A selection of the week's happenings for your prayers.
Society & Politics
- London Mayor questioned over street preacher arrest: Sadiq Khan has been questioned over the way preacher Olu Ilesanmi was arrested and treated by police, in an incident which was videoed and went viral on social media. Read more here. Christian Concern has described the Mayor’s response as ‘unclear’. Sign their petition to protect the freedom of street preachers here.
- Home Office denied Iranian Christian entry due to his faith: An Iranian asylum-seeker who had converted from Islam to Christianity has been denied entry to Britain because the Home Office disagreed with his assertion that Christianity is a peaceful religion. Read more here.
- Primark changing rooms go gender-neutral: The fast-fashion chain will start with gender-neutral facilities in two shops, but the decision is sparking backlash from customers. Research shows that the vast majority of harassment and assault incidents in public sports facilities occur in unisex changing rooms. Read more here.
- RCP drops opposition to assisted suicide: The Royal College of Physicians has declared a ‘neutral’ position on assisted suicide, after a controversial poll of its members failed to gain a two-thirds majority in favour of continued opposition. Read more here and here.
World Scene
- Western nations reject UN Israel-bashing: Anti-Israel bias has been on display at the UN again this week, with a number of Israel-bashing resolutions and agenda items at the UNHRC. In a major policy change, EU members including Britain voted against Agenda Item 7, the permanent agenda item which singles out Israel uniquely for disproportionate and distorted criticism. Read more here and here.
- Sweden and France join to tackle prostitution: The two countries are collaborating in an effort to persuade other European countries to criminalise paying for sex. Read more here.
- Boko Haram murders 300 believers since February – 72 others delivered: The genocide of Nigerian Christians by Muslim Fulani herdsmen has not been publicised in the Western press, although Labour MP Kate Hoey has spoken out. The Barnabas Fund reports here on the latest spate of slaughters – and here on the divine deliverance of 72 Boko Haram hostages.
Israel & Middle East
- Trump tweets recognition of Golan: The US President has announced via social media that it is time for the USA to ‘fully recognise’ Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Read more here. Also this week, UNIFIL has finally acknowledged the existence of six ‘terror tunnels’ in southern Lebanon near the Israeli border, though as yet it has not declared who built them. Read more here.
- Gaza’s Arab Spring? Hamas continues its violent crack-down on Gazans protesting its rule. Read more here. Some commentators have suggested that Gaza might be experiencing its own Arab Spring. Heightened tensions between Israel and Hamas have led the latter to call off its weekly border protest for the first time in nearly a year. Read more here. An all-out conflict may well be on the horizon – read more here.
- Ariel terror attacks leave two dead, one injured: A Palestinian Arab shot and stabbed to death a 19-year-old IDF sergeant and a civilian father-of-12 in an attack near the Samarian town of Ariel, north of Jerusalem. Another 19-year-old soldier was also seriously wounded. Read more here.
Upcoming Events
- A Day of Prayer in Westminster: Friday 29 March (Brexit Day). The Emmanuel Centre. Organised by Issachar Ministries. With Dr Clifford Hill, David Hathaway and others. Click here to watch the promotional video. Click here for more information and to book tickets.
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.
