Northern Ireland: a taste of today’s news
08 Jan 2016
’Embrace’ supports refugees and people seeking asylum and encourages other church communities to make Northern Ireland a welcoming place for refugees and those with minority ethnic backgrounds. Pray for all churches and organisations in Northern Ireland who are reflecting gospel values of compassion, hospitality and justice. -An estimated £50,000-worth of cannabis plants, cultivation equipment and other drugs paraphernalia was uncovered at a property in County Down this week. Pray for the police as they attempt to take drugs off local streets. Pray for Fitzroy Presbyterian Church as they provide treatment for people dependent on alcohol or drugs through their residential treatment units. -A meeting was held on Thursday to discuss flooding issues in Northern Ireland. Environment minister Mark H Durkan and agriculture and rural development minister Michelle O'Neill attended the meeting. Pray for this and all similar meetings taking place as we come to terms with poor flood defences and land management.
Christian MP Jonathan Reynolds resigned as Shadow Minister for Transport, in what is dubbed the ‘revenge reshuffle’. Mr Reynolds said he had no option and ‘if someone is on the front bench they have to go along with a collective position. If you're not happy with that, or you want the freedom to say more, or you disagree with some decisions taken, then the thing to do is to leave in a dignified fashion, which I've tried to do.’ He told Premier's News Hour that his faith drove his decision saying, ‘I personally feel it's not the time for me to be part of the Labour front bench. A lot of people with a Christian faith will recognise those traits in themselves, whatever jobs they do.’ Christian MP for Cardiff South and Penarth, Stephen Doughty, resigned live on air on the BBC's Daily Politics programme. See: https://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Christian-MP-s-faith-drove-him-to-resign-from-Corbyn-s-front-bench
1,000 British troops deployed to Libya
08 Jan 2016
6,000 European and US soldiers, including 1,000 British Special Forces, have been deployed in Libya to wrest back control of over a dozen oil fields seized by Islamic State militants. UK Special Forces spearheading the coalition will include close observation experts from the Special Reconnaissance Regiment. IS has seized several revenue-boosting oil fields in Libya and wants to win more control over the country. The land could provide them with millions of dollars to fund terror attacks. The terrorists are now targeting Marsa al Brega oil refinery, the biggest in North Africa;if they capture it, they will gain full control of the country’s oil. Britain’s SAS is working with Libyan commanders to advise on key ‘battle-space management’ tactics using troops, tanks, warplanes and ships. They will also supply intelligence to Ministry of Defence chiefs that could determine whether airstrikes are needed. They will join an advance force on the ground.
The Archbishop of Canterbury has invited all Primates to a meeting next week to reflect and pray about the future Anglican Church. The agenda is likely to include: -religiously-motivated violence -the protection of children and vulnerable adults -the environment -human sexuality. The meeting will be an opportunity to review structures of the Anglican Communion and decide on an approach to the next Lambeth Conference. There are factions within the Anglican community worldwide. Some believe there is a need to replace it with a much looser grouping, allowing North America, which recognises and encourages gay marriage, and the African churches (led by Kenya, Uganda and Nigeria), which are against all homosexual activity, to separate. Justin Welby suggested there is a need to consider recent developments, look afresh at ways of working in unity while paying attention to past developments. Pray for the church to move forward proclaiming the gospel, making disciples and living in holiness in spite of pressures that vary greatly between Provinces.
Desmond and Eva flooded 16,000 homes in England
08 Jan 2016
Floods have caused havoc across much of the UK. Many are now asking, ‘Have decisions made by the public and politicians made things worse?’ It is suggested that the following has contributed:
-Four million residential properties currently sit on flood plains or places with a one in 1,000 risk of flooding each year. -The argument over dredging has grown since the 2013/14 Somerset floods. -River straightening causes faster flow and more dangerous floods downstream. -Trees act as a natural flood defence, but there aren’t enough now growing on river banks. As a result of recent events the Environment Agency, farmers and politicians are discussing ways to remedy our failure to care for our land effectively and how we address the effects of climate change. We can pray for effective action to protect our land as a result of these discussions. See also article 2 in the World section of this week’s Prayer Alert.
Balkan Networks
08 Jan 2016
Balkan Networks is a group of Kingdom-minded people living and working within the Balkans. They believe that prayer, worship, meaningful dialogue and decisive action can bring about unity in the body of Christ, collaboration within and between the Balkan nations, and real transformation across the entire region. Many Christian groups are part of this network, one of them being ‘The House of Prayer’ in Skopje, Macedonia. They are not a local church, but a ministry functioning as part of the Body of Christ seeking to glorify Jesus and strengthen their brothers and sisters by helping and inspiring the local churches to develop deeper prayer ministry, and in that way to become a dwelling place for God that goes beyond the weekly two-hour services. It is clear from history that revival comes as a result of people coming together in unity and humility before God to worship Him and seek His face. See also: http://makhop.org/about/
Church planting in Eastern Europe
08 Jan 2016
The Lord is moving across the countries of central and eastern Europe which are showing a growing responsiveness to the Gospel. Mission agencies are calling out for Christians to step forward and fill the gaps in mission teams to engage in prayer and short term work alongside national believers to see God doing something huge for His Kingdom.
A Regent University dean is giving thanks to God for sparing 22 members of his family from a deadly tornado that destroyed his home in Texas last weekend. Dr Mitch Land is dean of the School of Communication and the Arts. He was in Texas for the holidays, celebrating with his mother, children and grandchildren. While he was at the airport to pick up family members, the tornado hit their home in Rowlett. He described how they survived. ‘All 22 of them crammed inside the hallway between the kitchen and the garage, and my son-in-law hovered over my 82 year-old mother to shelter one of his six children. Doors tried to fly open from the garage and the older grandchildren held on for dear life to those doors.’ Dr. Land said the children and parents cried out to God as the winds tore the roof from their home and gave thanks when the twister left.