Society & Politics

• Brexit talks heading for weekend showdown. Following months of negotiation stalemates, a deal between Britain and the EU was close to being signed this week. But negotiations took a step backwards on Thursday after furious French lobbying pushed the EU to make late demands. State aid rules and access to Britain's rich fishing waters for European trawlers are the remaining sticking points that could scupper an agreement. The two sides are trying to make headway again this weekend, ahead of an unofficial Monday deadline reportedly pencilled in by Downing Street. Read more here. At a time when minds are focused on matters relating to a Covid vaccination, Christians are urged to pray that God’s will be done regarding this deeply significant issue, one that is likely to determine Britain’s future for many years to come.
• One in five Brits don't have confidence in new Covid vaccine. A YouGov study of Brits found that just 27 per cent of respondents are very confident in the vaccine being rolled out across the UK. Of the respondents, 43% said they were fairly confident it is safe, but 11% were not very confident and 9% not confident at all. 44% oppose it becoming legally compulsory for all people in Britain to get vaccinated against Covid-19. The survey also said that 66% back the idea of Health Secretary Matt Hancock being vaccinated live on TV! A second poll found that 17% would refuse the jab, rising to 31% of those aged 25 to 34.
• High Court rules to protect children from ‘life changing’ trans drugs. The landmark High Court ruling made clear that children with gender dysphoria should not receive controversial puberty blockers unless they understand the risks. Judges said it was “highly unlikely” children 13 and under could ever genuinely consent to hormone blockers, and “very doubtful” 14 and 15 year olds could do so. The ruling added: “There will be enormous difficulties in a child under 16 understanding and weighing up this information and deciding whether to consent to the use of puberty blocking medication”. Read more here. As a result of the ruling, the NHS was quick to announce the immediate suspension of new referrals for puberty blockers and cross-sex hormones for under-16s.

Church Issues

• Christian medical experts insist the Covid vaccine is not the Mark of the Beast. It was announced on Wednesday that the UK has become the first country in the world to approve the Covid-19 vaccine from Pfizer and BioNTech, paving the way for vaccination to start within the next few days. The Government has secured 40 million doses of the vaccine, with 10 million due in the UK by the end of the year. The Christian Medical Fellowship (CMF) has warned against people refusing to take a Covid-19 vaccine due to scepticism about the jab, insisting that out of all medical technologies, vaccines have had the biggest positive impact on human health. Catholic Bishops in England and Wales have also stated their cautious approval of taking the AstraZeneca vaccine.
• 97% of conservative Christians backed Trump for president. A newly released survey reveals that Donald Trump received overwhelming support from conservative Christians in November's US presidential election, receiving a staggering 97% of conservative Christian votes. While many reasons were cited, 60% noted Trump's position on abortion as being a critical factor in determining their vote.
• Meanwhile, many Trump supporters continue to deny the US election results, despite it becoming increasingly clear that Democrat Joe Biden won by a substantial margin. Among such supporters are large numbers of evangelical Christians, many of whom are hanging on to prophetic words issued in the months leading up to the election, declaring that Trump would win. These included scores of lesser-known prophetic voices (many with very substantial followings), but also world famous Christian leaders such as TV broadcaster Pat Robertson, White House spiritual adviser Paula White, TV host and writer, Sid Roth and Bethel Church leader, Kris Vallotton. Vallotton is the only one among this group known to have apologised for his public prediction; but even he withdrew that apology, apparently believing voting discrepancies might still see Trump retain the presidency. See also this article
• J. John to preach at 1,000 churches this Christmas. With the cancellation of numerous Christmas carol services due to the pandemic, J. John and Philo Trust launched an initiative to encourage churches to use their Christmas services to share with their local communities a message of hope. The concept of Share Christmas is that churches are able to take a range of video components and use them as part of a Christmas service. In addition to a Christmas message by J. John, there is a Christmas Bible reading by Sir David Suchet, a message ‘What Christmas Means to Me’ by Sir Cliff Richard and a Christmas song by Matt Redman. This model has clearly inspired church leaders, and many hundreds from all over the world have already registered to take part. The material is available for free or for a donation. Sign up here.

World Events

• Islamic Militants slaughter Christian famers in Nigeria. The merciless slaughter of civilians by Islamic militants across swathes of the African continent continues unabated, most of it receiving little coverage on the international mainstream media. In the worst single direct attack in Nigeria this year, at least 110 people have been killed in an attack on a village in the north-east blamed on Boko Haram, according to the UN. Many others were injured. The attack took place in the village of Koshobe near the main city of Maiduguri, with assailants targeting farmers in rice fields. They tied up the workers and slit their throats. The Archbishop of Canterbury has condemned the murderous attack. But what almost all the media reports have missed out is that scores of Christians were among those killed.

Israel & The Middle East

• Saudis agree Israeli use of airspace en route to UAE, hours before maiden flight. Saudi Arabia reportedly granted permission for Israeli airlines to use its airspace this week, just hours before the first Israeli flight to the United Arab Emirates was set to take off, following a flurry of diplomatic activity. This will constitute the first ever commercial flight by an Israeli airline to Dubai, a major milestone in burgeoning ties between Israel and its new Gulf allies.
• Czech Republic plans to open diplomatic office in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, the Czech Republic has stated its ambitions to establish a diplomatic office in Jerusalem, which would make it only the second European Union member state, after Hungary, to open a diplomatic mission in the city. Though Czech officials insisted the plans had “nothing to do with the ongoing Middle East peace process and does not indicate a change in the Czech Republic’s long-held position on this matter”, Israeli officials celebrated the announcement.