Good Friday BBC reappraisal of Judas
25 Mar 2016
Some clerics, including a Church of England bishop, have joined the call for a reappraisal of the disciple who betrayed Jesus, leading to his crucifixion. The Rt Rev Nick Baines, the Bishop of Leeds, said Judas has had a ‘lousy press’ for the last two thousand years; while he is reviled as the ultimate traitor, the truth behind his decision to hand Jesus over to the religious authorities may have been decidedly more complicated. His comments come in an article in this week’s Radio Times ahead of a new BBC documentary by the Church of England vicar and reality television star Rev Kate Bottley. In the programme ‘In the Footsteps of Judas’, to be shown on BBC One on Good Friday morning, she examines theories about what led him to betray Jesus for pieces of silver and later to hang himself.
Martin McGuinness and Christianity
25 Mar 2016
Comments made by Northern Ireland’s Deputy First Minister that he is a ‘very broad-minded Christian’ and a ‘practising Catholic’ have been slammed by a victim of the Troubles. Ann Travers, whose sister Mary was murdered by the Provos, said she was ‘flabbergasted’ to hear Mr McGuinness, a former IRA commander, call himself a practising Catholic. The Sinn Fein man said he was a very young man when the conflict began and he was very much involved in participating in the civil rights protests. He then went on to describe how his family were devout and he prayed every night. Mr McGuinness said his faith was important in finding common ground with Mr Paisley during the peace process.
Police corruption
25 Mar 2016
Three policemen and a retired police officer were arrested in an inquiry into fraudulent activity at the Police Federation of England and Wales. Surrey Police are investigating the transfer of £1m to a charitable account last August. One of those arrested quit as federation vice-chairman earlier this week. Two of the men are Met police officers on secondment. The organisation represents thousands of constables, sergeants and inspectors. Surrey Police's economic crimes unit were involved in the probe and are contacting the Charities Commission. Meanwhile a detective constable from a London unit, which investigates rapes, serious sexual violence and child abuse, was charged with a string of child sex offences and suspended from duty. DC Chris Maitland was originally arrested last November, and has now been charged with two counts of sexually touching a girl under 13, five counts of taking indecent images of children, and seven counts of making indecent images of children. Pray for our police at
A different type of Stations of the Cross
25 Mar 2016
The traditional Stations of the Cross are a series of fourteen images depicting the stages of Christ’s journey on Good Friday. This year Premier Christianity has created a unique photographic study of a parallel journey retold through the lives and stories of the refugees in Calais, Lebanon and the UK. The dramatic new project is called The Stations, and mirrors the Stations of the Cross through images and stories of today's refugees. A special exhibition of The Stations is being held at St Martin-in-the Fields, London from 15 March until 10 April. People are being invited to take their copy of Premier Christianity to the exhibition to use as a guide.
Anti-Semitism in universities
25 Mar 2016
In England we have ‘Jewniversities’. These ‘Jewnis’, for short, are universities with large percentages of Jewish students. Birmingham, Leeds, Nottingham, Manchester, Oxford and Cambridge have 61% of UK’s Jewish students. Many say that anti-Semitism is to blame for this fact. If young Jews believe universities are hostile to pro-Israel viewpoints, they actively seek like-minded people at ‘Jewnis’ for reasons of comfort and security. Jewish students generally have positive experiences. However, in York University Jewish students refused to sign a joint statement with their university over their complaints of anti-Semitism, as it does not acknowledge the issue properly. In Oxford, the Labour party’s national student organisation launched an inquiry into allegations of anti-Semitic behaviour and intimidation. The London School of Economics Israel Society has called on the student union to change its attitude towards Israel and Jewish students. It published a poster online attacking the union for failing to take action over anti-Israel events on campus. See and
Political power in the UK
25 Mar 2016
The Prime Minister has mounted a fightback against Iain Duncan Smith’s comments and government voices. Tory MPs are pressurising the Chancellor to rewrite his Budget. Jeremy Corbyn is saying that the Chancellor should resign for a Budget that doesn't add up. Brexit MPs and Non-Brexit MP’s are becoming more and more vocally offensive towards each other as the June EU referendum draws nearer. We can pray for our government to execute justice in all decisions. We can pray that they will follow the Lord's ways and repent if they don't. We can pray for them to govern with wisdom for the welfare of the country, not for personal advancement. We can pray that God will accomplish His purposes through them regardless of their willingness to be used by Him. Prov. 21:1 tells us, ‘The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; He turns it wherever He will.’ We ask God to work His purposes out even through those who are resisting Him.
South Africa: prayer conference at Easter
25 Mar 2016
Thousands of prayer conferences and events will take place across the nations over the Easter weekend. The following is just one example, in South Africa. Maranatha Revival Group Ministries saw the birth of Prayer Centres around the country in July 2004. Most local churches heeded a call to come back to prayer, and made ‘Day and Night’ prayer their priority. Today there are more than 12,000 (and counting) Prayer Centres in South Africa. It is written, ‘My house shall become a house of prayer’. Local churches are relating more and more to that statement. Others are ‘community watches’ drawing believers together from different churches, clinics and police stations to pray for their local areas. There will be a conference at Orange Farm this weekend where people will wait upon God, learning how to start and sustain ‘Day and Night’ prayer in a local church, marketplace, community, or school. They will also learn how to start and sustain children’s ministry (majoring on teaching children how to pray).
Global: atheism in Holy Week
25 Mar 2016
Thirteen percent of the world denies the existence of God. Atheism is the third largest ‘religion’ in the world. Regions that were once rooted in faith are now in disbelief, yet the beauty and intricacies of the natural world continue to shout the praises of their Creator. Humanity has attempted to explain the world through materialism, science and human intellect, determining their destiny at the altars of self, materialism and science. Suffering, personal hurts, and misrepresentations of God have made faith seem impossible for some. Only God can transform their doubt into faith. This Easter, worship will rise from every nation in diverse languages, cultures, and styles - all declaring one glorious truth, ‘He is risen.’ May this Easter be a celebration not only of the resurrection of Jesus but also the revival of His Body, the worldwide church, in a wave of renewal and Holy Spirit-led evangelism.