The rise of the Chinese dragon

China is pursuing an enormous military buildup on both land and sea.

"There has been much discussion and speculation in recent commentary over China's rapid maritime rise and strategy for dominating large swaths of the Pacific...China's naval buildup will soon give Beijing the means to use military force to back up its expansive territorial claims to essentially the entire Yellow Sea, East China Sea and South China Sea" (Robert O'Brien, "Ensuring China's Peaceful Rise," The Diplomat, Nov. 18, 2011).

A Financial Times piece titled "A Show of Force" was summarized in the table of contents in these words: "Beijing's assertive policing of its sphere of influence is fuelling fears of a growing hold over foreign policy of a hawkish and increasingly well-equipped army" (Sept. 29, 2011). A few months earlier, another Financial Times piece addressed increasing military and infrastructural cooperation between China and Pakistan. As the drophead stated, "Concerns are growing about the extent of Beijing's influence on Islamabad" ("China and Pakistan: An Alliance Is Built," June 30, 2011). This development comes at a time when America's influence on Pakistan is sharply declining.

How will these events play out in the end time? The "beast" power and ruler (mentioned earlier in this feature), supported by 10 European nations or groups of nations, is also referred to in Scripture as the "king of the North" (Daniel 11:40). After vanquishing the "king of the South," "news from the east and the north" troubles the king of the North.

Revelation 9:13-16 depicts an eastern army of 200 million people that unleashes great devastation on mankind. Later we read of "the kings [leaders] from the east" crossing the Euphrates River en route to Armageddon (the area of Megiddo) in the land of Israel (Revelation 16:12, 16). The greater part of this massive army may come from the Far East, most likely from China, India and other Asian nations.

These end-time prophecies are all part of the climactic events leading up to the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Syria's Assad Threatens to Rain Missiles on Tel Aviv

Bashar al-Assad tightens his grip on his power, threatening attacks on Israel if outside intervention is taken to stop him.

With the death of Muammar Gaddafi in Libya, things have gotten terribly uncomfortable for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—and his worry has led to serious threats.

Gaddafi was the latest Middle East dictator to fall in the wave of the Arab Spring. Fighting against his own people helped to bring NATO forces in to support the revolutionaries. Assad, who has violently clamped down on his own nation, fears similar intervention in Syria.

In early October, the Syrian leader threatened to set fire to the Middle East by striking Israel, stating in a meeting with the foreign minister of Turkey, a NATO member, “If a crazy measure is taken against Damascus, I will need no more than six hours to transfer hundreds of rockets and missiles to the Golan Heights to fire them at Tel Aviv” (quoted in “Report: Assad Threatens to Attack Tel Aviv in Case of NATO Strike,” Ynet News, Oct. 4, 2011).

He further “stressed that Damascus will also call on Hezbollah in Lebanon to launch a fierce rocket and missile attack on Israel, one that Israeli intelligence could never imagine. ‘All these events will happen in three hours, but in the second three hours, Iran will attack US warships in the Persian Gulf as American and European interests will be targeted simultaneously,’ Assad reportedly said” (ibid.).

According to the intelligence and security news service DEBKA file: “Israel reacted with a warning of its own: If a single Syrian missile explodes in Tel Aviv, Damascus will be first to pay the price, and if the missile offensive persists, one Syrian town after another will be destroyed. The Israeli message to Assad cited the warnings Defense Minister Ehud Barak and other government members addressed in the past year to Hizballah, that if Tel Aviv comes under attack from its missiles, not only Beirut but all of Lebanon would go up in flames. Assad was given to understand that Syria would go the same way as Lebanon if it engaged in missile belligerence against Israel” (“Turkish Military Exercise on Syrian Border. Assad Threatens Tel Aviv if Attacked,” Oct. 4, 2011).

Some see the building tensions as leading up to the fulfillment of a prophecy in Isaiah 17:1

: “Damascus will cease from being a city, and it will be a ruinous heap” (Isaiah 17:1

). The fulfillment of this prophecy is clearly yet future, as Damascus, while it has been overthrown in the past, has never ceased from being a city. (In fact, it’s reputedly the oldest continually inhabited city in the world.)

But the timing and cause of this destruction are not clear. While it could conceivably result from an Israeli retaliatory strike, there are reasons from other prophecies to place the destruction of Damascus in the same context as the judgment on others of Israel’s neighbors during the period of the Day of the Lord, just prior to Christ’s return.

In any case, a massive attack on Tel Aviv would certainly set the Middle East on fire—a fire that could well devastate Damascus and the rest of Syria.

The Perfect Recipe for Answered Prayer

“Lord, teach us to pray…” (Luke 11:1).

