iCommitToPray // //

In Richard Wurmbrand’s time (and in many communist countries still), persecutors did all they could to hide their persecution of Christ’s followers. Communists even gave Richard a different name in prison in an effort to hide him from the world and from Christians trying to find and help him. Communists in China have told us for years that there is no persecution of Christians there, that raids on house churches aren’t about faith but about government policy and Christians’ refusal to register their meetings. Hide, deny, obfuscate: the old-school persecutor’s playbook.

Dr. Jason Peters and VOM Radio host Todd Nettleton just returned from meeting Christians and delivering aid in northern Iraq. This week they’ll share about the Christians they met, many of whom have been displaced by the advance of ISIS over the past 18 months. They’ll also talk about some of the ways VOM is helping these Christians, including the launch of a new effort inviting American believers to prepare a medical first-aid kit to give to these displaced Christians. They’ll share other ways VOM is helping Christians, and the story of a displaced Christian who is experiencing joy and contentment in spite of living in a tent surrounded by enemies of the gospel.

This week on the Persecution Blog we are looking back at the top six most-read stories of 2015, based on the posts that created the most traffic throughout the year.

Editor's note: this post was originally written and posted after the fall of Mosul to the Islamic State in the summer of 2014. But after recent attacks in Paris it is worthy of being reminded of these truths:

VOM recently shared the story of Abu Fadi, a Christian from Mosul who fled ISIS in August 2014, in our October newsletter. We are sorry to tell you that Abu Fadi passed away last night from complications due to diabetes and high blood pressure.