Category: Just fun

13-48 It’s Christmastime! Dating, Origins, History, and Biblical Accounts

13-48 It’s Christmastime! Dating, Origins, History, and Biblical Accounts

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Show 13-48 Summary: Christmastime is that time of year when you run into the Christmas downers who try to convince you “real Christians” shouldn’t celebrate Christmas because it has “pagan origins.” You doubtless see them popping up on social media and among your circle of friends. And they will arrogantly scoff at anyone who doesn’t echo their dismissive Christmas attitude. The modern-day Christmas downer is a lot like the downer Puritans before them: if they don’t approve it, then it’s just not Christian. For much of American history, the Puritans and other protestant offshoots banned Christmas celebrations — especially merrymaking. This week, find out why you shouldn’t let them steal your Christmas joy. We talk with Pastor Richard Peil about the origins and history of Christmas celebrations, its potential dating, and some exciting insights into the two Biblical accounts of the Nativity story.

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Original Air Dates: December 2nd & 3rd, 2023 | Guest: Pastor Richard Peil

This Week – It’s Christmastime!

For most people, Christmastime is a joyous time. Filled with traditions, family, joy, and memories and nostalgia about Christmases past. But not for everyone. Some are committed to being the Christmas downer. Why? Because they’ve gotten it in their head that Christmas has pagan origins. That it was originally a pagan holiday that the early Church co-opted Saturnalia. Or other pagan holidays. So they spend what should be a joyous time of year dragging others down and, Grinch-like, attempting to steal others’ joy and Christmas spirit.

Don’t let them.

And when they’re not pushing the Saturnalia angle, they’ll point out similarities between the Mithra religion. Yes, there are alleged similarities. But you know who’s the greatest imitator of God and what is holy? Satan. (Funny how they forget that.) They’ll say we don’t know when Jesus was born. And that’s largely true. And they’ll also say whenever he was born it was not on December 25th, in 1 A.D. Yes, that’s possible. After all, if your focus is to pick a day that something didn’t happen, you’ve got a 364 out 365 chance of being right.

Calendars and the Dating of Christmas Day

Over the millennia, calendars and dates have been tweaked and revised and reordered to an extent that it’s hard to say which day might have been the true Christmas Day. And it’s a moving date. At one time, most scholars thought Jesus was born in 4 B.C. based largely on Josephus. But better information came to light, including a better dating for the eclipse Josephus mentioned. And, drawing on other historical sources, it’s now reliably likely that Jesus was born in  2 B.C.

But which day of the year?

Well, here’s the thing: no one knows. But it’s not the date that’s important – it’s what happened that’s important. Regardless of the day of the year. That the war against Satan had started and his time holding power over this world was coming to an end. And, as with any life, it’s not “just” that you’re born but what you do with that life. The date it started doesn’t matter in the greater scheme of things.

Origins of Christmas

We welcome back Pastor Richard Peil who leads Victory Baptist Church in Bend, Oregon, to talk about Christmas, its early church origins and beliefs. In the early days of Christianity, which had many Jewish converts and followed Jewish heritage, most people did not celebrate birthdays at all. Instead, they celebrated the day when someone died. Which is rather odd from our modern standpoint. But tune in to hear other traditions and about two competing theories of why the early church thought Jesus was conceived on March 25th. And therefore must have been born on December 25th.

We also talk about Christmas time celebrations during America’s early days. Or not. Because in some colonies and states, not only was Christmas definitely not celebrated but was even banned from being celebrated.

And then we talk about the two Nativity stories in the Bible, from Matthew and Luke. Which tell the story of Jesus’s birth from two different viewpoints. And intended for two different audiences. Why does Matthew focus on the arrival of the Magi and Luke ignores it? Why does Luke focus on John the Baptist and the shepherds? And why does Matthew ignore those?

Watch the fascinating “Star of Bethlehem” 2007 documentary by Rick Larson
Try this link if you have Amazon Prime Video

Speaking of Magi, you’ll hear what some sources think their arrival was really like. And with some historical context, you’ll never think of the “Three Wise Men” the same ever again.

