It’s Friday, October 27th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com)

By Adam McManus

Nigerian Christian student forced to convert to Islam

Personnel of Kaduna State University in Nigeria, Africa have aided in the kidnapping and forcible conversion to Islam of a Christian student, reports Morning Star News.

Dorcas Adekanola, a 20-year-old, first-year chemistry student at the university, was an active member of the Fellowship of Christian Students when other members noticed her absence last month, according to leaders of Campus Mission Watch.

Her parents received a phone call on September 20 from Christian students saying they were distressed that she was acting strange before her disappearance.

The Campus Mission Watch leaders said, “She was always looking scared, which shows she was being threatened by the Islamists on campus. Dorcas was also not seen on campus for some days.”

1 Peter 5:8 says, “Your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Please pray for Dorcas’ safe return.

Biden authorized strikes on two Syrian targets connected with Iran

Last night, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said, “Today, at President Biden’s direction, U.S. military forces conducted self-defense strikes on two facilities in eastern Syria used by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and affiliated groups.

“These precision self-defense strikes are a response to a series of ongoing and mostly unsuccessful attacks against U.S. personnel in Iraq and Syria by Iranian-backed militia groups that began on October 17,” reports ABC News.

The airstrikes were reportedly in response to recent attacks on U.S. bases that left nearly two dozen American service members injured.

18 dead, 13 wounded in Maine by suspected gunman, an Army reservist

On Wednesday night, a gunman shot and killed at least 18 people and injured 13 others at a bar and a bowling alley in Lewiston, Maine, reports NBC News.

Seven people were found dead at the Just-In-Time Recreation bowling alley, eight were found dead at Schemengees Bar and Grille, and three were pronounced dead at area hospitals.

Listen to what one eyewitness at the bowling alley said.

WITNESS: “Out of nowhere, he just came in and there was a loud pop.”

He ran down the bowling lane to hide for safety.

WITNESS: “I just booked it down the lane and I slid basically into where the pins are and climbed up on the machine and was on top of the machines for about 10 minutes until the cops got there.”

Another bowling alley witness, named Brandon, explained what he heard and did.

BRANDON: “I heard something. It was gunshots. I heard a shot and I had to drop my bowling ball and I told everyone to leave. I opened the door. I told them, everyone to leave. And I ran in the woods with a bunch of people that I know.”

Tragically, several of his friends in his bowling league died in the murderous rampage.

BRANDON: “I lost like three or four friends, just friends that I know.”

Jason Levesque, the Mayor of nearby Auburn, Maine, explained what they did with the witnesses on Wednesday night.

LEVESQUE: “We took the witnesses of the two locations we actually brought them to a holding area so we can interview them, clear them. And then we wanted to bring them all over here so they can have what we call a ‘reunification process’ with their loved ones which is the proper way to do it. We wanted to make sure that evidence can be gathered and then the proper protocol can be followed.”

Police named Robert Card, age 40, as a suspect in the shootings, and an arrest warrant on murder charges has been issued. The Army Reservist sergeant 1st class, remains at large. He is considered armed and dangerous.

In July, Army Reserve officials reported Card for “behaving erratically,” and he was transported to the nearby Keller Army Community Hospital at the United States Military Academy for “medical evaluation,” reports CNN. Card is a petroleum supply specialist in the Army Reserve and first enlisted in 2002, While Card has no combat deployments, he was considered a skilled marksman who was one of the best shooters in his unit.

House Speaker Johnson: “Prayer is appropriate in a time like this”

In related news, House Speaker Mike Johnson of Louisiana underscored the importance of prayer, that there would be no more loss of life, reports WWL-TV.

JOHNSON: “We are receiving information about this horrific tragedy. It has moved everyone in the Congress, as you might imagine. Our hearts go out to all those involved. The families, of course, of the victims. And we’re so grateful for law enforcement. We trust and hope and pray that they’re able to apprehend this individual as quickly as possible, there’s no more injury or loss of life. This is a dark time in America. We have a lot of problems. We’re really, really hopeful and prayerful.

“Prayer is appropriate in a time like this, that the evil can end, and this senseless violence can stop. That’s the statement this morning on behalf of the entire House of Representatives. Everyone wants this to end.”

Being lonely is equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day

And finally, a new Gallup poll reveals that more than a billion people — or close to a quarter of the world’s population — are struggling with loneliness, reports The Christian Post.

Younger adults are more likely to suffer from the condition, which health experts warn can have the same effect on health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The survey was conducted in 142 countries and areas worldwide, excluding China, the second-most populated country in the world.

Ellyn Maese, a Gallup researcher, said, “Research shows that loneliness is associated with elevated risk for a wide range of physical and mental health conditions, making research on loneliness a critical first step to improving health and wellbeing worldwide.”

The data suggests older adults — people 65 and older — reported the lowest incidence of loneliness, with just 17% saying they were feeling “very” or “fairly” lonely. Among young adults aged 19 to 29, however, 27% of respondents reported feeling very or fairly lonely.

Perhaps God can use you today to reach out to someone you know who might be lonely.  Send that person a hand-written card, make a call, or invite them out for a meal.

In 1 Corinthians 12:26, Paul wrote about the body of Christ.  He said, “If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”

Close

And that’s The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Friday, October 27th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I’m Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com).  Seize the day for Jesus Christ.