A View from the Bunker

IT’S TIME Christians reclaim Christmas. We live at a time when some Christians are intimidated about wishing other Christians a Merry Christmas, afraid they might accidentally be participating in what was originally a pagan rite. Our monthly Iron and Myth round table says, “So what if it was?” Author and pastor Doug Van Dorn (https://douglasvandorn.com/), bestselling author and award-winning screenwriter Brian Godawa (https://godawa.com/), and Director of the Institute of Biblical Anthropology Dr. Judd Burton (https://burtonbeyond.com/) discuss the signs in the heavens that pointed to the birth of Jesus, the ways in which the powers and principalities—the gods of the pagan world—have tried to appropriate what was, in actual, historical fact, a Christian celebration from the beginning, and why—biblically—it doesn’t matter. Links: • The Star that Astonished the World (https://www.askelm.com/star/index.asp) by Dr. E. L. Martin (full text available online) • Dr. Michael Heiser’s Naked Bible Podcast: Is Christmas a Pagan Holiday? (https://drmsh.com/naked-bible-podcast-episode-195-is-christmas-a-pagan-holiday/) • Dr. Michael Heiser - September 11: Happy Birthday to Jesus (https://drmsh.com/september-11-happy-birthday-to-jesus/) • Derek Gilbert - The Truth About Christmas (https://www.gilberthouse.org/2022/12/the-truth-about-christmas/) • Derek Gilbert - Merry Non-Pagan Christmas (https://www.derekpgilbert.com/2018/12/23/merry-non-pagan-christmas/) • Pastor Doug Van Dorn’s “Wandering Stars” sermons on the churches of Revelation: • • Rev 2:1-7; 3:14-22 ~ Wanderings Stars Part I: Ephesus/Laodicea PDF (https://uploads.documents.cimpress.io/v1/uploads/bcb9acbb-1fa6-412c-bdd1-789d3943f72e~110/original?tenant=vbu-digital), Sermon Audio (https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=1321548147750) • Rev 2:8-11; 3:7-13 ~ Wandering Stars (II): Smyrna/Philadelphia PDF (https://uploads.documents.cimpress.io/v1/uploads/3ee45b2d-0948-412b-9210-e9d4a36d503e~110/original?tenant=vbu-digital), Sermon Audio (https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=192122630945) • Rev 2:12-17; ; 3:1-6 ~ Wandering Stars (III): Pergamum/Sardis PDF (https://uploads.documents.cimpress.io/v1/uploads/d3d6336d-cad1-4ca1-9baa-f4ab41a0152d~110/original?tenant=vbu-digital), Sermon Audio (https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=11721350141827) • Rev 2:18-29 ~ Wandering Stars (IV): Thyatira PDF (https://uploads.documents.cimpress.io/v1/uploads/2a4e7bd4-efbe-4d83-a9fe-13b672a68151~110/original?tenant=vbu-digital), Sermon Audio (https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/playpopup.asp?SID=12421539412054) Subscribe and share our YouTube channel at www.YouTube.com/GilbertHouse! Get all of our video and audio content on our new mobile app: www.gilberthouse.org/app/! —— My new book, The Second Coming of Saturn (https://www.gilberthouse.org/the-second-coming-of-saturn/), is available in paperback and Kindle (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09DRLQ3R3/)! Check out free chapters of the book by clicking here (https://www.derekpgilbert.com/category/second-coming-of-saturn/) (https://www.derekpgilbert.com/category/second-coming-of-saturn/). —— Read my novels for free! Iron Dragons and The God Conspiracy are part of Amazon’s Kindle Unlimited program, and they’re linked at my author page: Amazon.com/author/derekpgilbert. —— Please join Derek and Sharon Gilbert each Sunday for the Gilbert House Fellowship, our weekly Bible study podcast. Log on to www.GilbertHouse.org for more details. Get all of our podcasts — VFTB, P.I.D. Radio, and the Gilbert House Fellowship — at Spreaker: www.spreaker.com/user/gilberthouse. That’s more than 1,400 hours of free archived audio going back to 2005! Check out our weekly video programs: SciFriday (www.scifriday.tv) and Unraveling Revelation (www.unravelingrevelation.tv), and subscribe to the YouTube channels: YouTube.com/UnravelingRevelation and YouTube.com/SciFridayTV. —— Please visit our online store for special offers on our books and DVDs: www.gilberthouse.org/store. —— Discuss these topics at the VFTB Facebook page (www.facebook.com/viewfromthebunker) and check out the great podcasters at the Fringe Radio Network (www.spreaker.com/user/mxpw)!