Christian vs. Roman Evangelism

I was researching the word "gospel's" in Mark 8:35 and noticed it is the the word "evangelion" and here is the entry for it in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament:

εὐαγγέλιον in the imperial cult. This is the most important usage for our purpose. Note must be taken of what is said concerning the θεῖος ἄνθρωπος (→ 712), τύχη and σωτηρία. The emperor unites all these in his own person. This is what gives εὐαγγέλιον its significance and power. The ruler is divine by nature. His power extends to men, to animals, to the earth and to the sea. Nature belongs to him; wind and waves are subject to him.31 He works miracles and heals men. He is the saviour of the world who also redeems individuals from their difficulties (→ σωτήρ). τύχη is linked up with his person; he is himself τύχη. He has appeared on earth as a deity in human form. He is the protective god of the state. His appearance is the cause of good fortune to the whole kingdom. Extraordinary signs accompany the course of his life. They proclaim the birth of the ruler of the world. A comet appears at his accession, and at his death signs in heaven declare his assumption into the ranks of the gods.34 Because the emperor is more than a common man, his ordinances are glad messages and his commands are sacred writings. What he says is a divine act and implies good and salvation for men. He proclaims εὐαγγέλια through his appearance, and these εὐαγγέλια treat of him (→ 713). The first evangelium is the news of his birth: ἦρξεν δὲ τῶι κόσμωι τῶν διʼ αὐτὸν εὐανγελι[ων ἡ γενέθλιος] τοῦ θεοῦ. “The birthday of the god was for the world the beginning of the joyful messages which have gone forth because of him.”36 Other εὐαγγέλια follow, e.g., the news of his coming of age and esp. his accession: ἐπεὶ γν[ώ]στ[ης ἐγενόμην τοῦ] εὐαγγελ[ίο]υ περὶ τοῦ ἀνηγορεῦσθαι Καίσαρα τὸν τοῦ θεοφιλεστάτου κυρίον ἡμῶν … Joy and rejoicing come with the news. Humanity, sighing under a heaven burden of guilt, wistfully longs for peace. Doom is feared because the gods have withdrawn from earth.39 Then suddenly there rings out the news that the σωτήρ is born, that he has mounted the throne, that a new era dawns for the whole world. This εὐαγγέλιον is celebrated with offerings and yearly festivals. All cherished hopes are exceeded. The world has taken on a new appearance.

The imperial cult and the Bible share the view that accession to the throne, which introduces a new era and brings peace to the world, is a gospel for men. We can explain this only by supposing a common source. This is generally oriental. To the many messages, however, the NT opposes the one Gospel, to the many accessions the one proclamation of the → βασιλεία τοῦ θεοῦ. The NT speaks the language of its day. It is a popular and realistic proclamation. It knows human waiting for and hope of the εὐαγγέλια, and it replies with the εὐαγγέλιον, but with an evangel of which some might be ashamed, since it is a σκάνδαλον (Mt. 11:5 f.; R. 1:16; 1 C. 1:17, 23; 2 Tm. 1:8; Mk. 8:35). The Gospel means for men σωτηρία, but σωτηρία through → μετάνοια and judgment (→ 728 f., 732). For many this Gospel may be ironical when they hear it (cf. Ac. 17:32). But it is real joy; for penitence brings joy, and judgment grace and salvation. Caesar and Christ, the emperor on the throne and the despised rabbi on the cross, confront one another. Both are evangel to men. They have much in common. But they belong to different worlds.

In reading this one might feel like this perfectly justifies celebrating Christ's birth. After all He is the One who was born, proclaimed by men and miracles, brought the Good News, ushered in the foundation stone of His spiritual kingdom... I mean the description of how the Roman culture honored Caesar is spot on with the coming of Christ. Why not celebrate Christmas? Ah, but here is the line that brings it all into focus, the best line, saved for last:

"But they belong to different worlds."

This is the kicker of this entire exposition. The Christian gospel is not the same as the Roman gospel. In fact, it is polar opposite, even if it has similar concepts. It goes on to say:

"For many this Gospel may be ironical when they hear it (cf. Ac. 17:32). But it is real joy; for penitence brings joy, and judgment grace and salvation."

Perhaps this is why Yahshua's birthday was never recorded by the apostles. It was not calculated or even celebrated until centuries after His death and early apostolic fathers criticized bishops who were really reaching to make this a yearly celebration. Early Christians appeared to have an aversion to celebrating birthdays because of the associations with the Caesar and the Roman gods. Birthdays aren't bad but I can see why they would want to be set apart in such times. I can see why they wouldn't want their lives to be perceived as corrupted by pagan practices.

