Israeli/Palestinian: Children’s summer camp and Jews and Arabs refuse to be enemies

Summers are intense at Musalaha in three summer camps for Israeli and Palestinian children. This summer there was anxiety due to the Gaza conflict. Each year church teams come to help with our summer camps. This year a youth group from Bolton assisted the staff at Beit Sahour camp. On Wednesday I visited the camp, wondering how the children had related to one another in the midst of the conflict in the country. I marvelled at how much they enjoyed themselves playing with one another. Pray for similar camps to spread to all parts of the country, where Arab children could meet Jewish children. One of the children said ’I wish I could stay in this camp forever [rather] than go home to war.’ Meanwhile as Middle East shelling continues, internet users have been flooding the web with dozens of photos of Jews and Arabs together showcasing peace and love, under the hashtag #JewsAndArabsRefuseToBeEnemies see also

Praise:

God for the message of reconciliation. Pray that the children’s enthusiasm will spread to adults and the internet message goes viral. (Mt.5:9)

South Africa: More than a thousand people accept Jesus

More than a thousand people made decisions for Jesus during a recent four-day mission in which Every Tribe of East London took a group of hip, young, local missionaries to share the love of Jesus in the Eastern Cape town of Adelaide. The mission team members shared the good news from door to door in the small, historic town, and also ministered to God’s people in taverns, taxi ranks, hair salons and old age homes. 1,064 salvations were harvested during the four days and there were many testimonies of healing, signs and wonders. ‘It surprised me that many people we met had never heard the name of Jesus and that He loves them and has wonderful plans for their life’ shared Stephanie Swart, a sales consultant who participated in the outreach.

Praise:

God for the wonderful response to this mission. (Ro.10:9)

Religious freedom under threat across the world

An increased international focus on protection of religious freedom is required to combat the worldwide persecution, torture and killing of Christians, says Cross-bench Peer, Lord Alton. The Peer made the statement whilst leading a debate calling on the House of Lords to note that Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was ‘under threat in almost every corner of the world’. Lord Alton asked the House to take note of international compliance with Article 18 and said greater devotion to the protection of religious freedom was required. Article 18 of the UDHR stipulates that, ‘Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.’ Lord Alton drew on many international examples of the persecution of Christians around the world. Lord Bach supported the cross-bench member saying Lord Alton’s motion was ‘right and action is necessary’. He said the House looked forward to hearing what the Government proposed to do about the situation.

Pray:

that the Government will take notice that Article 18 UDHR is under threat and pray that religious freedom will be upheld. (Gal.5:1)

Trojan Horse: Role of faith in state education under scrutiny

Park View School in Birmingham, one of three schools inspected as part of the ‘Trojan Horse’ investigations, has been placed in special measures. The role of faith in state-funded education is coming under closer scrutiny following publication of two government reports into the so-called ‘Trojan Horse’ affair. A report by former head teacher Ian Kershaw failed to spot concerns about some schools at the centre of the controversy and also failed to take action in order to avoid being seen as ‘racist or Islamophobic’. Students at one school had to teach themselves Christian RE for GCSE. The finding is among a number of startling episodes laid out in a report from Peter Clarke – former head of counterterrorism at the Metropolitan Police. Children were encouraged to express vocal support for anti-Christian remarks, Christmas was banned and some teachers claimed serviceman Lee Rigby’s murder was actually a hoax.

Pray:

that the results of the investigation into the Birmingham school situation will result in non-racist education. (Deu.19:18b)

Shock report reveals girl had four abortions before her 16th birthday

The pro-life movement is sometimes scoffed at by abortion activists when it points out that abortion is mostly used for birth control reasons. A British schoolgirl had her fourth abortion in 2012, figures today revealed. She is one of 200 teenage girls who have had repeat abortions before the age of 16. The figures show five girls had three abortions by the time of their 16th birthday, which is the legal age of consent in England. That means abortion practitioners are doing abortions on girls who are victims of statutory rape and, as is the case in the United States, they may not be reporting those rapes to authorities. In 2011, a total of 84 under-16s had abortions for a second time or more, according to the Department of Health figures. Norman Wells, of the Family Education Trust, said too many teenagers were having sex without thinking about the consequences.

Pray:

that the educating of our young people in sexual matters will lead to safer sex and consequences. (1Th.4:3)

Government accused of dishonesty over 3-parent baby plan

Leading scientists have accused the Government of misleading the public after it quietly changed its definition of ‘genetic modification’ to push forward with proposals to allow 3-parent babies. Last week, the Government announced its intention to place regulations before Parliament as it released its response to a 12-week consultation recently undertaken by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). The proposed IVF technique, known as ‘mitochondrial replacement therapy’, will allow permanent changes to the genetic make-up of future generations for the first time and is widely recognised by experts as a form of genetic modification. However, in a move buried in a Department of Health document, the Government quietly redefined ‘genetic modification’ in a way that would exclude 'mitochondrial replacement therapy'. Leading scientists say that the Government is acting dishonestly and misleading the public over the true implications of the procedure.

