Spain: Bishop banned from official city events in Alcala
The city council of Alcala adopted a motion banning Bishop Juan Antonia Reig Pla from official city events. The motion answers the bishop's remarks criticizing homosexual lifestyle. The motion, passed on May 15th, bans Bishop Reig Pla from local festivities and calls for him to be moved to another diocese. It was presented by the political group ‘Union, Progress and Democracy’ and was backed by other left-leaning organizations as well as the Spanish Socialist Party. The ruling People’s Party has opposed the motion. The diocesan priests stated: ‘In response to these very grave acts, we express our adherence to the Catholic doctrine taught by our Father and Pastor, Bishop Reig, as well as our support for him and his apostolic ministry, and we invite all to pray for religious freedom, for our Bishop and for those who persecute the Catholic Church.’
Pray: that this ban would be lifted and we would see a return to Spain’s Christian roots. (1Cor.3:11)
Spain: Bishop banned from official city events in Alcala
The city council of Alcala adopted a motion banning Bishop Juan Antonia Reig Pla from official city events. The motion answers the bishop's remarks criticizing homosexual lifestyle. The motion, passed on May 15th, bans Bishop Reig Pla from local festivities and calls for him to be moved to another diocese. It was presented by the political group ‘Union, Progress and Democracy’ and was backed by other left-leaning organizations as well as the Spanish Socialist Party. The ruling People’s Party has opposed the motion. The diocesan priests stated: ‘In response to these very grave acts, we express our adherence to the Catholic doctrine taught by our Father and Pastor, Bishop Reig, as well as our support for him and his apostolic ministry, and we invite all to pray for religious freedom, for our Bishop and for those who persecute the Catholic Church.’
Pray: that this ban would be lifted and we would see a return to Spain’s Christian roots. (1Cor.3:11)
UK: Becoming less peaceful
According to the annual Global Peace Index (GPI) published by the Institute for Economics & Peace the world has become more peaceful for the first time since 2009. However it also reports that the UK is less peaceful. Globally, austerity-driven defence cuts creating gains in several indicators of militarization and improvements in the Political Terror Scale have led to changes in the annual rankings, whilst Syria has dropped over 30 places on the rankings. The index reveals Somalia as the least peaceful country, which with Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq and the Democratic Republic of Congo make up the bottom five. The UK has fallen three places to 29th position, which means it is the first time the UK placement has not risen in the list. The index also estimates that if the world had been completely peaceful in 2011, the additional economic impact would have been an estimated $9tn - equal to the size of Germany and Japan's economies combined.
Pray: that our rankings in this index would rise and we would see the positive impact on our economy. (Ps.85:8)
More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/2012/jun/12/global-peace-index-2012
The deployed troops and families back home
The demands and stress of deployment in Afghanistan can lead individuals to switch off from thinking and communicating with their families back home, in order to focus on the task in hand. However, this is distressing for the families and leads to fear and worry. Then, in reverse, some children of serving personnel deployed get too upset when talking to their parent on the telephone or video link via Skype and so refuse to do so. This in turn proves to be upsetting and stressful.
Pray: about the needs of both those deployed and the families back home that there will be good communication and support between them and that those deployed and those back home will have the appropriate concern for the other. (Jn.15:12)
More: http://www.army.mod.uk/welfare-support/23208.aspx
GMC holding proceedings against Christian doctor
On the 11th June the General Medical Council (GMC) decided to continue disciplinary proceedings against Christian GP Dr Richard Scott, despite the fact that the patient who made the complaint has refused for two years to give evidence face to face. (See Prayer Alert 21-2011) Dr Scott works at Bethesda Medical Centre in Margate, and was first reported to the GMC in September 2010 for discussing his Christian faith with a patient at the end of a private consultation. He was threatened with an Official Warning by the GMC, a blemish on his 28 years’ service as a professional. As well as deciding to continue with the proceedings, the GMC has also made the extraordinary decision that part of the case will be held in secret. The press and the public will be barred from attending, and Andrea Williams, CEO of the Christian Legal Centre, has been specifically excluded from attending the hearings to support Dr Scott.