Yahweh gave the Israelites holy days for a specific reason, as shadows of things to come. They were given for them to ruminate (chew the cud) over what God has done for them and what God has in store. They were a parabolic reflection of His plan of the ages. This is why man-made traditions are not only inferior to but profane the holy. Our Gospel is the promise made to those who enter Sabbath rest by Yahshua's example and instruction to receive the Holy Spirit who will lead us into all truth. This is a daily practice. A daily celebration. We do not need yearly celebrations like the pagans do. Our command is "do this in remembrance of Me" (speaking of communion). Remember the Scriptures, "Give us this day our DAILY bread" for He is the bread of life, and so "whoever has entered His rest has ceased from his works as God did from His." All else is the works of our own hands which is filthy rags to Him - idolatry. "That which is not from faith is sin." We were warned not to follow the traditions of men. Yahshua only did the will of the Father. He did none of His own works. This example He passed on to His disciples.

The Sabbath is a sign on your forehead and right hand (what you think and do). Ask yourself the most important question of your life: "Am I at Sabbath rest?"

Or have you been deceived into taking the mark of the beast, receiving the spirit of Babylon and the works of Rome instead of the Spirit of God?

Jericho and Gobekli Tepe Not as Old as They Say

After looking at the timelines of these ancient settlements supposedly from around 10,000BC, I have to say that it seems scientists and archaeologists will go to great lengths to pre-date what the Bible says even if they are easily proven wrong by the Bible itself as well as a little critical thinking. For example, these timelines have all kinds of archaeological "evidence" suggesting man existed prior to 4000BC. I'm not a young earther (nor do I believe in evolution) but when Christians are going with every "expert" opinion on these discoveries, suggesting creation had to have been about 15,000BC, Adam was 13652BC and the flood was 6/7000BC they are saying that the Bible's explicit timing is wrong and merely allegorical in its historical account.

Offering evidence that the walls of Jericho were built around 7000BC, the earliest food production was about 9000BC, and that the Egyptian dynastic period started around 5000BC, I'm not sorry to say that I am highly skeptical. I have little faith in archaeological dating from that far back, especially when I know that there have been repeated attempts to forge the fossil record with fake specimens.  Scientists and archaeologists are all-to-often compelled to force assertions that are in line with their own career objectives, biases and their desire to secure funding.

The first civilization was Sumer, where Abram came out of, which started around 3500BC or so. All these other attempts to show the evolution of civilization before this time (like Göbekli Tepe) are at best inaccurate and at worst a satanic conspiracy (consider how much money the elite ruling class have at their disposal). If they can fake the moon landings what else can they accomplish together?

If you take the Bible seriously these things were built after 4000BC and some of them had to have been after the flood. Radio carbon dating seems to be in line with the common theory but I have a lot of skepticism regarding the accuracy of RC dating since it's not very scientific and requires a lot of speculative assumptions in the method itself. Besides, who are the people funding the dating? Might they have an agenda? Also, does it seem more likely that Jericho and Gobekli Tepe were established in neolithic times, buried and abandoned for centuries, re-established, buried and abandoned again for centuries and re-re-established again in the bronze age OR is it much more plausible that the inhabitants came later, stayed there, covered the old site and successively rebuilt on top of it?

Creation was around 4000BC (actually, it's a re-creation/restoration but I can't explain all that on here - just look up the Gap Theory and my views are very similar http://www.heart4god.ws/foundations-of-faith.htm). This is easily discerned from diligently studying what the Bible teaches. If we actually used the resources we have at our disposal in this age of information and used our God-given discernment to seek the truth we would know this and not build timelines that are blatantly antithetical to the truth behind the narrative in the Bible. Further, articles like this are a great example of people just making stuff up: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/07/150722144709.htm

If with every new discovery every other month we have to keep rethinking what our "ancestors" were capable of further and further back in time, there might be something fishy going on. Dagon-style fishy.

Years ago I was driving to work on a crowded highway. There was a toll stop about 1-2 miles ahead. Most people were going slow but there were gaps in the traffic so I changed lanes often to the next fastest lane (This was admittedly before I developed more patience). The traffic was going no faster than 45 MPH. I only had an opportunity to speed up about 10 MPH to change lanes because of the congestion. The speed limit was 50. The next thing I know I have a motorcycle cop waving me to pull over. He proceeded to yell at me all red-faced about wreckless driving (it wasn't all that wreckless) and then gave me a ticket for going 28 MPH over the speed limit. My question is, since it was physically impossible for me to have been going 78 MPH in that congestion how is it he was able to produce a radar reading of "me" going 78 MPH?

If teams of archaeologists and scientists have forged numerous fossils to make them appear to be missing links (prime example: Piltdown Man, Nebraska Man, Archaeoraptor and isolated, questionable partial specimens like Lucy where a baboon bone was accidentally included) and these forgeries/misappropriated specimens are allowed to be in the fossil record for decades, influencing modern science until they are proven as fakes or accidents then what else are these people capable of? Surely the artist recreations of these partial skeletons are reliable because... well, scientists and mass media moguls told them what to draw and sculpt. You know, I think they put obvious fakes out there like this to legitimize the "real" fossil record, like they are performing their due diligence to keep the record pure. Who really knows for sure what they are showing us is real? Doesn't it require an act of FAITH?