Christmastime Traditions and Today

Then we wrap up with some important discussions of Christmas in today’s day and age. Should Christians even celebrate? If so, why? What do non-believers need to see and to hear during Christmastime? And the same for Christians? What traditions does Pastor Peil’s family and church family celebrate and are important to them?

So when you run into the Christmas downer, spewing their Christmastime hate, remind them the date is not important. The Joy of Christmas is found in what happened that day, not the day on which it happened.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Pastor Peil’s church is Victory Baptist Church. Their website is victoryforyou.church

The Problems Dating of Christmas

  • From Chuck Missler: When Was Jesus Born? (Koinonia House, Dec 1, 2020)
    • “We know that the flocks were in an open field (Luke 2:8). That means it was not after October, because it would have been too cold.”
    • 24 priestly courses
  • Jewish Calendar, 3BC and 2BC
  • Origins of April Fools Day (History.com)
    • “April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563. …In the Julian Calendar, as in the Hindu calendar, the new year began with the spring equinox around April 1.”
  • Roman calendar (via Fandom)
  • The Essenes Calendar (Bible Prophecy Information, via Rev210.net)
    • The Essenes (who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls) kept the traditional Jewish solar calendar, not the Pharisees’ lunar calendar
    • See our previous show with Dr. Ken Johnson for a fascinating look at the Essenes — the ancient Jewish sect, including their calendar-based prophecies of Jesus’s arrival and completion of his mission as The Messiah.
  • The First Recorded Celebration of Christmas (Christianity Today, Oct 23, 2020)
    • “In an old list of Roman bishops, compiled in A.D. 354 these words appear for A.D. 336: ‘25 Dec.: natus Christus in Betleem Judeae.’ Or, ‘December 25th, Christ born in Bethlehem, Judea.’ This… is the first recorded celebration of Christmas.”
  • Historians beware! Interesting discussion on Julian/Gregorian Calendars (University of Nottingham)
    • The Julian Calendar was the system of dating followed from 46BC onwards. It established a 365-¼ year. Except it was 11 minutes too long.
    • In 1582, the Gregorian calendar corrected the over-correction by eliminating ten days and adjusting leap years. But took nearly 400 years to be universally adopted!

The Magi, Other Christmastime

  • History of the Magi (Chuck Missler, December 1, 2021)
  • The fascinating “Star of Bethlehem” 2007 documentary by Rick Larson
  • The Origins of our Christmas Traditions (KHouse.org, Seasonal Favorites, Dec 2004)
    • “The first recorded mention of December 25th is in the Calendar of Philocalus (A.D. 354).”
  • The History of Christmas: Is It Pagan? (Koinonia House, Dec 13, 2011)
    • “Tertullian (AD 160-220), the early Church writer, noticed that the pagan religion [of Mithra] utilized baptism as well as bread and wine consecrated by priests. He considered Mithraism to have been inspired by the devil, who wanted to mock Christians and lead others to hell.”
  • John 1:14: “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.” The Greek word there for “dwelt” is  σκηνόω (pronounced, “skay-NAH-oh”) which means to tent or to encamp; which is why some translations use “tabernacled among us” instead of “dwelt among us.” See this link to Strong’s Concordance for more on σκηνόω.
  • What the Bible says about Feast of Tabernacles (BibleTools.org, No Date)
    • Required 189 animal sacrifices be made at the Feast of Tabernacles alone—more than all the other holy days combined.
  • Early Christmas (Britannica.com)
    • “During the first two centuries of Christianity there was strong opposition to recognizing birthdays of martyrs or, for that matter, of Jesus.”
  • The Christmas Story – Part 2 – Chuck Missler (Koinonia House, YouTube Channel, Dec 25, 2019)

 

 

signers of the declaration of independence. Who they were, what led them to be there.
Annual 4th of July Show! Getting to the Declaration, It’s Signers

Annual 4th of July Show! Getting to the Declaration, It’s Signers

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Show Summary: The Declaration of Independence was the third, this-time-we-mean it appeal to the King. We look at the others and why they failed. We often talk about the Founding Fathers but we don’t often talk about the Founding Fathers. What led them to be there? Did you know some weren’t supposed to be there? Join us for this special look into the Signers’ lives, sacred honor, and fortunes—before and after they signed.