What if God really answered your prayers? Close your eyes right now and imagine what that would look like. Many of us don’t pray because we don’t know how or we don’t think God will answer. But not only does God want to answer your prayers, He has given you tips on how to get answers to your prayers. Think of it like your favorite recipe: 2 parts sugar, 1 part flour, etc. The great news is that you have all the ingredients for answered prayer in your heart. Jesus repeatedly taught that what God cares about is the genuineness of your heart, not religious rituals or words. Listen to this story He told to prove it:

Two Very Different Men: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

This month, let’s practice cooking with God’s recipe for answered prayer. Just like the tax collector, God isn’t waiting for you to be perfect to answer your prayers; He just wants you to be humble and honest. This is His promise to us: “Then if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14). George from Facebook said, “I battled for several years to stop taking alcohol to no avail, but at the end of this year, I prayed and fasted and the urge for addiction has vanished.” God wants to answer your requests, just like He did for George!

Year of the Lord's Favor

“He has sent me to tell those who mourn that the time of the LORD's favor has come” (Isaiah 61:2)

Are you broken-hearted, held captive, or depressed? Then this word from God is for you:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me, for the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to comfort the brokenhearted and to proclaim that captives will be released and prisoners will be freed. He has sent Me to tell those who mourn that the time of the Lord’s favor has come, and with it, the day of God’s anger against their enemies. To all who mourn in Israel, He will give a crown of beauty for ashes, a joyous blessing instead of mourning, festive praise instead of despair. In their righteousness, they will be like great oaks that the Lord has planted for His own glory (Isaiah 61:1-3)

2012 can be a year of hope, not of failing. 2011 might have dealt you some blows—it did for the whole world—but God is the God of rebuilding. What is it in your life that needs rebuilding? Maybe it’s a past wound you can’t get over; a relationship that left you on the floor; or a worrisome situation so scary that it keeps you up at night. For me it has been feeling not good enough and worrying about my future. These things are like jailers that keep us captive, locked up from experiencing the vibrant life God has for us.

Imagine Jesus as the hero with the key to let you out of your jail. He said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Many of the things you have gone through have been a purposeful attempt to steal from you—rob you of joy, confidence, and love—but Jesus came to restore it all back to you. Where love was stolen from you, He wants to give it back; where depression has held you down, He wants to help you up; and where addictions have kept you in shame, He wants to free you.

You just have to reach up and ask. God said, “If you look for Me wholeheartedly, you will find Me” (Jeremiah 29:13). That’s a promise. He doesn’t hide Himself from anyone, and He’s sending this message to you today to give you a glimpse of a better life. So please begin this New Year with hope from God. He has come to set you free.

Let’s take a moment and ask God that:

• 2012 will truly be the Year of the Lord’s Favor
• He would help us look to Him for the great things He has for us
• Global Media Outreach would help bring freedom to the captive this year

Begin the Year of the Lord’s Favor with the rest of the GodLife Community on Facebook We will send you inspiring promises from God, encouragement from other believers, and amazing stories of how God can work in people’s lives. Join by clicking “Like”!

What to Do when Your Gift Arrives

“Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” (Jesus, Luke 17:18)

Have you ever had a gift you wanted so badly for so long, but once you got it, you didn’t even care? That’s how people can be sometimes. The day I got a new iPad, I was the happiest girl in the world. I thought my life had changed. Then days later, it was at the bottom of a pile in my room. I wasn’t that thankful.

God doesn’t want us to be like that. He is looking for people that will come back and thank Him when they get their long-awaited gift. Listen to this story of ten lepers who Jesus healed:

As He entered a village there, ten lepers stood at a distance, crying out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us! He looked at them and said, “Go show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed of their leprosy. One of them, when he saw that he was healed, came back to Jesus, shouting, “Praise God!” He fell to the ground at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him for what He had done. This man was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Didn’t I heal ten men? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?” And Jesus said to the man, “Stand up and go. Your faith has healed you” (Luke 17:12-19)

10 were healed, but only 1 said thank you. Which one will you be? You can decide to be thankful in advance, actually—even before your gift comes. Mary and Elizabeth, the mothers of Jesus and John the Baptist are great examples. While they were still pregnant, they both glorified God, thanking Him for what was promised to them. Here’s what they said:

Mary: “How my spirit rejoices in God my Savior! For He took notice of His lowly servant girl, and from now on all generations will call me blessed” (Luke 1:47,48)

Elizabeth: “How kind the Lord is!” she exclaimed. “He has taken away my disgrace of having no children” (Luke 1:25)

They didn’t even have their promise totally fulfilled yet, but they both praised the Lord and were deeply thankful in advance. I want to be like that, and I want you to be like that too. It just takes some planning and mind-setting while we wait. As we celebrate the birth of our long-awaited Savior, can we also set our hearts to be grateful to God for what’s to come? Let’s be like Mary and Elizabeth, who glorified God while the baby was still in their womb. God has great plans for us in 2012.

So this Christmas week, let’s pray together that:

• We will rest in peace and glorify God for what He will bring us in 2012
• We will be deeply grateful when our gifts finally do come
• Global Media Outreach would rejoice in the great things God is doing

Merry Christmas! God loves you!

