JOS, Nigeria, January 30, 2020 (Morning Star News) – At least 32 people were killed and a pastor’s house and church building were burned down in two nights of attacks this week by Muslim Fulani herdsmen in Plateau State, Nigeria, sources said.

The Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN) building and home were destroyed in an attack on predominantly Christian Marish village on Monday evening (Jan. 27), one of three communities in Bokkos County hit in armed assaults that began the previous evening, area residents said. The attacks were the latest bloodshed in an escalation of violence in Plateau state, where herdsmen killed Christians in Riyom and Mangu counties earlier this month.

Herdsmen killed 17 people in Marish and Ruboi villages on Monday after killing 15 people in an attack on Kwatas on Sunday (Jan. 26), Titus Ayuba Alams, former speaker of the Plateau state House of Assembly, told Morning Star News.

“The attacks took place between the hours of 7 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Kwatas on Sunday, and also on Monday within the same time frame on Ruboi and Marish by the herdsmen,” Alam said.

Five people were wounded in the attacks and several houses were burned, area resident Theophilus Mancha told Morning Star News.

“A pregnant woman and 16 others have been killed,” Mancha said.

Kwatas, Marish and Ruboi are suburbs of Bokkos town, about 15 kilometers (nine miles) southwest of Plateau State University, Bokkos.

Kelly Kanang, another area resident, confirmed that Fulani herdsmen launched the attacks.

Benjamin Dogo of Kwatas informed Morning Star News in a text message, “Our people have been killed again. About 15 of the dead have been evacuated to the mortuary along with many others that sustained injuries during the attack on Sunday night.”

State police said 13 persons were killed and five injured in the attack on Kwatas. Police spokesman Ubah Gabriel Ogaba on Monday confirmed the attack by “unknown gunmen” on Kwatas in a press statement.

Ruboi and Marish were attacked after police issued the statement, and officers have provided no details on those attacks.

Source: Christian Headlines

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It’s that time of the year when spring or summer getaways are planned.

But instead of following the crowds to a beach consider a trip centered on religious heritage, including unique architecture and art on par with the finest museums.

Norway

This Nordic country isn’t known for its old churches, but with 28 wooden medieval-era churches it should be.

Called stave churches, the name comes from the construction method of erecting load-bearing posts — staves in Norwegian — upon rocks or sill frames.

Kaupanger’s 12th century stave church features a 16th century baroque interior. Other notable stave churches are found in Borgund and Urnes, the latter of which dates to the year 1130 and includes its original crucifix.

Most of the stave churches are located in Norway’s Fjord region, which means flying into Bergen or Trondheim and renting a car.

Norfolk and Suffolk, England

East Anglia, as the region encompassing the historic English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk is called, has over 150 medieval churches with round towers. By contrast, this style is incredibly rare elsewhere in England.

Many remain active houses of worships. Others are so-called redundant churches in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Dennis Lennox

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It’s that time of the year when spring or summer getaways are planned.

But instead of following the crowds to a beach consider a trip centered on religious heritage, including unique architecture and art on par with the finest museums.

Norway

This Nordic country isn’t known for its old churches, but with 28 wooden medieval-era churches it should be.

Called stave churches, the name comes from the construction method of erecting load-bearing posts — staves in Norwegian — upon rocks or sill frames.

Kaupanger’s 12th century stave church features a 16th century baroque interior. Other notable stave churches are found in Borgund and Urnes, the latter of which dates to the year 1130 and includes its original crucifix.

Most of the stave churches are located in Norway’s Fjord region, which means flying into Bergen or Trondheim and renting a car.

Norfolk and Suffolk, England

East Anglia, as the region encompassing the historic English counties of Norfolk and Suffolk is called, has over 150 medieval churches with round towers. By contrast, this style is incredibly rare elsewhere in England.

Many remain active houses of worships. Others are so-called redundant churches in the care of the Churches Conservation Trust.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Dennis Lennox

All Content & Images are provided by the acknowledged source

The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of BCNN1. Opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).

While God used apologetics to bring me back to faith, God uses theology to humble, awe, and comfort me before his amazing presence. Theology is a passion of mine. My resume will show how much I love theology. As I mentioned in a previous post, I realized that schools hiring teachers desire applicants to possess 18 hours of graduate study in a chosen field. Curious as to what hours I held, I began to investigate how many hours I possess in different fields. I realized that by the time I finish my Ph.D., I will carry 30 hours of theological study. I guess you could call me an overachiever. I certainly don’t say this to sound braggadocios. I merely mention this to note the great impact theology has made in my life.

Even while I have devoted much of my time to theological studies, I still find the words of Dr. Daniel Mitchell, Professor of Theology at Liberty University, to ring true, “The more we study God, the bigger God becomes.” I asked him about what he meant by that statement in a class that I had with him. Mitchell noted that he did not mean to say that we make God bigger in our imaginations, but rather we begin to understand how big God truly is the more we study him. When we understand the grandeur of God, our worries tend to fade away in the warm, strong arms of God.

One divine attribute that provides both awe and serenity is God’s divine omnipresence. The word omnus means “all.” We all understand what the term presence means. Thus, God has the capacity to be in all places at all points of time. There is not a place where God’s presence is not found. Scripture indicates the omnipresent nature of God in many locations, but it is most explicitly found in Psalm 139. David writes as he speaks to God,

“Where can I go to escape your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I live at the eastern horizon or settle at the western limits, even there your hand will lead me. If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me, and the light around me will be night’—even the darkness is not dark to you. The night shines like the day; darkness and light are alike to you” (Ps. 139:7–12, CSB).

From the text at hand, God is shown to be present in every location at the same point in time. Wayne Grudem defines God’s omnipresence as the following: “God does not have size or spatial dimensions and is present at every point of space with his whole being, yet God acts differently in different places” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, 173). Divine omnipresence impacts the believer in multiple ways, but for the sake of space, I will concentrate on only five.

SOURCE: Christian Post, Brian G. Chilton

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Mainstream celebrities Master P, born Percy Robert Miller, and his son, Romeo Miller, attended the 28th annual Movieguide Awards where they told The Christian Post that they’ve veered away from their past hip-hop messages to create content that reflects their Christian faith.

While on the red carpet, Master P acknowledged the importance of being at an awards show that celebrates faith and family films.

“Romeo has started a brand, Romeo Land, and it’s all about having great content,” he told CP.

Along with his roster of businesses, the hip-hop and sports mogul said his movie company, Genius Minds Pictures, and his son’s new company, Romeo Land, are gearing up to release a Christian film.

“We have our first faith-based movie coming out, it’s called, ‘God Is Real.’ So people are going to see this everywhere,” he said.

“Don’t be afraid to grow and change,” Master P maintained. “Where I come from, I come from the streets, I come from the struggle and pain. Without God, I wouldn’t be here. So why not change and grow up and do right?”

Along with “God Is Real,” Romeo is starring in the faith-based movie, “Can You Hear the Lamb.”

SOURCE: Christian Post, Jeannie Law

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