One of the stories I wrote about last year that I still remember to this day was the story of the girls in Indonesia who were mercilessly beheaded. You may remember that I posted pictures of one of the girls who was beheaded, and you need to know that to this day people still find that post and read it. And for some reason, people actually do a search for "beheading pictures" and find that post. That aside, I wanted to give you an update on the survivor of that attack.

Today I wanted to share with you a very special prayer assignment that I came across this morning as I was going through all of my email. All last week I was on vacation in Washington DC and I have to tell you that it is great to be back...but now we have to catch up.

Hebrews 9:27 tells us that, "... it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment." and I love this passage because it gives me confidence in knowing that the Lord will not take me home to be with Him until that appointed time. So the story of John is inspiring and also draws us back to worship the One who made us. Be encouraged as you read this Extreme Devotion, and remember you can sign up to get devotions just like this in your email everyday by simply going to www.vomgroups.com and signing up.

In a day and age when there is a top ten list for virtually everything under the sun, not many of us are familiar with such a list for religious persecution. This is because religious persecution, especially against Christians, is not a very politically correct topic in a world that is pushing cultural diversity and "tolerance." As Christians in a culture where entertainment is given more media coverage than the treatment of our fellow believers, it is no wonder that most of us are probably more geared to recite the top ten college football teams or box office hits than the top ten persecutors. Below is a list of the ten worst offenders in the world, according to Open Doors International:

Many of you who are familiar with the Christian persecution stories posted and published by The Voice of the Martyrs have a distinct image of what suffering for one's faith looks like. Most, if not all, of these images have been planted in our minds from foreign lands such as China, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Nigeria, North Korea, etc. But why isn't the United States included on this list? Is it because Americans are more tolerant of Christianity? I would have to say no.

We must obey God rather than man is the thought that went through my mind as I read this Extreme Devotion. Think about it...it's very easy to 'say' we obey God, but do we really do it, and would we do it if our lives were on the line. Serious things to consider, and I want to encourage you to consider them today.

Over the last few months, I have written several posts sharing the testimonies and experiences of people who work at VOM or are visiting as guests. With this post, I’d like to share some of my personal thoughts and experiences, particularly the ones that led me to The Voice of the Martyrs.

In today's Extreme Devotion you will see the evil of the devil played out with the use of innocent children. Join me by receiving other devotions from this great book, Extreme Devotion by signing up at www.vomgroups.com . You will continually be blessed.

One of our mission representatives recently shared a powerful story with the office staff at The Voice of the Martyrs.

Happy Monday! In today's special Extreme Devotion you will see the faith of a man who willingly remained a prisoner of Jesus. If you like this devotion, you will love being able to receive one a day exclusively from The Voice of the Martyr's. Just go to www.vomgroups.com and sign up. You won't be disappointed.