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Topic: News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide
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Ron McGatlin
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Joined: 08/23/2004 Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 4141
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Posted: 12/29/2016 at 8:12am
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News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide
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250 million downloads of Bible
app |
The free YouVersion Bible
App, which lets the user read, watch, listen, and share the word of God, has
reached 250 million downloads. ‘We are humbled by how many people use the Bible
App on a regular basis,’ stated Rev Bobby Gruenewald, who devised it. ‘When we
made the Bible available as an app, we never imagined how much it would
revolutionise the way people engage with Scripture.’ Statistics estimated 13
billion Bible chapters have been read and listened to and there are more than
one billion highlighted bookmarks. The most popular verse of 2016 is Romans
8:28: ’And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love
Him, who have been called according to His purpose.’ |
Praise: |
God for all
the translators, publishers, Bible societies, churches, authors, and hundreds of
volunteers who helped make this feat possible - the Bible reaching people in a
modern world . (Heb.4:12) | |
More: |
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Belfast Cathedral’s ‘Black
Santa’ |
Back in 1976, concerned at
the emphasis being placed on necessary and costly building programmes at Belfast
Cathedral, Dean Crooks decided to stand in front of the cathedral with a small
barrel for donations to charitable causes. Dressed in the familiar black
Anglican clerical cloak, Dean Crooks ‘sat out’ each day of the week before
Christmas and began the tradition of deans sitting out for charities. The local
press described him as ‘Belfast's Black Santa’, and the description struck a
lasting chord with the public. His successor, Dean Jack Shearer, involved
members of the Cathedral Chapter in the ‘sit-out’. The event has continued to
develop; the current Dean, John Mann, is ‘sitting out’ this week to collect
money for local charities, with a proportion going to Christian Aid.
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Praise: |
God for the
media coverage this attracts each year to raise the profile of giving at
Christmas. (Jn.5:11b) | |
More: |
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Friday Focus |
The World Prayer Centre, in
partnership with HOPE and the Prayer Magazine, invites you to join in with
Friday Focus prayer every week,starting on Friday 6 January 2017. Friday Focus
2017 provides the opportunity for us to pray where we are and unite across our
nations, supporting all ongoing mission and preparing the way for future
mission. HOPE’s aim is to see the entire Church mobilised during 2018 to make
Jesus known. Each week Friday Focus will take a different theme: supporting
national initiatives of prayer and mission; key seasons in the church’s
calendar; different people-groups highlighted in the Talking Jesus report; and
prompting us to pray for those we know and meet and the communities we are part
of. Will you join us in seeking our Father for His ways? |
Pray: |
for God’s
will and His kingdom to be seen more and more in our land through this
initiative. (Mt.6:10) | |
More: |
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A pro-Israel prime minister |
Let us give thanks that Prime
Minister Theresa May has made no bones about the fact that she is a keen
supporter and ally of Israel, which she called ‘a remarkable country’. In a firm
speech to the Conservative Friends of Israel, our Prime Minister described
Israel as ‘a beacon of tolerance, an engine of enterprise, a thriving democracy,
and an example to the rest of the world for overcoming adversity and defying
disadvantages.’ She talked about the shared values and positive relationship
between Israel and Britain, emphasising her hopes for an even stronger
friendship between the two countries post-Brexit. Crucially, in the face of
parliamentary and civic attempts to derail the 2017 Balfour Centenary
celebrations and force Britain to apologise for her role in creating the Jewish
homeland, the PM staunchly defended the document as ‘one of the most important
letters in history, which demonstrates Britain's vital role in creating a
homeland for the Jewish people.’ |
Pray: |
for Theresa
May to continue under God’s anointing as she takes the British Isles
forward. | |
More: |
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Seasonal potential threats |
The threat of a terrorist
attack in the British Isles remains high, and more police have been deployed in
sensitive areas after the Berlin truck massacre. Many of us are boarding planes
and ferries to visit family and friends, shopping, and singing carols in
prominent places - all soft terror targets. Please pray for God’s protection
over all ‘gateways’ into this country: airports and aircraft, cruise liners,
ferries and ports; railway stations and peak train journeys; motorways and
tunnels (especially the Eurotunnel); places where large crowds gather such as
sport stadiums, shopping centres, Christmas markets, theatres and concert halls;
schools and colleges; and all churches. We can pray for God’s plans for peace,
mercy and hope to blot out every plan and purpose of terror, death or
destruction. May the British Isles be safe under God’s authority and canopy of
prayer over Christmas and into 2017. See also
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Pray: |
for wisdom,
protection and insight for our government, intelligence services, police and
armed forces. (Ps.91:1,2) | |
More: |
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Prince Harry 'wants to make a
difference' |
In a TV programme broadcast
last Monday Prince Harry said it was ‘fun to be good and boring to be bad’. And
‘If you're me, if you're your Average Joe, whoever you are, if you can't affect
politics and change the big things in the world, then just do whatever you can
do. Whether it's in your local community, your village, your local church,
walking down the street, opening a door for an old lady, helping them cross the
road. Whatever it is, just do good. Why wouldn't you?’ Prince Harry said he no
longer struggles with his royal role and wants to ‘make something’ of his life.
He made these comments while speaking in a documentary about his charity work in
Lesotho. |
Pray: |
for many to
catch the sentiment behind Harry’s words and look again at how they use their
time and resources.
(Dt.6:18a) | |
More: |
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‘But there was no room for them at the
inn’ |
This Christmas please pray
for those sleeping rough or in temporary B&B accommodation, and ask God to
work through society to bring about more housing and adequate places for the
vulnerable to settle into. Pray for the unemployed, and especially for homeless
and vulnerable people selling the ‘Big Issue’ magazine on street corners. One
vendor said, ‘It’s great when people stop and say hello, it’s nice to feel part
of the community and feel that people actually care.’ May God’s mercy flow so
that they will soon be housed adequately in a place they can call their own.
Give thanks for the many churches and charities providing shelter, warmth and
food for ‘rough sleepers’ over the winter; pray God’s blessing on everyone
involved, and for the provision of every resource they
need. |
Pray: |
for the
safety of the homeless, and for authorities to make adequate provision for those
who need to settle and prosper in a home.
(Ps.66:9) | |
More: |
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Some
face a painful Christmas |
The death of someone we love,
who matters to us, is a devastating experience. We are faced with the painful
and daunting task of coping with all that bereavement brings and with the
challenge of finding a new sense of life and purpose. All of this takes time -
nearly always longer than we think - and help of many kinds may be needed. At
Christmas many widows, widowers, orphans, brothers and sisters of close
relatives experience a particular pain mixed in with seasonal celebrations.
Please pray for all those for whom Christmas is not a time of rejoicing and
‘making merry’, but a time of sorrow due to loss of loved ones at this
time. |
Pray: |
for those
recently bereaved to know the love and comfort of the Father. (2
Cor.1:3-4) | |
More: |
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Europe’s political changes |
Canopy of Prayer over Europe
recently wrote, ‘When we look back on this year 2016, the most outstanding
events for Europe were the Brexit vote of Great Britain, the victory of Donald
Trump, the breakdown of the cornerstone of the EU - the solidarity of her
members - and therefore the endangering of the EU as a Union. All these events
have to do with the fear of migration: from Mexico to the USA, from the Near and
Middle East into Europe. These anxieties were readily used by all European
populist parties to fuel fear, envy and negative prejudices; cheering Brexit,
congratulating Trump, and supporting every opposition against Europe.’ In 2017
there will be significant leadership elections in many discontented European
countries, and within the hierarchy of the EU. Pray about the elections and
situations that could bring about political changes in Europe next
year. |
Pray: |
for God to
bless next year’s new leaders with wisdom, unity and vision and for hope not
fear to dominate Europe's reorganisation during 2017. (1 Tim.
2:1-3) | |
More: |
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Security in Europe threatened |
In the week before Christmas
a truck was used as a weapon of terror in Berlin. The Russian ambassador to
Turkey was murdered (see separate article), and in Switzerland a gunman shot
three people at a Zurich Islamic centre and then was found dead by police. Pray
for European countries to continue to invest significant resources in
maintaining and developing security, and effective information-sharing and
networking. |
Pray: |
for God to
inspire governments with workable strategies to protect citizens.
(Rom.13:1) | |
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Paint a prayer for the nations |
On Sunday we celebrate the
birth of the Prince of Peace, but peace is missing in so many places. Central
African Republic is experiencing armed clashes between Muslims and Christians.
