58 Killed in Attack On Christian Town in Nigeria

Church bombings are becoming more common in Jos, Nigeria.

58 people, including two public officials, were killed in an attack by suspected Muslim herdsmen outside the city of Jos, Nigeria. As Beginning and End reported in a recent article about the Obama administration removing Christian persecution from its annual Human Rights report, Nigeria has been a hotbed of violent Christian persecution as Muslim groups seek to remove eradicate Christianity from the country altogether. As the reports on the recent attack state:

More than 300 were displaced in attacks on several villages near Jos in the Plateau state, which lies between the Muslim-majority north and the predominantly Christian south, Nigerian Red Cross official Andronicus Adeyemo said late Sunday, according to The Associated Press.

Senator Gyang Dantong and majority leader of the Plateau State House of Assembly Gyang Fulani were killed on Sunday afternoon while they were going to a mass burial for the victims of Saturday’s attacks.

It wasn’t clear how many of the victims were Christian. However, Mark Lipdo from a Christian advocacy group known as the Stefanos Foundation said the reports he received from 13 villages showed they were all Christian. He blamed Muslim herdsmen of the Fulani ethnic group for the attacks, though a leader of the Miyetti Allah Fulani Herdsmen Association denied any involvement by the herdsmen. (source)

Martyrs for Christ: A Prophecy of the End Times

And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. — Revelation 6:9-11.

The persecution of the saints is prophesied throughout Scripture. And as the verses above in Revelation show, God is most certainly watching and keeping an accounting of the unbelieving world as it slaughters believers in Jesus Christ. And a certain limit is being reached. Once that last martyr has fallen, the Lord will rise to avenge His children.

Boko Haram, the Muslim terrorist group responsible for most of the attacks on Christians, has now claimed responsibility for this attack. It is clear that their influence is spreading as Muslims are becoming more emboldened to attack and attempt to remove Christians from the border cities.

“In other words, ‘We’re going to keep up these attacks; we’re going to keep up this violence until every single Christian in northern Nigeria has either converted to Islam, left the area, or been killed.'”(source)

In the midst of this, Nigerian Christians continue to serve The Lord, share the Gospel and attend church services. Todd Nettleton, of Voice of the Matyrs USA says of the situation:

“It changes your entire mindset if going to church means ‘I could be killed.’ That really does raise the significant issue of how important is it to gather with other believers for worship, Bible study, and for other things when it literally means you could give your life.” (source)

As the government seeks to gloss over Christian persecution, it is time for Christians to remember that our strength comes from the Lord, not a President. Pray for God to end this persecution and stop the reign of terror by Boko Haram and other terrorist groups who can still receive forgiveness for their sins through faith in Jesus Christ. And should the persecution continue, pray for the faith of those Christians in Jos and other cities to stand strong and know that God is with them through it all and will embrace them throughout eternity.

Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. — Psalm 116:15.