{"id":1519,"date":"2012-12-24T05:12:41","date_gmt":"2012-12-24T12:12:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/billintheblank\/?p=1519"},"modified":"2012-12-24T05:12:41","modified_gmt":"2012-12-24T12:12:41","slug":"the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/","title":{"rendered":"The FaithWalker&#8217;s Daily &#8212; Dec. 24: Persecuted Christians, Inspiring Christmas Stories, Mini-Fiscal Cliffs"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><blockquote><p>The FaithWalker\u2019s Daily is a quick review of key news stories of the day from the perspective of a conservative Christ-follower living in, but not of, the world.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/billintheblank\/files\/2012\/12\/iranian-american-pastor-saeed-abedini.jpg\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter  wp-image-1520\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/billintheblank\/files\/2012\/12\/iranian-american-pastor-saeed-abedini.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"604\" height=\"377\"><\/a><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Christians in Middle East Face Tough Christmas and Beyond<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>The Basics \u2014 <\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>From Egypt to Syria and throughout the Middle East, Christians face increasing persecution as radical Islam spreads rapidly.<\/p>\n<h4>Dig Deeper:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Via <a href=\"http:\/\/global.christianpost.com\/news\/christians-urged-to-leave-place-at-christmas-dinner-for-pastor-jailed-in-iran-87102\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">The Christian Post<\/a>: Christians urged to set a place at the table this Christmas for Pastor Saeed Abedini, a U.S. immigrant being held in an Iranian prison for his faith. [<strong>Picture above<\/strong>]<\/li>\n<li>Via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/religion\/9762745\/Christianity-close-to-extinction-in-Middle-East.html\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">the UK Telegraph<\/a>:Claims Christianity faces extinction in Middle East. Key graphs: \u201cA far less widely grasped fact is that Christians are targeted more than any other body of believers\u2026.It cites estimates that 200 million Christians, or 10 per cent of Christians worldwide, are \u201csocially disadvantaged, harassed or actively oppressed for their beliefs quoting estimates that between a half and two-thirds of Christians in the Middle East have left the region or been killed in the past century.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Via <a href=\"http:\/\/global.christianpost.com\/news\/christians-in-syria-face-tough-christmas-as-war-rages-on-87076\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">The Christian Post<\/a>: Syrian Christians keep a low profile; skip decorations, focus on service.<\/li>\n<li>All this as <a href=\"http:\/\/rt.com\/news\/egypt-referendum-approves-constitution-670\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Egypt approves its hastily assembled Sharia constitution<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>A Few Thoughts\u2026<\/h4>\n<p>\u201cIn this world you will have trouble,\u201d said our Savior. So we should expect persecution as we faithfully follow Him. \u201cIf they hated me, they will surely hate you, also.\u201d We can take comfort that nothing man can do could possibly frustrate the unfolding of God\u2019s Kingdom in time and space. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nkjv\/daniel\/passage.aspx?q=daniel+2:44-45\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">It is a Kingdom made without human hands; therefore, no human opposition could ever stop its growth. <\/a>But that doesn\u2019t mean it will be easy. This Christmas, pray for the freedom to proclaim the gospel in the Middle East and the courage to live in obedience to it.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center\">\u201cFear not. I have overcome the world.\u201d<\/h4>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>Inspiring Stories and Pics for Christmas Cheer<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>The Basics \u2014<\/h4>\n<p>Amid stories of persecution, school massacres, and financial fiscal cliffs, it\u2019s important to remember the good stories and a few holiday pictures to keep our focus on what matter most.<\/p>\n<h4>Dig Deeper:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/us\/2012\/12\/23\/remains-soldier-killed-in-146-in-europe-finally-returning-for-proper-burial\/%20?test=latestnews\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Via FoxNews<\/a>: US soldier\u2019s remain finally come home \u2014 after 66 years.<\/li>\n<li>Via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/12\/23\/puntland-hostage-rescue_n_2357061.html\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">The Huffington Post<\/a>: 22 Hostages freed from pirate captors \u2014 after three years!<\/li>\n<li>Also <a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/2012\/12\/23\/will-fahey-teen-with-cere_n_2356277.html\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">via HP: <\/a>Teen with cerebral palsy plays football \u2014 \u201ca dream come true.\u201d<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/twitchy.com\/2012\/12\/23\/walking-in-a-social-media-wonderland-users-share-joyous-photos-of-christmas-lights-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Christmas pics from around the world\u2019s social media via Twitchy.<\/a><\/li>\n<li>My own post<a href=\"http:\/\/twitchy.com\/2012\/12\/23\/walking-in-a-social-media-wonderland-users-share-joyous-photos-of-christmas-lights-around-the-world\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\"> I\u2019ve Got Plenty to Be Thankful For <\/a>is still relevant now.