This is my gospel, for which I am suffering even to the point of being chained like a criminal. But God’s word is not chained. 2 Timothy 2:8-9

Liena and her family turned down offers of asylum in Western countries after civil war broke out in Syria. They knew the cost that they might be required to pay, but they chose to remain as witnesses to their Muslim neighbors and as an encouragement to other Christians in Syria. Liena was a dedicated Christian, faithful wife and mother of two. In her prayers, she asked God to use her to reach more people. And then God asked her to make one more commitment.

A court hearing for Asia Bibi was postponed again last week (Sept. 9, 2014), but this time reportedly at the request of her husband, Ashiq Masih.

The eyes of the world turned this week to the White House, where President Obama gave a speech outlining his plans to battle against the Islamic State (IS). While VOM is not a political organization, VOM staff do monitor how the United States government responds to religious freedom issues overseas, and we work to educate and provide resources for government personnel tasked with understanding and speaking out against the persecution of Christians.

VOM staff members have been encouraged by the amazing response to the “I-am-N” t-shirt VOM offered last month. Thousands of American Christians have chosen to stand with our Christian brothers and sisters facing Islamic extremism in Iraq and Syria by publicly wearing the Arabic “N” shirts.

Many American churches have abandoned the practice of "Prayer Meetings," weekly gatherings of believers to seek the Lord and lift up the needs of their congregation and the world. But prayer meetings to lift up persecuted Christians are still happening every week among believers from all over the world—online.

Today we re-post a blog from last year's "MOVING TOWARD MUSLIMS" series of posts by "Anna," a Christian living and working among Muslims in the Middle East.

I recently read a deeply thought provoking blog written by Pastor Eric Foley, the CEO and Co-Founder of Seoul USA. As I read what he wrote, I was reminded of a chapter in Corrie Ten Boom’s book The Hiding Place. It is in this part of her story that she tells of a night when she and her family stayed up late into the evening to listen to a live radio address from the Prime Minister of Holland. Her family listened intently as the Dutch people were told they need not worry about war. He announced to the nation that both sides had agreed to accept the neutral stance of Holland. Upon hearing this, Casper Ten Boom rose to his feet, and abruptly turned off the radio. He knew that war was imminent, and he was deeply disturbed by the false hope being given to the people.

Last week in our VOM staff chapel service Cole Richards, the leader of our international work, talked about how we, as followers of Christ, should think about and respond to radical terrorist groups like the Islamic State (IS), which is dominating the news cycle yet again this week with the videotaped beheading of another American journalist, Steven Sotloff.

Today we share an excerpt from a post by Pastor Eric Foley, VOM’s project partner for North Korea, the CEO of Seoul-USA, and a regular speaker at VOM Regional Conferences. In his post Pastor Foley provides a careful and thoughtful exegesis of Hebrews 13:3 in light of the current situation that Christians are facing in Mosul under the domination or Islamic State (IS).