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Six Different Times, on Eight Different Stations. Listen anywhere! All stations stream live!

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8a – 9a: KYKN 1439AM (Salem/Keizer) | Direct Link to KYKN Live Stream
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Mondays
After the show airs on our network of radio stations, you can listen to our podcast either here on our site or your favorite podcast platform. We are now on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, TuneIn, and more. See the full podcast list.

Original Air Dates: June 26 & 27 and July 3rd & 4th, 2021 | Greg Leo

This week: It’s our 11th Annual Fourth of July Show! In the past, our shows focused on celebrating the Fourth of July down through the years and what those celebrations looked like. In the then-frontier of the Midwest. On the Oregon Trail at Independence Rock. The big 50th Anniversary. And, among other things, we’ve looked at the Declaration of Independence itself. The key phrases and the history behind them.

Our guest every year for these annual shows is Greg Leo, a political and business consultant by day but his true love is American history. Especially our early history and the events of our founding.

This year, our special focus is on the previous appeals that led to the final, bold statement: The Declaration of Independence.

Leading up to the Declaration: The Olive Branch Petition

Did you know that the Declaration of Independence was not the first appeal to the King? There were two others that could be considered forerunners to the Declaration. We focus on the Olive Branch Petition.

And we take a look at the First Continental Congress and their two main accomplishments. Do you know whose idea a continental congress was in the first place?

The Second Continental Congress, the same one that sent the Declaration of Independence, sent the Olive Branch Petition to the King, in an attempt to avert war. By then, there had been shots fired and people killed at the battles of Lexington and Concord.

Thomas Jefferson did a first draft but Congress considered it too inflammatory. So they turned to John Dickinson, known as the “penman of the revolution” to soften the tone.

Tune in to hear why it didn’t work. Was it inadvertently sabotaged by one of the Declaration’s signers?

“United”? Not Quite

There were some 65 delegates to the 2nd Continental Congress. But a quick count shows only 56 signers. What happened there?

Well. While we often see the Founding Fathers as a united front, getting there wasn’t easy. And it definitely wasn’t always united. We talk to Greg Leo about the divisions and some delegates who had to be replaced to get to that united.

The Signers of the Declaration of Independence

This year we focus on some of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. We hear about them pledging their lives, their fortunes, their sacred honor. And they really meant it. All of them were truly putting everything on the line.

But what led them to be there?

And did you know that some of them weren’t even supposed to be there? One was a substitute for the serving President of the Second Continental Congress but played a key role in the Declaration itself.

With 56 signers, and only a one-hour show, we couldn’t focus on all of them. But we do focus on:

  • John Hancock – you know him for his signature. Why so big? But how did this late arrival end up being the President of the Second Continental Congress? Did you know that in many ways he was the Donald Trump of the Revolution?
  • John Morton – I know. Who? You’ve probably never heard of him but he was the key vote. He was also the first signer to die.
  • Button Gwinnett — The second signer to die but not from what you might think. This signer embodied the idea of sacred honor.
  • Samuel Adams — Most people think of him for beer. Except he wasn’t a brewer. What else don’t you know about him? He was
  • John Adams — A creature of politics and a rival to many. Most famously to Thomas Jefferson over states’ rights vs. powerful federal government. Hear about his intercepted letter.
  • Thomas Jefferson — The workhorse who wrote most of the Declaration. A complicated and conflicted man for sure but how’d he get to the 2nd Continental Congress in the first place?
  • Charles Carroll – the very last of the signers of the Declaration of Independence to die. Imagine the changes he saw in the 56 years after the signing.