Pray:

that the authorities will not be dishonest and thereby mislead the public. (Pr.29:27)

UK broadband users reject porn filters, watchdog finds

New broadband customers in the UK are overwhelmingly rejecting porn filters when prompted to install them by internet service providers, the industry watchdog Ofcom has found. The filters were proposed by Prime Minister David Cameron last year as part of a Government-backed scheme to protect children from explicit content online. Ofcom found that fewer than one in seven households use the filters, which are offered automatically to new subscribers at the point of registration. The findings showed that most customers have been choosing to actively disable the filters. The four main broadband providers, BT, Sky, TalkTalk and Virgin Media, offer an automatic porn filter at registration but only TalkTalk was able to persuade more than ten per cent of its users to keep it. Of the providers Ofcom noted that Virgin Media has ‘recognised that this is a failure in process and indicated it is taking steps to address this gap’.

Pray:

that broadband customers will not ignore the importance of porn filters. (Pr.4:6)

Lest we forget..

As we remember the bravery of men and women during D Day 1944, let us not forget those who at this present time are putting their lives on the line for our continuing, current freedom. A senior military source said that a Nato-led force was likely to have to provide close air support, casualty evacuation and logistics to the Afghan National Army beyond the official draw-down in December 2014. The source suggested Britain’s military involvement after the draw-down was likely to be far more significant than previously thought. Ministers have previously only announced the involvement of about 100 British soldiers in training Afghan officers at a military academy known as ‘Sandhurst in the sands’. Mr Cameron acknowledged on Saturday that Britain was committed to supporting the Afghan army financially ‘long after’ 2014 and he did not rule out offering other forms of support.

Pray:

for those still serving our country in Afghanistan. Pray for their safety, their families and for drawdown as they prepare to leave; that the Afghans will continue to maintain with maintaining good structures as set up and fair governance. (Ps.12:7)

Ebola virus a threat to UK, Philip Hammond warns

The Ebola virus, which has killed more than 670 people in West Africa, poses a threat to the UK, Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond has told the BBC. He said he would chair an emergency Cobra meeting on the issue later. Mr Hammond said no Britons had been affected so far and there were no cases in the UK, but the government was viewing the outbreak very seriously. Earlier this month Public Health England issued an alert to UK doctors to be aware of Ebola's symptoms. Several West African airlines have now stopped flying to Liberia and Sierra Leone amid concerns about the spread of the disease to those countries from Guinea. The move by airlines comes after an infected American man of Liberian descent was found to have flown from Liberia to Nigeria last week. He developed symptoms during the flight.

Pray:

that ways will be found to control this disease. (Ps.103:2-3)

France ready to offer asylum to Iraqi Christians

France has said it is ready to welcome Christians fleeing the area of Iraq controlled by Islamic State group's fighters, saying it is ‘outraged’ by their persecution. Islamic State fighters seized large swathes of northern Iraq last month, prompting hundreds of Christian families in Mosul to flee a city which has hosted the faith since its earliest years. ‘France is outraged by these abuses that it condemns with the utmost firmness,’ Laurent Fabius, France's foreign minister, and Bernard Cazeneuve, the interior minister, said in a joint statement on Monday. ‘The ultimatum given to these communities in Mosul by ISIL is the latest tragic example of the terrible threat that jihadist groups in Iraq, but also in Syria and elsewhere, pose to these populations that are historically an integral part of this region,’ they added, referring to the Islamic State's former name of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

Pray:

that France will be blessed by its generous action in offering asylum. (Ps.112.5)

Turkey: Presidential elections begin

Turkish citizens go to the polls on August 10 to vote for the 12th president of the Republic of Turkey - the first time the country's president will be elected by popular vote. The presidential post has previously been elected by assembly lawmakers. The public campaign for the position will continue up until August 9. The first votes have begun to be lodged by Turkish nationals living overseas. Forty two Turkish land, airport and harbour customs offices launched their polling services for Turks residing abroad but staying in Turkey at the time of voting at midnight on Friday and will remain open until 5pm on August 10 - the day voters choose their first directly elected president. Should none of the candidates take more than 50 per cent of the vote, a second round will take place on 24 August.

Pray:

for a peaceful and well organised run up to the 10th August.(Pr.16:11)

Gaza: UN premises attacked and also found to be used by Hamas

The UN accused Israel of attacking a UN-run school housing refugees in Gaza despite warnings that civilians were there. The Israeli military said in a statement that its ‘initial inquiry suggests that militants fired mortars earlier that morning from the vicinity of UNRWA school in Jebalia’ and soldiers responded by firing towards the origin of fire’. Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using schools and civilian areas as bases to launch attacks. Last week, another UN-run school was hit. But the Israeli military denied any killings, saying a single ‘errant’ shell had landed in an empty courtyard. The UN on Tuesday revealed that a cache of rockets had been found at one of its schools in Gaza - the third case of its kind and the UN condemned it as a ‘yet another flagrant violation of the neutrality of our premises.’ Israel stepped up the intensity of its strikes saying it had hit a number of tunnels. See also

Pray:

for the families who have lost loved ones, ask God to protect the innocent against friendly fire (Is.40:1).

Middle East: Why can’t they discuss ceasefire?

