This week, Viktor Orbán was elected for a third consecutive four-year term as Prime-Minister of Hungary. In 1989, he addressed 250,000 people in Budapest calling for free elections and the withdrawal of Soviet troops. He became famous in Hungary and abroad overnight. The right-wing populist now leads Hungary towards the return of ethnic nationalism and deep-rooted corruption. He eliminated constitutional safeguards, successfully reshaped the state in his own image, and is considered to be a potential threat to the EU. He has been described by the European Stability Initiative as the ‘most dangerous man in the European Union’. A Pew Research poll in 2016 ascertained, ‘Hungarians were the most likely to believe ‘refugees would increase terrorism in their country’. Orban pioneered what scholars describe as either ‘half democracy in decline’ or ‘soft autocracy;’ merging crony capitalism with right-wing rhetoric. He flatly rejects accusations of impropriety of the sources of his allies’ enrichment. Opposition speakers in parliament repeatedly complain that he has become not only the most powerful but also the richest millionaire in Hungary.
Humanist Hospital Chaplains
13 Apr 2018
Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust has appointed a team of atheist priests after demand for pastoral support from patients with no religion. These ‘Clerics’ will be working under a non-religious chaplain for the first time in NHS history. Humanist Lindsay van Dijk was appointed head chaplain at Stoke Mandeville Hospital after a British Social Attitudes survey found 53% of Britons had no religion. Ms van Dijk told a meeting at Stoke Mandeville Hospital that the chaplaincy team will visit patients to lend a listening ear, provide ‘spiritual’ and emotional support and won’t specifically say ‘I’m from this faith’. She said that in her new role she has experienced 'mostly curiosity' rather than objections. Pray for the church to declare more loudly that Christian Chaplains support for hospital patients is for those of all faiths and none and that putting a humanist in charge of a chaplaincy team takes us further away from the NHS’s Christian roots.
Scotland: Celebration and Clerics
13 Apr 2018
In June, Falkirk hosts the Celebration of Hope. Thousands will gather in football stadia or be out on the streets talking about Jesus. Some will not be directly involved, but everyone can intercede and ask for God’s blessings for abundant harvest. Scotland desperately needs a fresh move of God, a breakthrough, a turning of direction, another Pentecost. What would have happened to past revivals if Christians had not prayed? Would they have happened? How many potential harvests have been lost because the church did not appreciate and use the power of prayer? Also the Church of Scotland may start training people over 55 to be ministers for the first time to shore up dwindling cleric numbers. They are considering overhauling the rules that prevent men or women being ordained unless all aspects of their training are completed by the time they reach 55. see https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/older-clerics-are-answer-to-kirk-s-prayer-57tqnr336
Smuggling migrants from Spain to the UK
13 Apr 2018
Investigations are ongoing to identify, tackle and dismantle organised crime groups involved in movements of migrants entering Europe via the Western Mediterranean Route to the UK. Recently, Europol supported Spanish Guardia Civil in dismantling a criminal group smuggling Spanish migrants and refugees from Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan and Syria into the UK. The gang used regular ferries from the northern Spanish ports of Santander and Santurtzi to carry out their criminal activities. Their modus operandi was to smuggle the migrants through restricted areas at the ports and hide them in trailers, containers, caravans and lorries waiting to board the ferries in restricted parking bays.
Portion of a reflection on today’s Church
13 Apr 2018
Jesus, Paul and John warned of counterfeit spiritual activity and false doctrine in the last days - Christians will fall away. The following are observations from David Noakes - It is of vital importance in these days that we are alert to the dangers of false teaching. Those of us who teach must be diligent to declare the whole counsel of God; it was only on that basis that Paul was able to declare ‘I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God’ (Acts 20:27). He was warning the Ephesian church elders to be equally diligent saying that we in the church need to re-examine our diet of the seemingly-endless flow of books and magazines, and to ensure that above all we are fully acquainted and familiar with the whole of the Bible. Only by knowing what is in God's word can we walk in safety.
Media
13 Apr 2018
Media Bias. Anti-Christian television and cinema agendas. Fake news. Data hacks. Sexting, Facebook, Snapchat. In a growing secular media environment we need to pray for our Christian families to learn how to protect themselves from digital deception and manipulation through the internet and to have God-given insights when watching news channels. Ask God to give us wisdom and discernment when we are about to make a wrong internet choice. Ask him to give us better sensitivities when deciding what screen we watch. Ask Him to raise up more Christian play writers, filmmakers, media programmers, artists, and computer game programmers. May he convict us if we choose unwise media options. May this generation help our children and grandchildren to develop the wisdom and discernment to navigate a disturbing media landscape. Pray for organisations like The MediaNet who support, encourage and inspire Christians who work in, and with, the UK media.
Declaration for our Government
13 Apr 2018
The following was posted online by Passion for the Nation on 9 April. ‘So be wise as serpents, and innocent as doves’. In the Name of Jesus, we declare the political figures, the diplomatic service and the intelligence services in this nation will be marked out by their wisdom, authority and compassion, that they will be wise as serpents, carrying no self-serving agenda. Even as ‘A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.’ (Proverbs 15:1) we declare our government will be slow to speak, slow to anger and their words will produce the fruit of righteousness for this nation and the nations. Now, in the Name of Jesus, over the current confrontation between Russia and the UK, we declare truth will emerge, ungodliness will be revealed.
UK: Upholding the Chemical Weapons Treaty
13 Apr 2018
In 1997 the Chemical Weapons treaty came into force. Its full title is ‘The Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction’. In 2013 Syria agreed to the treaty. On 7 April 2018 Syrian activists, rescue workers and medics reported toxic chemicals dropped on Douma with Assad’s approval. It is believed not to be Syria’s first violation of the treaty. At the time of writing, because of chemical weapons use in Syria, Russia and America are threatening opposing military action over Syrian ground and airspace. Theresa May's cabinet has ‘agreed on the need to take action’. They are also considering military options with US and French allies. Key prayers for our MOD - What British forces might be used? The targets. What’s the overall strategic aim? Key prayers for Whitehall - How to avoid escalating the conflict? See World article 1