The I Spy Radio Show Podcast Version

Trapped under a heavy object? Missed the show? Don’t worry—catch the podcast version. I Spy Radio is now available on your favorite platform, or you can grab it right here. See the full list of podcast options.

Links and Info on the Signers of the Declaration

Some Signers We Just Couldn’t Get To

  • Joseph Hewes – A successful Businessman who put it all on the line. He was a merchant and had quite a few ships and was the “go-to expert” in Congress for maritime issues. He placed his ships at the service of the Continental Armed Forces. And he served Congress as the Secretary of the Naval Affairs Committee until 1779, when he fell ill.
  • Thomas Lynch Jr. – He was commissioned a company commander in the South Carolina regiment in 1775. … He fell ill shortly after signing the Declaration and retired from the Congress. At the close of 1776 he and his wife sailed for the West Indies. The ship disappeared and there is no record of his life after.
  • Richard Stockton – He was captured and tortured: “New Jersey was overrun by the British in November of ’76, when he was returning from the mission. He managed to move his family to safety, but was captured and imprisoned by the British. Originally, he was taken to Perth Amboy where he was jailed. Stockton was then moved to Provost Prison in New York where he was intentionally starved and subjected to freezing cold weather. Died of lip cancer before the war was finished
  • George Taylor – A bit of a quirky story. He actually arrived too late to vote for independence but signed the Declaration.
  • John Witherspoon – One of two ministers to sign, though the other (Lyman Hall) was also a physician

 

One of the McMinnville UFO photographs by Paul Trent
McMinnville UFO Photos

McMinnville UFO Photos

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In May, 1950 Paul Trent, a farmer in rural Oregon, took two photos of something in the sky. He and his wife were outside when they spotted the strange object and he rushed inside to grab the camera. The two pictures he took before the craft sped off to the west became known as “The McMinnville UFO photographs.”

The McMinnville paper printed them and the photos also appeared in  Life magazine and in newspapers all across the nation. To this day, they are often considered to be among the best photographs ever taken of a UFO.

The McMinnville UFO photographs

Although they’re known as the “McMinnville UFO Photographs”, the farm owned by the Trents was actually just outside of Sheridan, Oregon—which just happens to be the home town of I Spy Radio Show‘s producer, Karla Davenport. But McMinnville was bigger and its paper first carried the story, so “Mac” gets the credit.

While skeptics scoff, they were never officially debunked. No wires, no tampering with the negatives. They remain a mystery. Others in the area also said they saw the craft before it sped off.

What do you think?

McMinnville UFO photo by Paul Trent
UFO photo taken near McMinnville, Oregon. Click for full size image.

 

A close up of the craft in the McMinnville UFO photo
A close up of the craft in the McMinnville UFO photo. Click for larger image

 

The second McMinnville UFO photo, giving a slightly different angle of the craft
The second McMinnville UFO photo, giving a slightly different angle of the craft. Click image for full size.

You can read the Wikipedia article about the McMinnville UFO photographs here.

And be sure to check out our show on UFO Disclosure with author, film maker, and UFO researcher, L. A. Marzulli.

McMinnville UFOfest

McMinnville holds an annual UFO festival. In 2021, it will be in September, the weekend of the 23rd – 25th. A parade, vendors, and guest lecturers. Find out more at ufofest.com.

I Spy Radio's annual Fourth of July Show
8th Annual Fourth of July Show! | How America Survived Divisiveness

8th Annual Fourth of July Show! | How America Survived Divisiveness

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Show Summary: This year’s annual Fourth of July Show is a look back at times when America was even more divided than it is now. And how we healed and came together. With ace historian, Greg Leo.

Map of I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, starting May 5, 2018
I Spy Radio Show broadcast areas, as of July 2018. Click for full-size map.

Listen anywhere! All stations stream live!

