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News in Brief, 16 February 2018

16 Feb 2018 General
News in Brief, 16 February 2018

Some selected events from the past week to aid your prayers.

Society & Politics

  • Backlash against River Island ad: A furore has broken out over a fashion advert aired at 4pm on television, featuring two women kissing and the slogan “100% gender free”. Read more here.
  • Brixton prison chaplain removed: Popular volunteer chaplain Paul Song has been excluded from the prison after the arrival of an aggressive imam as Senior Chaplain. His case has been taken on by Christian Concern. Read more here.
  • Teen stabbed to death in London: A call for prayer has been issued as a 17-year-old in east London becomes the third knife crime fatality of 2018. Britain has seen a surge of such crimes in recent years. Read more here.
  • Magistrate defends himself in tribunal: Richard Page was removed from his post in 2015 after expressing the view that children need a mother and a father. He is now suing for religious discrimination. Read more here.

Church Issues

  • CofE rules on Down’s Syndrome ‘dignity’: The Synod ruled that parents who find their unborn child has Down’s Syndrome should be given unbiased information and support, lest they feel pressured to abort. Important amendments to their motion were lost in the debate, however. Read more here.

World Scene

  • Bermuda first nation to repeal same-sex marriage: The British Overseas Territory legalised gay marriage in 2017 via the Supreme Court, and against public opinion. After a change of government, it has now repealed the decision. Read more here. Meanwhile, Costa Rica’s presidential election has become defined by the issue, with an evangelical Christian and opponent of gay marriage now leading the race.
  • Pence under attack for his faith: The US Vice-President is under renewed attack for his charismatic faith, with media personalities describing him as ‘mentally ill’ for believing Jesus speaks to him. Read more here.

Israel & Middle East

  • Tensions flare at Israel’s northern border: At the weekend, an open clash erupted when a rogue Iranian drone entered Israeli territory, prompting an escalation of events in which an Israeli F-16 plane was shot down and 12 Syrian military installations were bombed. The atmosphere remains tense and analysts are predicting war on the immediate horizon. Read more here and here.
  • Hezbollah force mentally ill man to check border fence: Two Hezbollah operatives reportedly threatened the Lebanese man with institutionalisation if he didn’t obey their instruction to cross into Israel and see if he could get through the border fence. Read more here.
  • Open Doors to restore nearly 700 homes for returning Christians: The charity is supporting local partners to restore homes on the Nineveh Plains, as Christians return in the wake of ISIS’ defeat. Read more here.

Upcoming Events

  • Day of prayer for the UK's relationship with Israel (London): Saturday 17 February, 10am-12:30pm, World Harvest Christian Centre, South Norwood, London SE25 5NQ.
  • Lobby Day for Israel (London): Wednesday 28 February, 10:30am-5pm. Help make the case for Israel in Parliament this 70th anniversary year. Click here to book. For more information, email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
  • Foundations 9 (Cumbria): 19-23 March, Grange-Over-Sands. Theme: 'Into the lion's den: reaching a world gone mad'. Steve Maltz's annual week-long Hebraic conference. £260 per person. Click here for more information and to book.

 

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: