Posted on 12/26/2016 6:27:49 AM PST by Kaslin
The second line of the Christmas carol slips past us. We hear “Good King Wenceslas looked out…” But what about the next bit, “…on the Feast of Stephen?” What’s that about?
December 26th is St. Stephen’s Day—the Feast of Stephen—long an important celebration in the Christian calendar and now largely ignored. It’s time to bring it back.
Stephen was the first Christian martyr, the protomartyr, stoned to death in the years of persecution that followed the death of Jesus. In the Acts of the Apostles, Chapters Six to Eight, we learn that Stephen was “a man full of faith,” appointed to oversee the care of neglected widows. Stephen took on the established authorities, corrupt in deed and belief, and they could not refute his arguments.
So, in timeless human fashion, the powers-that-were bribed witnesses against him. At the climax of his trial, knowing he was doomed, Stephen declared, “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.”
Out came the rocks.
What has this to do with us, as the Year of Our Lord 2017 approaches? To believing Christians, the answer might be “Everything.”
The 2,000-year-old Middle-Eastern Christian civilization that began in the days of St. Stephen lies in ruins, persecuted as never before. As the Obama administration averted its self-righteous gaze, a religious genocide already underway accelerated across the region. Stubborn and dogmatic, the administration refused to acknowledge the problem of Christian refugees—those who’d survived the kidnappings, tortures, rapes, massacres and broad religious cleansing—even to the extent of labeling those who wished to help Christians as bigots.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
If Stephen was the first Christian martyr stoned to death then what were Christs apostles? Jewish martyrs? Or does being crucified beheaded burned and stabbed not count?
Good thinking!
This guy is a neo-con jerk who pushes an agenda to topple regimes in the Middle East that have long been protective of Christian minorities.
his discernment on hillary is so bad.. he cant be trusted to know anthing on any subject. he made a grave error and I will remember him for that.. he cant undo it.
F Peters and the horse he rode in on. There’s a reason he wasn’t promoted to full Colonel and it wasn’t that awful sounding soprano voice.
Last time I was in Canada it was Boxing Day and it was a true holiday...only stores open were a couple of convenience stores and pharmacies and those had very limited hours.
Just like s Sunday!
Loser my next Door Neighbor made Colonel at age 35 Ralph
Peters made a BAD mistake by saying he was voting for Clinton.
I think af4er observing both Trump and Clinton since the election, Ralph may have changed his mind on Trump.
This is a very good oped piece, and I am not one who throws out good people because they made a bad choice once.
If Jesus can forgive sinners, we can also be lenient with Peters. After all, I can’t throw stones since I am also a sinner.
He should be shunned and mocked at every opportunity by all self-respecting Conservatives.
On this subject, he is dead right. On the subject of whom should be elected President, he is dead wrong.
Why Fox continues to pay this fool, as an *expert*, is beyond me.
EVERY time I see his #NeverTrump/ILLary loving face, I immediately change the channel. He holds NO fraction of expertise, AFAIC.
It is really not about sinning.
It is about someone who swore an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States who supported someone who spit in the face of the Constitution at every opportunity, starting in the 1970s.
What he did showed a grave error in judgment.
On the battlefield, such poor judgment would lead to a loss of command, and rightly so.
Peters portrayed himself as a patriot, but he was exposed when he supported Clinton over Trump.
That revealed not only bad judgment, but also a terrible character flaw.
Thus, he cannot be trusted.
Amen to that. Ralph is toast. The Trump flashlight exposed many of these cockroaches and I couldn’t be much happier.
So who participated in the martyring of Stephen? Saul of Tarsus, who became an avowed persecutor of Christians. It was on his chase of fleeing Christians to Syria that he encountered his famous “Road to Damascus” epiphany.
Wow! Thanks for posting that link. I had no idea.
**In Obama’s global village, there’s no room at the inn for Christian refugees. There’s not even a stable.**
Which will soon lead to another age of martyrs.
Shut up, Ralph, you stupid jerk.
Falsetto voice. That’s even worse. But the voice he received is something over which he had no control. A shame he hasn’t used it for telling the unvarnished truth.
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