My dear readers,

1. The "last days" are here

When the disciples asked the Lord: "…what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?" (Matt 24:3), our Lord’s answer was:

"Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places" (Matt 24:4-7).
Our attention is drawn to verse 6 which speaks of "wars and rumours of wars." Straits Times (June 7, 2014) on page A43, the news headlines speak of "Whiff of war in the air as territorial disputes escalate."

2. "Whiff of war in the air as territorial disputes escalate"
In the article by Mark Valencia, it says:
"When the political history of the 21st century is written, it might well trace the tipping point towards war in Asia to our present decade.

"Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong noted recently that war in Asia is ‘not impossible’ in the next 20 years if escalating regional tensions are not managed responsibly.

"Also, the Chairman of the United States Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Martin Dempsey, is on record as saying the risk of war in Asia will increase over the next 10 years as the US military’s technological edge over China erodes.

"Signs indicative of looming conflict are deepening distrust, vitriolic nationalistic exchanges, veiled threats and provocations.

"Let’s look at what has happened just recently.

3. The situation is not improving

"At last week’s Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel publicly scolded China for undertaking ‘destabilising unilateral actions’, and warned that ‘the United States will not look the other way when fundamental principles of the international order are being challenged’. He also supported Japan’s greater role in the security of the region.

"Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has drawn a parallel between Russia’s invasion of Crimea and China’s muscle-flexing in the East China Sea and South China Sea.

"China responded in kind. Referring to Mr Hagel’s remarks, its Deputy Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General Wang Guan-zhong, said ‘this speech is full of hegemony, full of incitements, threats and intimidation’.

"China’s actions in the East China Sea and South China Sea have certainly raised tensions.

"But the 2002 Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea is being violated by all claimants. The Philippines and Vietnam allege that China has acted contrary to the provision that the parties concerned should resolve their disputes by ‘peaceful means’ and ‘friendly consultations’.

"China responds that the Philippines has violated a hard-won provision in the Declaration which stipulates disputes should be resolved between ‘sovereign states directly concerned’, and that Vietnam might be on the verge of doing so as well.

"China views the actions by Vietnam and particularly the Philippines, a US ally, as provocations encouraged by Washington.

"China also sees Mr Hagel’s remarks as insulting and hypocritical. This is especially so in view of Washington’s almost daily drone and cyber strikes into sovereign states and its recent history of intervention in other countries.

"Mr Hagel’s speech included a warning that the US would ‘not tolerate any attempt to alter the status quo by force or coercion’. This was assumed to refer to China’s aggressive actions in relation to the Japan-China Senka-ku-Diaoyu dispute in the East China Sea …"

What do you think of all this?

China with a thousand million people will not bow to America easily.

Where, then, is our safety?

What do you say?

Yours faithfully in the Saviour’s Service,

Dr SH Tow, Sr Pastor