Happy Birthday Jesus Radio Show
https://www.spreaker.com/show/happy-birthday-jesus-radio-show
Hello folks, welcome to tonight’s episode of the Salutations and Greetings Radio Show. It’s Saturday, January 27th. Tonight’s episode is about Jesus’ Birthday. We are not going to be focusing on whether a Christian should celebrate the day or not. We are not going to go into detail on the pagan roots and/or commercialism associated with that holiday. Much in the same way people here in American celebrate Washington’s birthday on a day that is not actually his birthday, many Christians do the same. Most of you probably realize that our first president here in America was born on February 22nd, 1732. That is his traditional date of birth. However, as Americans, we celebrate his birthday anytime between February 15th and February 21st. In 2018 we will be celebrating it on the 19th of the month. Now some Christians will say that Jesus was born on December 25th; Don’t confuse me with the facts I have already made up my mind. Others will say no, Jesus was conceived on December 25th.
So, when was Jesus born? When I was young, like many, I thought it was December 25th, too. But as I started reading my Bible things just didn’t make sense. I did feel that it was in the spring, and even included that rough thought into a short Christian fiction story, called “Hilbert Spaces and Xibalban Gold.”
Chuck Missler has a teaching where he believes that his research proves that Jesus was born in the fall, although he once referred to a rabbinical teaching that Jesus in his words, “may have merit” that Jesus actually may have been born in early May. If you are interested in a condensed version of his teaching, that Jesus was born in the fall, please go to YouTube and play https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=067Mahm3dHA.
Rabbi Jonathan Kahn has a teaching that Jesus was born in the spring on the first day of Nissan (Gregorian calendar = March-April) For example, in 2018 the first of Nissan falls on March 17th on the Gregorian calendar. I was already leaning in that direction, but his teaching really filled in the gaps for me. If you are interested in viewing that teaching, please go to YouTube and view https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dcy1VF3OOk.
Recently my friend and brother in Christ, Ken Welker, of the Seed.org Training, visited Israel. Later Ken researched the connection of swaddling sheep and the birth of Jesus. When he shared it with me, I shared Rabbi Cahn’s video, which I referenced above. He was so excited about how well it dovetailed with his own research, that he decided to make a teaching on the issue. Ken will present his teaching on tonight’s radio show.
Before Ken arrives I will prepare my introductory remarks and share a free verse prose piece about Christmas from my book Waysides Along the Journey Two: White Noise and Stirring Rhetoric, entitled, “Seasons in Life ,” written on May 5th, 2011, which discusses the Christian Christmas controversy.
Like with many controversial issues in Christendom I get caught smack dab in the middle and end up being bopped by both camps- those who rail about Christmas being an evil pagan holiday which should be avoided at all costs and the other camp which yells, “Lighten up already. There is no evidence that Christmas is based on a pagan holiday. Get your story straight!” Anyway, the long and the short of it for me is that Jesus did change the way I approach the whole winter holiday season, but He also made it very clear that while I must be ready to share the details behind the paqanization and commercialism of that holiday, especially here in America, that each person and family has to come to their own conclusion. God has this incredible ability to meet us where we are at, and work with Him, on certain details. Just how each family may be blessed or disciplined on this and many other walk of life issues is really between them and Jesus. We may have a part to play or a piece to say, ultimately we have to let go and let God. Many of us as Christians may come to the truth on a variety of issues in Christianity, and then become hard and inflexible like the prodigal son’s older brother. We can become “offended for Jesus” and end up being snobbish law-keepers. Being divisive and legalistic is one side of the error. It is the opposite side of that error to feel “offended for sinners” and become carelessly inclusive of pagan and occult ritual, as well as accepting common cultural sins, into our churches and homes, and then making excuses for them. That is the other side of the ditch. Just like a blind group of Pharisees could end up leading others into the ditch in Jesus day, modern Pharisees, may do the same thing, concerning Christmas and many other issues.
Well, enough rambling on my part. I will share “Seasons of Life” and then Ken Welker,
from The Seed.org, will share his teaching about “Jesus Real Birthday.”
Clickable link to my blog post which has links for each of my books and albums at Amazon.
https://wayneoconner.com/autumn-2016-updated-books-by-wayne-oconner-list/