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Topic: News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide
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News Room
Admin Group
Joined: 07/25/2004
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 6560
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Posted: 02/17/2016 at 3:09pm
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News From British Isles, Ireland, Europe and Worldwide
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Obamas declaration to the nation: Jesus is a good cure for
fear |
In his last National Prayer
Breakfast speech while in office, President Obama spoke of how his faith
overcomes his fears. For me, and I know for so many of you, faith is the great
cure for fear: Jesus is a good cure for fear. He said he is comforted by
Scripture and the faith of others, and has lately focused on 2 Timothy: For God
has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound
mind. The president said, What better time in these changing and tumultuous
times to have Jesus standing beside us, steadying our minds, cleansing our
hearts and pointing us towards what matters! Hollywood power couple Roma Downey
and Mark Burnett, the other keynote speakers, said that with Gods help our
world can heal some of the hurts that wound us and the confusion that divides
us, but it begins with us. |
Praise: |
God for
biblical proclamations and declarations to the nation from the White House.
(1Ch.16:24) | |
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Incredible divine moments |
Jesus' presence was stronger
than I have ever felt, in that little dirty room. There were about 25 people in
there, and Jesus' presence was stronger than any conference, any prayer room or
camp-high moment. Jesus was there in the middle of the desert, in Iraq, in the
dirt, with Muslims. He is attracted to the broken-hearted, the contrite, the
desperate. The King of Heaven was right there with the poor in spirit. Tyler
Connell is with the Ekballo Project and has been touring college campuses around
the USA, sharing stories and videos from his most recent trip to the Middle
East, where he documented a dramatic move of God among Muslims, particularly
refugees. Back in the States, when speaking on college campuses, he saw the
presence of Jesus break in and touch students, with bodies healed, people saved,
and people giving their lives to serve in the mission field.
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Praise: |
God for His
Spirit visiting colleges and refugees - saving, healing and delivering the
unreached. (Ps.105:1) | |
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Safe Haven for Muslim-background
believers |
Last November, Christian
Concern launched an initiative to protect those in the UK wanting to leave Islam
but fearing the consequences. Safe Haven (SH) was set up in response to the
brutal treatment of some who have left Islam and become Christians, offering
confidential advice and support and even help for individuals to relocate. This
week an advertising campaign to raise support and funding has been launched to
create a national network of safe-houses for Christians whove converted from a
Muslim background and are living under threat of violence for freely choosing to
follow Jesus. SH does this mainly by connecting victims with those who can
provide a safe place to stay - a secure and loving home away from the hostility.
It acts as a go-between, bringing together those in need with those offering
help. SH needs more individuals who can provide help: it is keenly aware of the
need for anonymity in these kinds of situations, and maintains strict
confidentiality in all its dealings with both victims and helpers. It also needs
more funding to support this growing need. See also
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Pray: |
for
successful networking between those wishing to support and protect Muslim
converts. (Heb.10:24,
25a) | |
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Pressures on junior doctors |
The Rt Revd Peter Forster,
Bishop of Chester, said the Government's proposed changes to junior doctors'
contracts are a good thing, but the Government has gone about implementing the
changes the wrong way, particularly given the amount of stress medics are under.
He was speaking as junior doctors walked out for a second time in less than four
weeks over the potential changes to pay and conditions. Bishop Peter said, It
isn't just the hours. It's the way they oscillate from days to nights to
unsocial hours, sometimes ten, twelve hours at a go, maybe with relatively few
senior doctors in the hospital overnight. People who work in that sort of way
need handling with considerable care and quite frankly kid gloves. I think the
Government tried to make well-meaning changes thinking that the argument was on
their side, without properly stopping to take people along with them. Since he
spoke, the Government has decided to impose its proposals on the junior doctors,
which is likely to cause even more aggravation. |
Pray: |
for a just
and fair resolution to this dispute.
(Mt.7:2,3) | |
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The effects on Christians of Governments counter-extremism
strategy |
Last year Christian Concern
took a look at the Governments counter-extremism strategy, and identified a
number of worrying implications for Christian freedom. They commented, Although
we need to recognise that the government is trying to address a serious problem,
the strategy in its current form is not the best way to proceed. This is because
the policy threatens the freedom of the innocent, and will not be as effective
as it should be in tackling the real problem. Christian Concern has begun a
campaign to raise more awareness that Christian freedoms are under threat if the
strategy isnt amended, saying, The only way that the guidelines will be
amended is if Christians speak out and make the Government aware of the
problems. See also the article below, about Ofsted as a regulator of religion.