Discover the Power of Expectation

“’Do I bring to the moment of birth and not give delivery?’ says the LORD. ‘Do I close up the womb when I bring to delivery?’ says your God” (Isaiah 66:9)

“Are you expecting?” That’s what people ask a pregnant woman. There are 9 months between the conception and long-awaited birth of a child, and God did it that way on purpose. Why would He make a woman wait through 9 months of pregnancy? It might be the same reason He makes you wait from the conception of your promise and the time when it finally arrives…

Expectancy Prepares the Way for the Promise. It is the graciousness of God that a woman does not have a crying baby on her hands right after conception. Can you imagine? Whaaaaaa! cries the baby, begging to be fed and nurtured by a woman totally unprepared. But during those 9 months, she has the time to plan what kind of mother she’ll be and rearrange her life for her unborn baby. Could it be that God has given you this waiting period to develop into the person who can handle His coming promise?

The Greatest Birth Right before Jesus came to give salvation, the world was pregnant with the hope of a Savior that God had promised thousands of years earlier. And this is what God told the people during their time of expectation:

A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 40:3-5)

What is the terrain of your heart? Mountains might be prideful areas that cause you not to see; valleys might be weaknesses you think you can’t get past. But God is working in your life to smooth out the road of your heart to receive the amazing things He has for you! “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love Him" (I Corinthians 2:9). Take this time He is giving you to prepare your heart for His promise—so that it will bring Him glory and you joy.

For Example Say you believe God has promised you to be very successful in business. What are you going to do with all your wealth when it comes? Hoard it, or use it to build His kingdom? You decide now how you will be and can prepare by being generous with whatever you have. Or say you are waiting for God to give you a spouse. You can decide now what kind of spouse you will be (a loving, selfless one or a selfish, brittle one) and dedicate your future marriage to the Lord. What is your example? Take a moment and think about it.

God has NOT forgotten you. Listen to what He says to you today: “God is not a man, so He does not lie. He is not human, so He does not change his mind. Has He ever spoken and failed to act? Has He ever promised and not carried it through?” (Numbers 23:19). He wants you to be well-prepared for His promise. You can use this time He has given you to prepare for the amazing future He has for you!

So this week, let’s all pray together that:

• We would be prepared for the great promises God has for us
• We would not get discouraged, but know that God WILL perform what He has promised
• Global Media Outreach would get prepared for the great things God has for us to do

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How God Wants to Help You Receive Your Promise

“By faith these people overthrew kingdoms, ruled with justice, and received what God had promised them” (Hebrews 11:33)

Just Keep Swimming. When I was little, my parents made me go to swimming lessons. I was so afraid that I got sick to my stomach every time I stood in front of the pool. But I had a nice coach who wanted to give me the accomplishment of swimming the entire pool. It was so long! There was no way I thought I could do it, but here’s what he would do: He would stand in the shallow-end of the pool and invite me in. “Just swim to me,” he said. Ok, that I can do. But then he would move back a little farther. “Just keep swimming, Amy. Don’t stop paddling.” I swam a little more. He kept doing this until suddenly I was at the end. I was so amazed—I never dreamed I could do that! He helped me the entire way with his closeness, the promise of his reach to save me, his encouraging voice saying, “Just keep swimming.”

That’s what faith is. It is the continual reach to get something great. Try this with me now, even though it seems a little silly: Reach out your hand as far as it will go, as if for something just at the edge of your grasp. I want you to remember that feeling as we read about one unlikely woman’s amazing reach of faith:

As Jesus went with him, He was surrounded by the crowds. A woman in the crowd had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding, and she could find no cure. Coming up behind Jesus, she touched the fringe of His robe. Immediately, the bleeding stopped. “Who touched Me?” Jesus asked. Everyone denied it, and Peter said, “Master, this whole crowd is pressing up against You.” But Jesus said, “Someone deliberately touched Me, for I felt healing power go out from Me.” When the woman realized that she could not stay hidden, she began to tremble and fell to her knees in front of Him. The whole crowd heard her explain why she had touched Him and that she had been immediately healed. “Daughter,” He said to her, “your faith has made you well. Go in peace.”

Jesus said it was her faiththat made her well, showing how much God values faith. Imagine this woman’s obstacles: all the crowds, the larger men, the people who disdained her because of her sickness, and the countless disappointments of failed cures. But to push through the crowds, bear the shame, and reach out to Jesus, she had to believe that what was on the end of her reach was worth it: that Jesus had the power no one else had. This is the essence of faith. “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

Maybe you’ve been treading water awhile in the pool of your promise. You haven’t quite given up, but you don’t feel you have the strength to keep paddling. God wants to help you today. Just like my swim coach was there to help me if I got tired or scared, God is near you to uphold you and encourage you to keep going. 2 Timothy 2:13 says, “If we are faithless, He remains faithful— for He cannot deny Himself.”

God wants you to know today that He is faithful when you are faithless, and He wants to help get you to the other side to receive your promise. Reach out today and tell Him, “Help! I want to keep kicking. Please give me Your strength.”

So this week, let’s all pray together—for ourselves and each other—that:

• God would renew the vision of the promise He has given us
• We would reach out to God to receive His strength to keep going in faith
• Global Media Outreach would reach those we haven’t been able to reach before

Why don’t you post about the promise you are believing for at the GodLife Prayer Wall? We can all pray for each other and see God help us as a united group get to the other side

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