The homes of Christians in Wang village were set on fire during an attack by Fulani militants [Image credit: Christian Solidarity International]

Think what happens on the other side of the world, or perhaps far from where you live has no effect or impact on your life. I had what I thought for a brief time was a man who is a professed Christian as also a friend. He had been present at times in the men’s Bible study I partook of and went on occasion to the church my wife and I had been attending and are members of [a bit more about this further on].

I thought he was a friend as we would talk on the phone at length a couple of times a month on average. I would mention Christian persecution around the world increasing greatly from the long period of calm that we had known, and I would frequently mention what was taking place in Nigeria.

This person’s response? To paraphrase, “They’re all mostly Catholics so it’s not like they’re real Christians.”

Beyond appalling.

Ignorance is not bliss. It’s just ignorance. If one were aware one would know the Christians in Africa and other places around the world being slaughtered, raped, tortured, incarcerated, and having their livelihoods, homes, and churches destroyed are not all or even mostly Roman Catholic. If anyone was on the Home Page of this article they saw the image where the Central Baptist Church in Nigeria is marching with regard to enough Christian bloodshed in Nigeria. Many denominations as well as non-denominational churches have missionaries and emissaries in Africa and around the world reading the gospel and planting the seeds of the Truth and Light of Jesus Christ for the Holy Spirit to work in individuals to come to serve the Lord.

This man severed all communication with me after our last phone conversation and a subsequent piece I wrote and posted: Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice.

If you open and read that I don’t see why if we were truly friends and both mature in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ we could not continue in a discussion. But he wants nothing to do with me. I’ve reached out and called him one time. Leaving a message on his voicemail because he didn’t answer nor ever return my call.

I am not shaken, distressed, or disturbed. It’s how folks are. Thin-skinned. Unless in total agreement and they can view you as an ally in whatever their viewpoints are it’s fine. Stray from that fine line and they no longer want any association. That’s very Christian compassionate, isn’t it?

We weren’t close, to begin with.

This person told me after reading things on ACP he felt dirty and in need of a shower, this same man is one who continually railed against John MacArthur continually, in every conversation we had, and sent me a defamatory without adequate sources article he wanted me to post on ACP, as well as in every conversation picking away at some pastor or church. I posted the article in error and knew I shouldn’t have, so I removed it the following day. Early on in my relationship with this man, he sent me a link to a website a woman operates in which her whole reason for her website’s existence is to dig up dirt on pastors, church leaders, and churches and to post it all online.

He sent this in the hope I would begin posting some of her work.

Which I never did.

Talk of feeling dirty and in need of a shower…

If you feel dirty and in need of a shower after reading the horrid, sinful, and evil events unfolding I can understand that to a degree. But I also contend — toughen up, wise up, get discerned up! Get mature in the faith and believe everything in the Holy Bible and don’t be so influenced by the world, which everyone is to some degree. Be a vigilant watch person. Be aware of the signs of the times. Of the unfolding of Biblical prophecy and stop attaching mere political labels to these things. Do not permit the subtle or not-so-subtle worldly influences to enter into your heart and mind, your spirit, and thus muddy and muddle the light and the truth of God’s Word.

I don’t find and pick on individuals. Oh, sure, I’ve published past articles on Joel Osteen and one or two other well-known false teachers to shine more light on the millions caught in the snare of the false teachers in these last of the last days. To reveal more end times events than pick at an individual.

I am led more to events and turning points taking place daily, hourly as this world hurtles towards the precipice and its last day — the Day of the Lord and the fulfillment of every jot, tittle, and word within the Word of God.

While sitting comfortably where you are. Perhaps imbibing your favorite hot beverage on an autumn day, or you were out and about freely, your home safe, your children safe, your church safe — for the time being — how about not shrugging off or ignoring completely Christian brothers and sisters in many places around this world being beheaded, murdered, tortured, the women and daughters raped, their homes burned and utterly destroyed, their churches burned and totally destroyed. And the governments where they live doing nothing. Because those governments are in league with Satan and are his able and willing ministers to attempt to remove the Christian faith and Christians from the face of the earth.

We may be enduring persecution at this point in evil infiltrating our government, our schools, and our churches and every institution in the abomination and evil doctrines preached and accepted, the sin accommodated by the overwhelming majority — but school curriculums, false teachings and teachers in so-called Christian churches pushing the Evil One’s agenda in corporations, the myriad forms of entertainment and sport is only the first phase.

What are you going to do when they move into the next phases? Will you take the mark on your hand or forehead? Will you succumb? Backslide to get by and save your own skin?

Did the Lord Jesus Christ save His own skin so you could play at being a Christian?

The thin-skinned, the spiritually weak, and malnourished are in real trouble until and unless they develop some hide on that flesh, put on the necessary armour, and ingest daily and continually the nourishment required to maintain health and strength — spiritual health and strength.

And stop thinking or saying things when Christians in Nigeria or elsewhere are slaughtered for their faith, their homes burned down, their churches burned down, “Well, they were just Catholics it’s not like they were real Christians.”

Talk about feeling dirty and in need of a shower…

Ken Pullen, A CROOKED PATH, Friday, October 28th, 2022

NOTE: I mentioned in the words above the church my wife and I had been attending. That church was a massive-sized church with a massive amount of people attending. The senior pastor is world-famous. And in our attending there for 5 years and being members for 4 of those years the size of the body, along with the distance to travel there led us to pray and give strong consideration to finding a smaller Bible-teaching, Bible-centered, Christ-centered, Bible-preaching church.

As the Lord moves and provides, the church we are members of — we’re in the process of transferring our membership — due to its size and abilities is involved in church plantings. One such planting is a wonderful small church, in comparison, where instead of thousands attending hundreds do, and instead of a good long drive devouring the better part of an hour the drive is so brief in it being around 10 minutes to hardly notice it at all. And the preaching is strong and sound. The church body is spiritually healthy and well. And I’m already on the list to bake some cookies.

Size does matter.

And while distance or proximity to a church building ought never to be the primary reason for attending, the sound doctrine, and true sound Bible repository preaching need to be uppermost, having a smaller in number of folks assembly lends itself to a better, truer Christian community life. My wife and I have already had more wonderful conversations and met more people in a matter of a few weeks at this smaller church planting than we did in the first two-plus years attending the mega-church.

So size does matter.

As does the community, and the church body. The preaching. The teaching. The accessibility to Bible studies, to the pastor or pastors, and to others in the church body. In order to be sound and well and to grow in our walk with the Lord.

And instead of being smug, arrogant, or downright sinful and wrong in stating when hearing of brothers and sisters slain, raped, their homes and churches destroyed saying horrible things such as, “They’re all mostly Catholics so it’s not like they’re real Christians,” or some similar abominable dung emanating from our sinful hearts to our sinful tongues let us fall prone daily and give thanks continually for our ability to worship. To have Bibles. Even though most sit idle and closed on shelves in so-called Christian homes.

It isn’t about denominations. Churches. It’s about individuals who have been transformed by hearing the Word of God and having the Holy Spirit of God work in their hearts, spirits, and minds to renew them by the Lord, for the Lord. Period.

Let us give thanks to our Triune God for the grace, peace, freedom, liberty, and ability we have presently. The time is coming when we will resemble more a Nigerian village than the land founded some 246 years ago.

Head of Nigerian Christian Village Among Three Killed by Islamist Gunmen in Plateau State

October 26, 2022

Reprinted from Barnabas Aid

Islamist gunmen attacked a Christian-majority community in Plateau State, Nigeria on 17 October, killing three people including the head of the village, Salisu Idris.

The gang rode into Nyalun, in Wase Local Government Area, on motorcycles at around 9.30pm and started shooting.

“They went straight to the traditional ruler’s house, killed him and abducted five members of his family,” said a local youth leader. “They also killed two other people.”

A Barnabas contact said Islamist attackers often seek out and kill the heads of Christian communities in order to create terror. “They want to destroy the administrative set up and cause chaos,” he added.

Twelve Christians were killed earlier in October in attacks on Christian-majority farming communities in the Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State.

Witnesses said Islamist Fulani militants launched assaults on the communities of Shorom, Wang and Kulyas on 8 and 9 October, murdering five villagers, including two town leaders. More than 50 houses were razed.

Between 1 and 7 October seven farmers were killed in separate attacks. In another incident, three pastors were ambushed – one of them suffering critical injuries.

Locals say the Fulani militants are targeting Christian farmers to take over their lands.

“This is another attempt by these wicked groups to set the state ablaze,” said Solomon Maren, the area representative in the House of Representatives.

Regional youth leader Marshall Sule added, “What we are seeing is a possible repeat of what has happened to our neighbours in Riyom and Barkin Ladi Local Government Areas where many Christian farming villages were seized after the owners were killed and displaced.

“Many of those seized villages have now been turned to no-go areas for Christians.”

From Barnabas Aid contacts and other sources

Ask the Lord to comfort all those who mourn loved ones killed in these attacks. Pray for His protection over Christian communities in Plateau State. Ask for guidance for the authorities that an end can be found to the relentless violence.

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