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Pray: |
for God to
provide wisdom to politicians who know Him in the government, enabling them to
prepare the way for necessary changes.
(Ps.37:30) | |
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Long-distance admissions for psychiatric patients must
end |
The phasing out of
unacceptable long-distance admissions for severely mentally ill patients and
quicker access to acute psychiatric care are two key recommendations for
improving services in England. The Independent Commission on Acute Adult
Psychiatric Care was set up by the Royal College of Psychiatrists last January,
in response to growing concern about the provision of acute in-patient
psychiatric beds across the country. It found that access to acute care for
severely ill mental health patients is inadequate nationally and in some cases
potentially dangerous. This is especially because there are major problems
both in admissions to psychiatric wards and in the provision of alternative care
and treatment in the community. Five hundred mentally ill people have been
admitted to hospitals over 50km away, largely because of no acute in-patient
beds or suitable alternatives in their home area. Pray for an end to
inequalities of care, hospital bed-blocking, and inadequate residential
provision. |
Pray: |
for families
and friends who do not have the time or finances for regular visits; and for the
isolated, confused and depressed patients, experiencing confinement and needing
regular contact with familiar faces.
(Ps.10:1,12) | |
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Ofsted to become a national regulator of
religion? |
Christians in the UK are
concerned that a Government proposal to curb Islamic extremism will affect
religious liberty for churches. Prime Minister David Cameron announced a
five-year plan last year to weed out growing Islamic extremism among Muslim
youth. However, many fear the unclear language in the plan may allow the
government to target Christian Sunday schools and youth groups. The proposal
comes two years after the British government investigated reports that radical
Muslims plotted to overtake and radicalise the Birmingham public school system.
The government responded to the threat by mandating that the education
curriculum must incorporate the British values of democracy, the rule of law,
individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different
faiths and beliefs. According to an article in Christianity Today, the
Evangelical Alliance called the plan to monitor education of religious youth a
fundamental threat to religious liberty. The proposal requires all religious
groups and institutions to register their childrens activities and allow
government officials to visit for inspection if they meet for six hours or more
a week. |
Pray: |
for the
Evangelical Alliance as they voice concerns on childrens education while
addressing the rise of radical Islam.
(Pr.1:3) | |
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Twelve men sentenced for sexual exploitation of
teenager |
Eleven men were convicted of
rape and a twelfth of sexual activity in a trial in Bradford. The victim was
aged thirteen when she was first raped and abused repeatedly by the men. Mr
Justice Thomas QC told them, The attitudes that you demonstrated to these
proceedings have been contemptuous, disrespectful and arrogant on a scale I have
hardly seen in many years of criminal law practice. Some say that the fact that
the victim was white and non-Muslim was a factor in her abuse; the ringleader of
the rapists saw her as a little white slag. That label would probably go some
way to buying the Muslim communitys silence regarding the gangs actions.
Rather than risk the wrath of their fellow-Muslims and being reported to the
police for abusing a Muslim girl, the victims race and religion was of
significance in them choosing her. |
Pray: |
for God to
strengthen those experiencing abuse, so that they can speak out and be heard.
(Ps.18:17,18) | |
More: |
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Fairtrade Easter eggs |
Boys as young as ten are
trafficked to perform the back-breaking and hazardous job of harvesting cocoa
beans in West Africa. These beans are turned into the chocolate that we buy from
local supermarkets. As Easter approaches, millions of chocolate Easter eggs will
be sold which may have been made with cocoa beans picked by a trafficked child.
Supermarkets have enormous buying power and influence, and STOP THE TRAFFIK are
asking them to help end the trafficking of children by stocking more certified
chocolate eggs - those stamped with the Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance, or UTZ
Certified mark. This certification shows that the chocolate has been made in
monitored conditions that aim to prevent the trafficking of children. STOP THE
TRAFFIK are asking us to visit local supermarkets and then report back in an
online questionnaire what kind of Fairtrade Easter eggs they have in stock.
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Pray: |
for many to
complete this survey, and for this years STOP THE TRAFFIK campaign to surpass
the successes of previous drives to eliminate slave child labour.
(Ps.72:12) | |
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Slovak PM says EU will either control migration this year or
collapse |
The prime minister of
Slovakia, Robert Fico, says, Overlooking tension, nervousness and fear that the
EU does not have a real solution to the migration crisis while the migration
wave continues could have catastrophic consequences. 2016 will be the year when
the EU will either get the migration crisis under control or collapse. Tackling
the flow of refugees is prominent in his campaign for Slovakia's 5 March
parliamentary election. He argues for strengthening EU border protection, and
has filed a lawsuit against EU decisions to redistribute 160,000 asylum seekers
among member countries. His immigration stance resonates with the countrys 5.4
million Catholic voters. Fico's statements come ahead of next week's Visegrad
meeting of central European countries. The Visegrad Group is an alliance of
Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia which aims to further their
European integration and to advance military, economic and energy cooperation.
The group has taken a tough stance on migration, and is at odds with EU
neighbours over how to deal with the influx of over one million migrants last
year. |
Pray: |
for the
leaders of these countries to be blessed with the wisdom and compassion to meet
the current situation head on with workable solutions. (Job
6:24) | |
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Attacks, epidemics and migrants redraw tourism
map |
The world's tourism map is
being redrawn as holiday-makers switch preferences, prompted by terror attacks
and migrant crises in some European countries. Euromonitor research said they
expect countries such as Greece, Portugal and Spain to benefit considerably from
the situation, offering similar weather and security. However, the sudden surge
in demand is leading to higher prices in these destinations. Hotel owners tell
clients, Instead of charging 50 euros per double room, I'm going to charge 55.
Take it or leave it: if you don't want it, others will', said Olivier Petit at
the In Extenso firm. The migrant crisis has also taken a heavy toll on Greek
islands, once a very safe bet for operators, but where masses of refugees have
landed, scaring tourists. The Greek islands, especially Kos, have been severely
damaged, as holiday-makers feel uneasy about the situation, according to
Euromonitors data. |
Pray: |
for God to
show Greece and other countries that rely on tourism creative ways to revive
their economies.
(Ps.32:8) | |
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DR Congo: suffering but awaiting a new
beginning |
At least fifteen people were
killed in clashes between armed groups as ethnic tensions broke out in the
village of Mukeberwa in North Kivu province. Clashes then erupted between the
assailants and the Hutu rebels of the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of
Rwanda, or FDLR, who control the village. A UN peace-keeping mission has
reported rises in inter-ethnic tensions since January. Meanwhile Prayercast
report that Christianity has multiplied and evangelicals have increased ten-fold
since 1960, fruit of the many martyrs who gave their lives for Christ in 1964.
Their blood has truly been the seed of the Church. However, deep demonic
strongholds still hold DR Congo in bondage. Untold horrors, civil wars,
killings, tribalism, corruption, rape, cannibalism, witchcraft, and occult
practices hold many captive to fear and the forces of evil. The Church largely
lacks a true understanding of the Gospel. See also
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Pray: |
for this
shattered and wounded nation to be granted a new beginning through Jesus Christ.
(Jn.1:4) | |
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Afghanistan: prayer request from a
missionary |
Workers arriving in the
country need to fly onwards; however, our aviation organisations licence has
been withdrawn. Air travel is crucial for working in remote areas. There are
people studying the local languages who need to enter the country, so please
pray for the difficult visa situation. Pray for brothers from the neighbouring
country who visit believers in the mountain region, where the security is not
good. We are thankful for a good start to our medical project in the west. Pray
for wisdom to carry out projects in a skilful way, building relationships with
those to whom we reach out. A brother visited a group in the north and was
amazed how many believers were present. Please pray for a defence minister, as
no-one has yet been appointed. There is still much T*ban fighting: they
destroyed a major power line, so the capital only has electricity during the
night for a few hours. For information on the struggling government, click the
more link. |
Pray: |
for safety
and protection for our teams, other foreigners working in the country, and high
government officials and police who are often targets. May local brothers and
sisters continue to grow in their faith.
(Ps.18:6) | |
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Church stance on contraception in face of Zika
virus |
The Catholic Church is under
growing pressure to relax its ban on artificial contraception as women in some
Latin American countries have been advised not to get pregnant for up to two
years amid fears over the Zika virus. The official Catholic view is that
artificial birth control is forbidden under any circumstances, even to help
prevent HIV infection. Church leaders who have spoken out have reaffirmed the
catechism teaching that contraception is evil. Father Luciano Brito, spokesman
for the area most severely affected, said that Catholics should avoid using
birth control, regardless of Zika. A bioethicist and priest at Boston College
said, I've never seen this advice before, and when you hear it, you think,
What are the bishops going to do? Pray for adolescents, poor women, and those
living in rural areas, who are most likely to be exposed to the virus.
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Pray: |
for the
bishops as they attempt to sort out this challenge and thread a fine theological
needle. Pray for the protection of the 1.2 billion Catholics living in Latin
America. (Ps.31:3) | |
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Syria: displaced people struggle to
survive |
In a town east of Damascus,
now under regime control, a stream of filthy water runs in the street and
children refer to it sarcastically as the river. An unfinished building houses
25 families displaced by the war. A chill blows through cracks in the walls, dim
light enters the windows. They get three hours of electricity a day and have
mouse-traps everywhere against rodent infestation. We used to live in dignity
in our own houses. Now we're chasing charities. Meanwhile 35,000 people fled a
government offensive in Aleppo last week. They hoped to enter Turkey at the
Kilis border region. But Turkey closed the border despite appeals by EU leaders
to allow access. Turkey already shelters over 2.5 million refugees and is trying
to achieve a balancing act between providing sanctuary to Syrians and reducing
the numbers of refugees travelling to Europe. Deputy prime minister Numan
Kurtulmus said, Turkey has reached its capacity to absorb refugees. See
also |
Pray: |
for the
families living in poverty, needing healing of heart and soul, and salvation
through Jesus. Also for the thousands experiencing extreme loneliness, fear and
desperation. (Ps.3:1, 5) | |
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Burkina Faso: Christian surgeon remains captive, wife is
released |
An Australian Christian
missionary was freed after she and her husband were kidnapped last month in
Burkina Faso. Jocelyn and Ken Elliott, both in their 80s, have run a hospital
for forty years there, meeting physical needs with the ultimate aim of showing
the love of God to everyone. They were abducted by an al-Qaeda-linked group
three weeks ago, and held in neighbouring Niger. Mrs Elliott was freed following
mediation by the president of Niger, Mahamadou Issoufou. He said that efforts to
release her surgeon husband were being intensified. A statement released to
Al-Jazeera by al-Qaeda said the woman had been released because of guidance from
its leaders not to involve women in war. |
Pray: |
for the
success of the ongoing negotiations for Kens release and peace of mind for all
involved. (Ps.70:5) | |
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Israel: mother apologises to guard stabbed by her
daughter |
The mother of a
thirteen-year-old Israeli Arab girl who stabbed a security guard issued an
impassioned apology, praising the guard for not opening fire on her and said she
hoped all Israel would soon find peace. She had no idea her daughter was
planning a terror attack, or where she got the knife from. The student and a
friend in the mixed Jewish-Arab town of Ramle pulled kitchen knives out of their
clothing and stabbed the guard in the leg and hand, saying the attack was
revenge for the situation in the Al-Aqsa Mosque, and in protest against Israel
killing Palestinians. The stabbing was the latest in a series of attacks
(killing 31 Israelis) carried out mainly by Palestinians, and a handful of
Israeli Arabs, over several months. Some of the attackers have been young teens.
On Wednesday, Palestinians opened fire on a group of policemen, killing one and
seriously wounding another. |
Pray: |
for Israel
and the Palestinians to find peace
soon.(Nu.6:24-26) | |
More: |
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Turkey: Christians challenges last
year |
The Association of Turkish
Protestant Churches released its annual report summarising human rights
violations and the challenges faced by Christians in 2015. The numerous cases of
threats made to pastors and churches by radical Islamists make for disturbing
reading. Misleading newspaper reports warning Muslims of Christian missionary
activities also surfaced again, and school religious education textbooks
continue to portray Christian missionaries as a national threat. Escalated
violence between Turkish forces and the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) is
affecting the small number of Christians who live in the Kurdish South, home to
Syrian Christians with roots in the first centuries of Christianity. A
1,700-year-old Syrian Orthodox church in Diyarbakir was damaged in crossfire,
and the priest and his family were forced to leave. Media outlets falsely
claimed police found PKK weapons in the church. Pastors from across the country
travelled to Diyarbakir to meet local government officers, and called on all
participants to seek peace. |
Pray: |
for
Protestant pastors and missionaries to be protected and encouraged in 2016.
(Jdg.18:6) | |
More: | |
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