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>A Few Thoughts\u2026<\/h4>\n<p>It\u2019s easy to get focused on the evil in the world thanks to the media\u2019s obsession with ratings. After all,\u201d if it bleeds, it leads.\u201d Maybe we should be intentional about ensuring we have access to the positive stuff happening all over the world. And in our own backyards. This Christmas, reach out and find out. Or make it happen yourself. Find a neighbor in need and help them out.<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.biblestudytools.com\/nkjv\/john\/10-10.html\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">\u201cI have come that they may have abundant life.\u201d<\/a><\/h4>\n<h4><\/h4>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\n<h3>\u00a0Scaled-Back Fiscal Cliff Deal Likely<\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>The Basics \u2014<\/h4>\n<p>Political leaders on both side of the aisle are predicting a scaled-back deal that will keep current tax rates for most Americans, raise taxes on all others, and kick spending issues down the road to the next Congress.<\/p>\n<h4>Dig Deeper:<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Via <a href=\"http:\/\/www.foxnews.com\/politics\/2012\/12\/24\/senators-suggest-fiscal-deal-still-possible-but-appear-locked-in-same-standoff\/\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">FoxNews<\/a>: Senators say it\u2019s the only option left. Not quite.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.cnbc.com\/id\/100337304\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Via CNBC<\/a>: S0me in GOP say Obama intended to go over the cliff all along to cut defense and blame Republicans for it. I happen to agree with them.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.huffingtonpost.com\/robert-kuttner\/the-zombie-party_b_2357272.html\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">Lefty Robert Kuttner <\/a>for a view from the other side \u2013 and a good laugh.<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.npr.org\/blogs\/itsallpolitics\/2012\/12\/22\/167880148\/how-boehners-critical-moment-could-turn-out-ok-for-him?ft=1&amp;f=1001\" target=\"_blank\" class=\" decorated-link\" rel=\"nofollow\">NPR says <\/a>Boehner could still emerge as bipartisan hero in spite of rumours that a Paul Ryan coup may be underway in the House. Likely wishful thinking on their part.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4>A Few Thoughts\u2026<\/h4>\n<p>For a day or two, at least, it\u2019ll be good to set aside concerns for our country\u2019s financial future as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. But we\u2019re still missing anything resembling courageous leadership in Washington. A study of the many hapless kings of Israel\u00a0reinforces the truth that when leaders fail to lead with Biblical wisdom, the people suffer the consequences. In our situation, we have no one to blame but ourselves for electing them in the first place.\u00a0I suppose this where we pray for a miracle \u2014 then pick up the phone and make our voices heard?<\/p>\n<h4 style=\"text-align: center\">When in doubt, punt. Apparently.<\/h4>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The FaithWalker\u2019s Daily is a quick review of key news stories of the day from the perspective of a conservative Christ-follower living in, but not of, the world. Christians in Middle East Face Tough Christmas and Beyond The Basics \u2014 From Egypt to Syria and throughout the Middle East, Christians face increasing persecution as radical [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1084,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[281,282],"class_list":["post-1519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faithwalkers","tag-christmas-stories","tag-persecuted-christians"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The FaithWalker&#039;s Daily -- Dec. 24: Persecuted Christians, Inspiring Christmas Stories, Mini-Fiscal Cliffs<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The FaithWalker\u2019s Daily is a quick review of key news stories of the day from the perspective of a conservative Christ-follower living in, but not of, the\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The FaithWalker&#039;s Daily -- Dec. 24: Persecuted Christians, Inspiring Christmas Stories, Mini-Fiscal Cliffs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The FaithWalker\u2019s Daily is a quick review of key news stories of the day from the perspective of a conservative Christ-follower living in, but not of, the\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"FaithWalkers\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-12-24T12:12:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/wp.patheos.com.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs\/billintheblank\/files\/2012\/12\/iranian-american-pastor-saeed-abedini.jpg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Bill Blankschaen\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Bill Blankschaen\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/\",\"name\":\"The FaithWalker's Daily -- Dec. 24: Persecuted Christians, Inspiring Christmas Stories, Mini-Fiscal Cliffs\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-12-24T12:12:41+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2012-12-24T12:12:41+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/#\/schema\/person\/5560c0a98f542f838152bf4905b03dcb\"},\"description\":\"The FaithWalker\u2019s Daily is a quick review of key news stories of the day from the perspective of a conservative Christ-follower living in, but not of, the\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/2012\/12\/the-faithwalkers-daily-dec-24-persecuted-christians-inspiring-christmas-stories-mini-fiscal-cliffs\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/faithwalkers\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The FaithWalker&#8217;s Daily &#8212; 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