Saturdays
10a – 11a: KFIR 720AM (entire Willamette Valley) | Direct Link to KFIR Live Stream
11a – noon: KLBM 1450AM (Union County) | Direct Link to KLBM Live Stream
11a – noon: KBKR 1490AM (Baker County) | Direct Link to SuperTalk Live Stream
7p – 8p: KWRO 630AM (Oregon Coast & Southeastern Oregon) | Direct Link to KWRO Live Stream

Sundays
8a – 9a: KWVR 1340AM (Wallowa County) | Direct Link: KWVR Live Stream
7p – 8p: KAJO 1270AM (Grants Pass/Medford) | Direct Link: KAJO Live Stream

Air Dates: June 30 & July 1, 2018 — Also July 7 and 8, 2018 | Greg Leo

It’s our annual Fourth of July show! Our eighth annual Fourth of July show if you can believe it. This year, we welcome back once again, ace amateur historian, Greg Leo. On this week’s show, we take today’s divided America and look back to compare to other moments in history. When, believe it or not, America was even more divided then than it is today.

[wpedon id=”2365″ align=”center”]

Our Annual Fourth of July Show

The Fourth of July is, and always has been, a unifying moment on the calendar. In some ways, even more than Christmas, because not everyone is a Christian but we’re all Americans.

And every year, we take a look back at periods of American history, to understand what America was going through, how the Fourth was celebrated in times past, and what those times and celebrations can teach us today.

This Year: Our 8th Annual Fourth of July Show

America is pretty divided right now. Half the country hates the current President — just like half hated the previous President. There’s the Russian investigation that, depending on which side of the political aisle you’re on, you either think proves Trump colluded with Russians or is a complete witch hunt. But you’ve also got Antifa routinely rioting, and Rep. Maxine Waters is openly calling for people to harass members of the administration and even Trump supporters.

Could this be any worse?

Actually, yes.

Fourth of July in 1800

The often overlooked election of 1800 was probably the most contentious time in American politics. And there were some amazing similarities between then and now.

We talk with Greg Leo about how the political war between Adams and Jefferson nearly tore the new country apart. Like today, both sides back then had their own media—the equivalent of Fox News vs. CNN. If you thought Sarah Sanders getting kicked out of a restaurant was something, you’ll have to hear what supporters of one side or the other went through.

But even in those dark and uncertain times, America pulled through.

Fourth of July in 1843

Fourth of July Celebrations in Canyon City, Oregon, in 1862.
Fourth of July Celebrations in Canyon City, Oregon, in 1862.

This year also marks the 175th anniversary of the vote in the Oregon frontier to side with America.

In 1843, the settlers began to realize they needed some form of government. Find out what happened to start the movement toward government. Then, as now, civic involvement could be a tricky business. Find out what carrots the leaders used to get the settlers to turnout and vote.

Fourth of July in the Great Depression

Fourth of July in the Great Depression.
Fourth of July in the Great Depression. One wonders if these children saw any fireworks that year.

While much of America’s history has been filled with the promise of freedom, liberty, and prosperity, the Great Depression from 1929 to World War II was a time of struggle for many Americans.

During the Depression, many parents couldn’t afford to keep their own children and were forced to send them to orphanages. Other children took their lives into their own hands and hopped rail cars in search of food and work.

It wasn’t just America. The Depression was worldwide and many countries fell into the trap of totalitarian governments, leading to the rise of the Nazis in Germany, fascism in Italy, and the continued advance of socialism and communism in Europe.

But even during these dark times, the promise of Liberty burned bright and the Fourth of July was a beacon of hope to all Americans. And as America became the leader of the Free World, our promise of freedom and liberty was a beacon to the rest of the world too.