Pray: the hearing will be fair and will set a benchmark for future expressions of faith in the NHS not to be seen as illegal. (2Ch.19:7)
Cases of legionnaires disease in Edinburgh rise to 80
The number of confirmed and suspected cases of legionnaires' disease in Edinburgh had risen to 80 by last Saturday withevery prospect of further cases being confirmed. Patients being treated in Scotland's biggest outbreak of the disease include 15 cases in intensive care. On Friday the North British Distillery in Edinburgh was served with an improvement notice by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE). However, both the firm and health inspectors said the order did not mean that its three cooling towers were the definitive source of the outbreak. The Health and Safety Executive and Edinburgh City Council are continuing their investigations into the possible source of the outbreak. Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland's Health Minister said: ‘Although there has been a rise in the number of confirmed cases, it is reassuring to see that the number of suspected cases is decreasing and that 16 people have now been discharged from hospital.’
Pray: for all those affected by the disease and for the authorities to be able to resolve the problem at its source. (Ps.116:15)
More: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9321587/Cases-of-legionnaires-in-Edinburgh-rise-to-80.html
Downing Street receives petition supporting traditional marriage
A petition of half a million signatures supporting the traditional definition of marriage has been handed in to Downing Street . The petition by the Coalition for Marriage supports the legal definition of marriage as the ‘voluntary union for life of one man and one woman to the exclusion of all others’ and expresses opposition to any attempt to redefine itn - It was signed by over 550,000 people. While the list of signatories was submitted to Downing Street, the full petition of names and addresses will be handed in to the Home Office as it is too large to deliver to No 10, filling more than 30 A4 boxes. The petition was launched on 20 February in response to the Government's plans to redefine marriage. Although the petition was submitted, it remains open and www.C4M hopes to reach a million signatures in the coming months. It comes just before a public consultation on redefining marriage closes on Thursday.
Pray: for a favourable response to this petition and for further signatories to sign-up in the months ahead. (Heb.13:4)
China: 6,000 walls of prayer
‘The World Prayer Assembly in Indonesia in May was the most significant international prayer gathering I have ever been part of,’ says Brian Mills of the International Prayer Council, a collaborative network of prayer movements around the world. As one of his personal highlights he mentions the Prayer Tower in Sentul City, where Indonesian believers pray 24-7 throughout the year. ‘Every time I looked in there, hundreds were praying,’ says Mills. ‘And this is only one of the many hundreds of prayer towers throughout Indonesia.’ This was also inspiring the 600 strong Chinese delegation. ‘The Chinese were deeply touched by God's Spirit,’ reports Mills. ‘China is establishing 6,000 houses of prayer, which they call Walls of Prayer. One ministry alone has seen a 726% increase in the number of people coming to Christ in the past seven years compared to the previous seven years, and this has happened ever since they started to emphasize prayer.’ Source: IPC Connect newsletter.
Praise: God for the growth of His church in China. (1Ki.8:29)
More: www.wpa2012.org
China: 6,000 walls of prayer
‘The World Prayer Assembly in Indonesia in May was the most significant international prayer gathering I have ever been part of,’ says Brian Mills of the International Prayer Council, a collaborative network of prayer movements around the world. As one of his personal highlights he mentions the Prayer Tower in Sentul City, where Indonesian believers pray 24-7 throughout the year. ‘Every time I looked in there, hundreds were praying,’ says Mills. ‘And this is only one of the many hundreds of prayer towers throughout Indonesia.’ This was also inspiring the 600 strong Chinese delegation. ‘The Chinese were deeply touched by God's Spirit,’ reports Mills. ‘China is establishing 6,000 houses of prayer, which they call Walls of Prayer. One ministry alone has seen a 726% increase in the number of people coming to Christ in the past seven years compared to the previous seven years, and this has happened ever since they started to emphasize prayer.’ Source: IPC Connect newsletter.
Praise: God for the growth of His church in China. (1Ki.8:29)
More: www.wpa2012.org
Unprecedented growth in 2011
Open doors have reported this week that in 2011 lives have been changed, communities transformed and hope restored as never before in North Korea and the Middle East. Over 3 million Christians received Bibles and Christian literature, over 263,500 received Bible training and 172,000 benefitted from development projects. Despite decades of persecution, the church in North Korea continues to survive underground with an estimated 200,000 – 400,000 believers. Iran now has the highest rate of Muslims converting to Christianity in the Middle East. Literally millions of Muslims in the Middle East have encountered the Gospel message in recent years via satellite TV and the Internet. During the short window of time of no checks at the Libyan border with Egypt, more Bibles reached Libya than in the previous 42 years. In Syria, Open Doors distributed as much as possible while it was still safe to travel.
Praise: the LORD for his unfailing love and His wonderful deeds for mankind, for He satisfies the thirsty and fills the hungry with good things. (Ps.107:8-9)
More: http://www.opendoorsusa.org/pray/prayer-updates/2012/06-June/Serving-christians-worldwide