A selection of recent happenings to aid your prayers.
Society & Politics
- Al Quds rally to happen Sunday, London: Despite attempts to persuade the Home Secretary to ban the controversial rally, it will go ahead on Sunday. Click here to email Sajid Javid about the issue, or see our Events section (below) for details of a counter-rally.
- Abortion debate a devolved issue: After a debate in Parliament this week, the Government has reaffirmed its position that abortion is an issue for Stormont, not Westminster. The Supreme Court has also dismissed an attempt to challenge the legality of Northern Ireland’s abortion law. However, MPs are stepping up their bid to impose a nationwide ban on prayer vigils outside abortion clinics.
- Top judge applauds family breakdown: Sir James Munby, currently President of the Family Division of the High Court and Head of Family Justice in England and Wales, has said we should ‘applaud’ the shift away from the nuclear family. He is due to retire shortly. Read more here.
Church Issues
- Christ at the Checkpoint invites dissenting voice: Charismatic speaker Dr Michael Brown was invited to this year’s ‘Christ at the Checkpoint’ conference as a lone voice speaking up in Israel’s defence. His report is worth reading. CATC is an annual Christian pro-Palestinian conference.
World Scene
- Colorado baker wins case: Christian baker Jack Phillips, who objected to making a cake for a gay wedding, won his appeal in the US Supreme Court this week, where the initial ruling was criticised as hostile and antagonistic towards his religious beliefs. However, the Supreme Court judgment didn’t go as far as some hoped.
- New York and Sao Paulo celebrate Israel: 40,000 gathered in Times Square on Sunday to celebrate Israel’s 70th anniversary in the 54th ‘Celebrate Israel’ parade. Meanwhile, millions of Christians attending the annual ‘March for Jesus’ in Sao Paulo, Brazil, have been cheering Israel and praying for the Jewish state. Read more here.
- Secret genocide of Myanmar Christians: Thousands of Kuchin Christians are reported to have been killed by the Burmese military in Buddhist-majority Myanmar, with a significant increase in attacks since January. Read more here.
Israel & Middle East
- Hamas playing with fire: Fresh incendiary kite attacks from Gaza this week have caused the worst fires to date in southern Israel, devastating farmland and a nature reserve, and threatening a highway and college. Officials say that since the start of the protests, more than 600 kites have been launched – 350 of which have been downed by drones but others starting some 250 fires, destroying 4,300 acres of land. Read more here.
- Iran to hike nuclear enrichment: Iran has issued new threats this week, threatening to contravene the nuclear deal within weeks if the crisis is not resolved. Read more here and here. Meanwhile, an investigation has shown that the Obama administration did its utmost to help Iran sidestep the deal’s sanctions after they were put in place in 2015. Read more here.
- Gaza protests set to spike again: After last week’s flare-up of rocket attacks, border protests are set to spike again this Friday (8 June), which is the last Friday of Ramadan and so-called ‘Quds’ Day. The IDF is preparing for a potentially high number of casualties. Read more here.
Upcoming Events
- Al Quds counter-rally (Central London): Sunday 10 June, 3-6pm. Organised by the Zionist Federation. Click here for more information. Please have the demonstrators in your prayers if you cannot attend.
- Moedim meeting (London): *date change* now 22 June, 6:30-9:30pm, All Soul's Clubhouse, London. Join Steve Maltz and Richard Teideman for their 'Head of the Month' Hebraic roots meeting. Click here to find out more.
Recommended Sources
At Prophecy Today UK we are aware that the world is moving very quickly and it is difficult to keep up with all the latest developments – especially when the material circulated by our mainstream media is increasingly far from reality and definitely not devoted to a biblical perspective!
Though we are not a news service, we want to help keep you informed by passing on updates and reports as we are led. This will be a selective, not an exhaustive, round-up, which we hope will be helpful for your prayers. Click here to browse our News archive.
We also recommend the following news services for regular updates from a Christian perspective:
- Christian Concern (UK)
- Christian Institute (UK)
- JNN News (Barry and Batya Segal, Israel)
- Worthy News (Israel)
- Family Watch International
- Barnabas Fund
- Kehila News (Israel)