BBC analysts believe Hamas’s isolation after losing the support of former allies Syria and Iran and the Egyptian authorities crack down on smuggling tunnels has brought about attacking Israel as a way to obtain concessions in any eventual ceasefire. Meanwhile Qatar and Turkey, both supporters of Hamas, are participating in ceasefire negotiations. Israel does not trust them. Israel says even if it adopts a ceasefire it will continue searching out and destroying recent tunnels Hamas has built to bypass Israel's border defences (Security wall and Iron Dome) which up to now have mostly succeeded in preventing attacks within Israel proper. The current modern tunnel system is the first time that Israeli forces have faced a weapon against which they have no previous experience. Hamas has learned from Hezbollah how to improve its use of tunnels. Tunnels are now sophisticated, with water, sewage, and lighting allowing for month-long stays. See also

Pray:

for a supernatural covering over all who are driven from their homes, living in fear and mourning the loss of loved ones. (Pr.16:9)

Liberia: Closes borders as Ebola hits major west African cities

Liberia has closed most of her land borders after Ebola spread to Sierra Leone's capital Freetown and Lagos in Nigeria. This marks an alarming new front in the fight against a disease which up to now was confined to remote villages and rural outposts where 129 people have died. It spreads via bodily fluids and 56% of those affected die. The first confirmed case of Ebola in Freetown died Saturday after her parents forcibly took her from hospital. The World Health Organisation urges people showing signs of Ebola to go immediately to health centres. WHO said,‘We must stop the message that there is no treatment. The faster patients seek treatment in secure health centres the more likely they are to recover and avoid contaminating family members.’ Christian charity Samaritan’s Purse is leading an awareness campaign to encourage people to seek treatment. More than 430,000 people have been reached by their effort. See also

Pray:

for all staff in hospitals, clinics and isolation units as they battle this outbreak. (Ps.22:11) Pray for those who know and love the Lord as they share the love of Jesus with those who are suffering. (Ps.112:7)

Bolivia: Child labour law shames us all

Bolivia has become the first country to legalise child labour, reducing the minimum age of employment from 14 years to 10. The new law contravenes the International Labour Organisation's minimum working age protocol and is an abandonment of a child's right to a childhood. There are some protections included in the law: children between 10 and 12 must be supervised by a parent while they work, under-12s are not permitted to undertake third-party employment and children must still attend school. But with 850,000 child labourers in Bolivia and only 78 inspectors it will be difficult to uphold these protections. How will children, exhausted after a day's work, be able to engage in learning? Missing education erodes their chances for better paid employment in the future. Rather than breaking the cycle of poverty and illiteracy the new law appears to entrench it. Since 2005 the number of child slaves remains at around 5.5 million.

Pray:

for an international outcry against this new law that will bring about wider and further implementation of robust legislation against child labour. (Ps.140:12)

India: Modern slavery

India has an estimated 13,300,000 enslaved individuals. A government hotline called ‘Child Line’, operates in a number of different languages. It is also used to report tip offs of human trafficking. There are also radio programmes focusing on raising awareness about human trafficking, and what aspects of the law can be used by people in the community against it. There are a few other radio channels raising awareness about human trafficking to ensure people understand what human trafficking is, and take notice of indicators that might suggest there is a case of trafficking occurring in their community. Over recent years the government has implemented various action plans to halt the growth of modern slavery, but India still remains 4th in global index rating of modern slavery. See also for the laws policies and programmes to effectively and successfully address attitudes and social systems in India that create vulnerability and enable slavery.

Pray:

that more will be done by the government and NGOs to eradicate slavery and human trafficking. (Ps.140:4-5)

USA: Accuses Russia of nuclear treaty violations increasing Russia-West confrontation

US officials say Russia tested a new ground-launched cruise missile, breaking the 1987 intermediate range nuclear forces treaty. A Washington official said the United States is prepared to engage in ‘senior-level bilateral dialogue immediately’ with Russia to ensure Moscow's return to compliancy. The accusation comes as tensions between Russia and the West continue to grow over the crisis in Ukraine and the EU and USA announce new sanctions against Russia that aim to strangle Russia's oil industry and government-owned banks. It is now clear that the west has fundamentally changed its strategy in dealing with Russia. See also

Pray:

for open and honest exchanges of information between Russia and the West. (Pr.14:5)

Libya: Violence

A member of the new Libyan parliament, Mustafa Abushagor, due to take office in August, was kidnapped on Tuesday by unknown assailants. Libya has failed to control ex-rebel militias who refuse to disband and who are threatening the unity of the country. Recent hostilities increase worries that Libya could become a failed state and return to war. Recently two brigades of former rebels have pounded each other's positions with Grad rockets, artillery fire and cannons. On Tuesday they agreed to a brief cease-fire to allow emergency services to fight millions of litres of blazing fuel in storage tanks. The US, Britain, Turkey and the Philippines have pulled out diplomatic staff, while France and Spain have evacuated more nationals and some diplomats. Canada is temporarily pulling out diplomats. ‘Libya's political leadership haven’t resolved differences that were there at the end of the revolution. See also

Pray:

and ask God to remove confusion surrounding politics in Libya. Pray for law and order to be established. (Pr.19:21)