already have reservations for about half of the units. It seems that seniors, more than ever, now want to be a part of a community, and Christian AAC’s are the most desirable of all. We think the Heritage Towers Refirement Center is not only going to be the best of all, but the best value as well by quite a margin. Having a core building worth $11 to $15 million gives us a lot of equity, which allows us to pass on the savings.

We have submitted our site plan to the county, so the ball is now in their court. We’re hoping to get permits to begin construction soon, at least within the next few months. Once we get the permits, the actual construction should go quickly.

One of the things we are also doing to help people cope with the present economic stress is opening up approximately 25 percent of the HIM rooms for long-term housing at very affordable rates. We are hoping that some who are planning to move into Heritage Towers can come be a part of our community. If you hold a reservation for one of the units, you will be hearing more about this in the future.

We are Getting Stronger

Churches and ministries are also suffering greatly at this time. Many have lost up to 60 percent of their support because of the financial crisis. We have only lost about 6 percent. For that we are thankful and encouraged, because this indicates that our partners are on a stronger foundation and are still operating in faith, not fear. When things are difficult, it is the greatest opportunity to demonstrate faith.

As David Yarnes recently pointed out, in Genesis 26, Isaac sowed during the time of famine and reaped a hundredfold. Those who have the most faith reap the most, and sowing during a time of hardship demonstrates much more faith than sowing when everything is going well. The Lord was so impressed by the poor widow who gave her last two mites to God that she was memorialized in Canon Scripture (see Mark 12:42-44). I know many of you must be facing issues and fears like everyone else, but this obviously has not affected your devotion to supporting us. This means even more to us now, and I’m sure it does to the Lord. Thank you. For this reason I am even more confident that you will not be a victim of the times but a part of God’s solution for them. I also continue to pray that you will be a demonstration of II Corinthians 9:6-15

because you are obviously the generous ones spoken about in those verses.

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As I do each month, I pray the blessing of II Corinthians 9:6-15 over your offering:

Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.

Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything, you may have an abundance for every good deed;

as it is written,

“HE SCATTERED ABROAD,

HE GAVE TO THE POOR,

HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS ABIDES FOREVER.”

Now He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food, will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness;

you will be enriched in everything for all liberality, which through us is producing thanksgiving to God.

For the ministry of this service is not only fully supplying the needs of the saints, but is also overflowing through many thanksgivings to God.

Because of the proof given by this ministry they will glorify God for your obedience to your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for the liberality of your contribution to them and to all,

while they also, by prayer on your behalf, yearn for you because of the surpassing grace of God in you.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!

Have a great holiday season. I hope to see many of you at our New Year’s Conference, which is shaping up to be an important time devoted to seeking the Lord for understanding of the times and for knowing what to do in them. There is information about this conference with this letter, but if you cannot attend, consider webstreaming it at www.MorningStarMinstries.org. It is going to be a powerful time.

Yours in Him,

Rick Joyner