Podcast Version

Links Mentioned

  • If you’re in need of governmental or political consulting, drop Greg Leo a line. He has more than 30 years of experience in the world of politics and government affairs. Greg can be reached at greg@theleocompany.com

Segments 1 & 2: (175th Anniversary of Founders Day)

  • Oregon Politics and Govt in the 1840s (via Oregon Secretary of State)
    • “The region went from having no government, other than the de facto civil authority exercised by the Hudson’s Bay Company, to territorial status on a path to statehood. Along the way, Oregonians saw the creation of a provisional government in 1843 and the end of the British claim to sovereignty in 1846. Local political squabbles between Americans and an alliance of French-Canadians and the Hudson’s Bay Company provided much of the early heat but politics in Washington, driven by the call “Fifty-Four Forty or Fight!,” added to the rising temperature on the subject of what to do with the Oregon Country. ”
    • “Over the years, no event had come along in the small community to trigger serious discussion of the subject. … The event finally came when American Ewing Young died in 1841 without a will. Young, by far the wealthiest independent settler in the Oregon Country, owned a large herd of cattle in addition to promissory notes from his neighbors for large debts. Since he had no known heirs, the subject arose at his funeral of what to do with his property in the absence of any sort of governmental probate procedure. ”
  • Marion County Celebrates 175 Years (Woodburn Independent, April 2018)
  • 1843 Pioneer Problems & a Promise – Events of 1843.

Segments 3 & 4: Divisive Times (Jefferson & Adams)

Segments 5 & 6: Great Depression

 

I Spy Radio Annual Fourth of July Show | War of 1812 America's first 50 years
7th Annual Fourth of July Show – The First 50 Years

7th Annual Fourth of July Show – The First 50 Years

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Show Summary: It’s I Spy’s Seventh Annual Fourth of July Show! This year, we’re looking at the first 50 years of America, when we nearly didn’t survive. Tune in to hear what was tearing us apart and why we came back together.

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Air Dates: July 1 & 2, 2017 | Greg Leo

Hot dogs, apple pie, picnics, fireworks! What a great time of the year. And once again we’re joined by Greg Leo (greg@theleocompany.com), I Spy’s “in house” historian, for our annual Fourth of July Show.

On last year’s annual Fourth of July show, we talked about the English Civil War and America’s first big milestone, the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1826 and all the festivities for the jubilee.  This year, we’re taking a closer look at those fifty years in between.

American Revolution War vet, Lemuel Cook. Enlisted in 1781 at age 16. He served at the Battle of Brandywine and was present at the Surrender at Yorktown.
American Revolution War vet, Lemuel Cook. Enlisted in 1781 at age 16. He served at the Battle of Brandywine and was present at the Surrender at Yorktown.

Like today, there was a lot of disunity in America.  Having fought two wars with the strongest nation in the world, America was being pulled apart by the War of 1812 and many states weren’t on board with disenfranchising themselves from England. There were secret political meetings to undermine the President. And just like today, there was also a fierce battle going on between the two political parties, the Federalists and the Republicans.  One wanted to grow the federal government while the other wanted it to shrink.

Tune in to find out how and why America prevailed and how the second and third generations of the Revolution managed to keep alive the most extraordinary experiment of self-governance — the American Republic.  And don’t miss the last letter Thomas Jefferson ever wrote, as his poor health forced him to decline an invitation to attend the 50th Jubilee, that for one last time clearly and poignantly expressed the heart and soul of the Declaration of Independence.

Join us to celebrate July 4th, our Independence Day!

Fun Stuff for the Fourth of July

Links and Research

  • Terrific article on the 50th Anniversary celebration, July 4 in 1826 (American Heritage)
  • “Respected Sir” — the last letter of Thomas Jefferson, declining the invitation to the 50th Anniversary celebration
  • The Spirit of ‘76 (Washington Free Beacon)
  • The Fourth of July, birth of Independence Day, early Fourth of July celebrations, and more from the History Channel
  • More on the “Era of Good Feelings” during the Monroe era
  • List of battles during the American Revolution
  • Yes, it’s Wikipedia but a good article on the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence
  • The Olive Branch Petition articles here (“Revolutionary War and Beyond,” an independent history site), here (History Channel), and here (Wikipedia)
  • Read John Adams’ letter that was intercepted and leaked that spoiled the Olive Branch Petition
  • Greg’s company is the Leo Company and can be found here