Henrey Stanley, the biographer and convert of David Livingstone, was the first Christian to reach Uganda, in the 1870s. He arrived to the court of King Mutesa and showed him a Bible. The king explained that Muslims had arrived previously to his court, and they also had a book to show him.

An agreement between the Philippine government and the Muslim insurgent group Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is intended to usher in long-awaited peace to the southern region of the Philippines, but it is what Christians living in this area have dreaded for years.

On behalf of the children and pastors in Nepal who received Christmas Care and Village Outreach Packs, thank you to all who gave to support this ministry project! Your gifts blessed these Christians — and their families — who pay a steep price for representing Christ in this Hindu nation.

VOM’s Kids of Courage resources help parents and educators teach children ages 5 to 13 about persecuted Christians around the world, and provide opportunities for children to serve and pray for them. The following post appeared earlier this month on www.kidsofcourage.com.

If God is sovereign and we are doing his will, why should we worry about a defense? Doesn’t that appear to be focusing too much on the mundane, too much on our own needs? Does it show a lack of faith? The point is that while it is true that God is sovereign and we are committed to doing his will, we live in a world that makes demands on us, even unreasonable demands. Christians are called before authorities, judges, and courts sometimes for good reasons and sometimes for not-so-good reasons. These persons have the responsibility of keeping peace in society, for upholding society’s laws, and to resolve conflict. Sometimes they are just doing their job; but some use their position to harass and persecute Christians, and this of course is unjust.

“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” (Mark 10:14b-15).

Church leaders in Syria are calling for intercessory prayer as the Geneva II Conference begins on Jan. 22 in Switzerland. Representatives from both the government of President Bashar al-Assad and the Western-backed political opposition are scheduled to meet for the first time in three years. Their goal is to find a peaceful way to end the conflict that has claimed the lives of more than 130,000 people and left millions more displaced.

There are many well-known quotes from C.S. Lewis, one of the best-known Christian writers and apologists of the past century.

Good news from Iran: Mohabat News is reporting that Davoud Alijani, arrested in Ahvaz, Iran, during a Christmas service in 2011, has been released from prison, 20 days prior to his sentence being complete.

It was getting late, and the Soviet officer had beaten and tortured Paulus for many hours. “We are not going to torture you anymore,” he said, smiling brutally when the Christian looked up. “We will send you instead to Siberia, where the snow never melts. It is a place of great suffering. You and your family will fit in well.”