Iraq (MNN) ? U.S. defense secretary Leon Panetta formally declared an end to nine years of a war in Iraq on Thursday at a ceremony in Baghdad.

I would like to personally thank our friends at Mission Network News who helped bring this story to their readers last week and as a result, I'd like to let you know that we started with a need to have 200 letters written to Yang Xuan a few weeks ago, and then last week we only needed 186 and as of today we only need 80 more letters to reach our goal of 200!

Iran’s Ayatollah Sadegh Larijani, head of the judiciary, has ordered the judge presiding over Youcef Nadarkhani’s case to delay his written verdict for one year. The judge was specifically ordered to keep Nadarkhani in prison, using whatever means necessary to force him to recant his Christian faith and convert to Islam.

Recent attacks on Christian-owned businesses in northern Iraq’s Kurdish region have put believers on edge in an area that was formerly considered safe for Christians.

One of the things I personally enjoy about the Internet and social media, is the opportunity to read wonderful quotes from people. As the Lord would have it, in today's Extreme Devotion email, the following quote was sent. Inspiring!

One of the stories that is getting a lot of press today concerns Chen Guangcheng, a Chinese legal activist, who is blind and is currently under house arrest in China.

Today the New York Times has highlighted some breaking news about Gao Zhesheng, citing China’s official news agency which announced that Gao will serve the next three years in prison because he violated his probation.

Thank you all for praying for these special prayer requests this week. The bible says in James 4:8 to draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. As you pray for our suffering family in Jesus, ask the Lord to draw nearer to them during this time. Thank you for sharing these requests with your church, friends and family..

The Voice of the Martyrs is offering their new Kids of Courage VBS program to teach children about forgiveness, courage and perseverance – all through stories of persecuted Christians. The curriculum features five countries – China, Egypt, India, Nigeria and North Korea – showing children how they relate with persecuted Christians around the world.

JOS, Nigeria, December 15 (CDN) — Joshua Dabo, like other young Christians in this city in central Nigeria, had dreams for his life. He had graduated from a Christian high school, Mt. Olives Secondary School, and at 31 was finally looking forward to attending university. Apart from commitment to his fellowship at Nasara Baptist Church at Tirji Junction near the University of Jos, Dabo ran a barbershop to earn income as he awaited admission to college, and he was an ardent soccer player and fan. As such he made sure to be among the 120 people from the Christian community on Bauchi Ring Road who paid to watch a classic soccer rivalry, Barcelona FC v. Real Madrid, on TV at an outdoor bar (called a “viewing center” in Nigeria) on Saturday night (Dec. 10). A few minutes into the match, televised in the hall of corrugated sheet metal at Yangwava Television Viewing Center at Ukadum village, a bomb went off. “It was shocking for me,” said viewing center owner Emmanuel Exodus Nimkun, 30, of the Ukadum congregation of the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN). “I saw Joshua Dabo standing without a head. I have never seen a thing like this – a human being standing but with his head blasted off, and he was struggling to move.” Dabo was the lone fatality in three bomb blasts targeting viewing centers in predominantly Christian areas of Jos during the Spanish soccer match; at least 10 others were injured in the blasts, leaving four in critical condition, including two in a coma.