Democratic Republic of Congo is warring against rebel groups. Egypt is has
militant branches of Islamic State. Libya still has an ongoing civil war. Mali
citizens are burdened with clashes between army and rebel groups. Mozambique is
contending with RENAMO rebels. Nigeria is battling militants. Somalia is
struggling against al-Shabaab. South Sudan is suffering continual atrocities
between opposing groups. Praying into so many situations can be overwhelming,
but this Christmas perhaps we could offer our imaginations to the Prince of
Peace and have our thoughts inspired by the Holy Spirit. Let us paint a prayer
based on ‘What would it look like if God touched this place, this situation,
this nation, with His glorious colours of salvation and restoration?’ Let this
Holy Spirit-inspired image fuel our prayers for 2017. |
Pray: |
for the Holy
Spirit to give us renewed, inspired prayers that usher in winds of change in
2017. (Jn.14:26) | |
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Syria: the future costs |
As the war in Syria rages on,
Chatham House calls us to consider the humanitarian, cultural and political
costs of the war, the domestic politics of Syria, and the response of Syria’s
neighbours and Europe to the refugee crisis. They remind us, ‘The conflict in
Syria has also placed an enormous strain upon its immediate neighbours, as they
not only seek to accommodate Syrian refugees, but also manage the spill-over
effect on existing social, political, demographic, economic and security
challenges.’ Pray that next year surrounding countries (Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan,
Iraq and Israel) and the West will take on some of these challenges more
positively and effectively. The murderous activity in Syria evolves hour by hour
and is documented by the media. Let us pray for future accountability and
prosecution for all perpetrators of war-crimes, through the presentation and
validation of actual events recorded on internet outlets. |
Pray: |
for
internationally-coordinated and holistic policies that address the region’s
long-term future.
(Pr.10:28) | |
More: |
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Good news from Amnesty
International |
It seems that wherever you
look, people have written 2016 off as a terrible year. But Amnesty International
says that thanks to their supporters, they have found a lot to be positive
about. They report that this year more than 650 people (nearly two a day) have
been freed by them and their supporters from unfair and often abusive
imprisonment. They have helped change laws in forty countries, brought
football’s global governing body to account, and helped convict war criminals.
In a year of so many uncertainties they found one thing they could be certain
about: outrage is not enough, and change only happens when we take action
together. |
Pray: |
for even
more positive change in 2017 in every region of the world. (Eccl.
8:1) | |
More: |
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Indonesia: blasphemy trial |
Indonesia's reputation as a
stable, tolerant democracy is threatened as radical Islamists claim blasphemy in
the trial of Jakarta's Christian governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, commonly known
as Ahok. He is the first Christian in fifty years to govern Jakarta. Indonesia
is home to the world's largest Muslim population, but it also has sizeable
influential Christian, Hindu, and Buddhist minorities. In the 1960s President
Suharto signed a decree banning provocative political discourse on ethnicity,
race and religion in an attempt to maintain public order, and racial and
religious harmony. A minor comment by Governor Ahok has been taken out of
context and construed as blasphemy by political opponents seeking to discredit
him. His Chinese ethnicity has also been used against him with chants such as,
‘Go back to China.’ Ahok has been praised for reforms he accomplished in
Jakarta. He is supported by Indonesia's president Joko
Widodo. |
Pray: |
for hardline
Muslim groups to stop staging protests against Ahok, and for a just trial.
(Dt.28:11a) | |
More: |
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Vanuatu: the Navut people |
Vanuatu is a Pacific island
beyond most cruise-ship ports or holiday resorts. It is an ancient culture, in
remote and rugged islands of a scattered 80-plus island archipelago. There are
an estimated 1,100 speakers of the Navut language, one of 115 languages spoken
across Vanuatu. Navut speakers live in the west central part of Espiritu Santo
Island, the largest island in Vanuatu. Approximately 40% of Navut speakers
profess Christianity. The remaining 60% follow ethnic religions of the islands.
Access to Scripture in their own language will help all Navut speakers to learn
about God’s love for themselves. Pray for God to provide a team of translators
to begin work for the Navut, and for more of them to come to know
Christ. |
Pray: |
to God to
begin to capture hearts of the Navut people for His glory. (Mark
13:10) | |
More: |
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Turkey: Russian ambassador
assassinated |
A Turkish policeman murdered
the Russian ambassador to Turkey at Ankara’s Contemporary Arts Centre. He passed
through security using his police identity card. Russia and Turkey are on
opposite sides of the Syrian war, and there is a lot of public anger in Turkey
about Russia’s most recent actions. Many believe the direct rivalry between
Russia and Turkey is prompting more animosity on the streets in many countries
touched by the fallout of this bloody war. |
Pray: |
for
diplomatic words from Turkey, Russia and Iran to be followed by peaceful
actions. (Ps. 34:14) | |
More: |
| | Source: Prayer Alert - World Prayer Centre UK
Edited by Ron McGatlin on 12/29/2016 at 8:12am
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