A selection of the week's happenings for your prayers.
Society & Politics
- Ex-magistrate Richard Page loses appeal: Page, who was dismissed from his post for privately expressing the opinion that children do best with a mother and a father, has had his claim of religious discrimination rejected. His Christian beliefs were not deemed the problem, but the fact that he expressed them. Page, supported by the Christian Legal Centre, will appeal the decision. Read more here.
- Home Office to allow heroin distribution centre: The Government has given the green light for a centre in Middlesbrough where addicts will be encouraged to give up heroin by being given managed doses. Read more here.
- Cambridge Uni in anti-Semitism row: The university invited the famously anti-Semitic Malaysian Prime Minister, Mahathir Mohamad, to speak at its Union. During the talk he made an anti-Semitic remark, to audience laughter. Read more here.
- Mermaids data breach: Radical trans group Mermaids has allowed 1,000 pages of emails to be dumped online, including personal communications with parents, sensitive details about children and contact details. Read more here.
- Academics protest Stonewall: In an open letter to the Sunday Times, more than 30 academics have called for LGBTQ+ lobby group Stonewall to stop stifling academic freedoms. Read more here.
Church Issues
- Church of Wales repents for anti-Semitism: Bishops issued a statement recanting any prior anti-Jewish sentiment. The denomination has also signed up to the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism. Read more here.
World Scene
- Christian bakers win at Supreme Court: The US Supreme Court has rejected a state ruling against Oregon bakers Aaron and Melissa Klein, who refused to make a wedding cake for a lesbian couple. Read more here. Also this week, the Supreme Court ruled to protect a Maryland war memorial cross from humanists seeking to remove it because of its religious connotations. Read more here.
- UN announces record numbers of refugees: 2018 statistics from the UN suggest that worldwide there are nearly 71 million people who have been forcibly displaced by war, persecution and violence, a 65% increase in a decade. Read more here.
- 13 more Christians slaughtered in Nigeria: Attacks by Fulani herdsmen this week claimed the lives of more than a dozen believers, including three children, with another lady kidnapped and many houses burned down. Read more here.
Israel & Middle East
- Iran shoots down US drone: On Thursday a US drone was shot down by Iranian forces, in what the US has called an ‘unprovoked attack’ in international airspace. The attack is the latest in a series of provocations from Iran that have escalated tensions with the USA. Read more here. Also this week, Israel has conducted its largest military drill in two years, simulating war with Iran-backed Hezbollah.
- US ‘economic vision’ for Middle East to be unveiled: The first stage of the US’s long-awaited Middle East peace plan will be unveiled this coming week in Bahrain, at an economic workshop involving several Arab countries, but neither Israel nor the Palestinian Authority. Read more here. Earlier this week, the international nuclear watchdog IAEA has signed an agreement to recognise Palestine as a state, as the PA continues its push to gain support from key international actors. Read more here.
Events
- International Christian Consulate touring churches (15-21 July): The ICC will be sharing with churches and groups about God’s work amongst persecuted Christian refugees and asylum-seekers in Greece. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for an opportunity to connect, learn and get involved. Find out more about the ICC here.
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 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)
For regular news briefings about Israel, the Jewish News Syndicate is also recommended.