If companies like Monsanto, DuPont and Bayer can concoct skewed studies that prove their chemicals are safe so they can make billions when they are later proven to be human carcinogens then what else are "they" capable of?

If climate change science is spurious and inaccurate in its assumptions due to skewing of data in favor of specific results then...

If it is provable beyond a doubt that we have never been to the moon (by a mountain of solid evidence including confessions from NASA that they a) can't get back to the moon today because they b) can't reproduce the technology they had in the 60's and c) all the data/footage from the moon landing missions has accidentally been erased, AND d) they can't figure out how to get men in tin boxes passed the Van Allen Radiation Belts), then what else are the Luciferian elite ruling classes with their teams of scientists capable of?

Mainstream science is more often driven by confirmation bias, logical fallacies and a desire to show off than a desire for the truth. The fact is that the truth doesn't come by logic or reason. It comes by faith in the One who is Truth. True science comes from Him revealing deeper understanding of His nature to us AT HIS WILL, not ours. We should be responsible enough with what He gives us to not jump conclusions and rebel against our Father in vain attempts to make huge leaps in human progress. Yet, as moral relativists say, "Should is a dirty word."

Free Will?

There is only one way to do good, and that is by receiving and following the Spirit of God. We are born into sin, for the psalmist says, "Surely I was sinful at birth." So "as in Adam all die, in Christ all shall be made alive, but each in his own order." If God can harden Pharaoh's heart and if as He says, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion" then surely He can change someone's free will at any time He wants "by the power that enables Him to subject all things to Himself".

He uses the wicked to chasten and judge His children. Are those people wicked by nature or by His will? Good question. In Revelation 17 it says, "For God has put it into their hearts to carry out His purpose by uniting to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled," and "These kings have one purpose: to yield their power and authority to the beast." Also, "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the fruit you reap leads to holiness, and the outcome is aionios life." If we are slaves to God by His Spirit, and do only as He commands, entering Sabbath rest (Hebrews 4), then is there really a such thing as free will? If our old man who is a slave to sin has died and you have been born again to a life yoked to Christ then you, like He, speak, "not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak," and "For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me" and yet again "I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me."

"But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same devotion I have for you."

"I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence."

The Ancient Origins of the Holiday Season

I came across this quote recently (from Tertullian, "On Idolatry") that is the smoking gun I was looking for in my search for evidence of idolatry and syncretism regarding the holiday season, specifically in the very early church. Read this quote multiple times considering what is would mean if the church were, even today, leading heathens "into the fold" by means of false doctrines and idolatrous traditions.

But, however, the majority (of Christians) have by this time induced the belief in their mind that it is pardonable if at any time they do what the heathen do, for fear the Name be blasphemed. Now the blasphemy which must quite be shunned by us in every way is, I take it, this: If any of us lead a heathen into blasphemy with good cause, either by fraud, or by injury, or by contumely, or any other matter of worthy complaint, in which the Name is deservedly impugned, so that the Lord, too, be deservedly angry. Else, if of all blasphemy it has been said, By your means My Name is blasphemed, we all perish at once; since the whole circus, with no desert of ours, assails the Name with wicked suffrages. Let us cease (to be Christians) and it will not be blasphemed! On the contrary, while we are, let it be blasphemed: in the observance, not the overstepping, of discipline; while we are being approved, not while we are being reprobated. Oh blasphemy, bordering on martyrdom, which now attests me to be a Christian, while for that very account it detests me! The cursing of well-maintained Discipline is a blessing of the Name. If, says he, I wished to please men, I should not be Christ's servant. But the same apostle elsewhere bids us take care to please all: As I, he says, please all by all means. 1 Corinthians 10:32-33 No doubt he used to please them by celebrating the Saturnalia and New-year's day! [Was it so] or was it by moderation and patience? By gravity, by kindness, by integrity? In like manner, when he is saying, I have become all things to all, that I may gain all, 1 Corinthians 9:22 does he mean to idolaters an idolater? to heathens a heathen? to the worldly worldly? But albeit he does not prohibit us from having our conversation with idolaters and adulterers, and the other criminals, saying, Otherwise you would go out from the world, 1 Corinthians 5:10 of course he does not so slacken those reins of conversation that, since it is necessary for us both to live and to mingle with sinners, we may be able to sin with them too. Where there is the intercourse of life, which the apostle concedes, there is sinning, which no one permits. To live with heathens is lawful, to die with them is not. Let us live with all; let us be glad with them, out of community of nature, not of superstition. We are peers in soul, not in discipline; fellow-possessors of the world, not of error. But if we have no right of communion in matters of this kind with strangers, how far more wicked to celebrate them among brethren! Who can maintain or defend this? The Holy Spirit upbraids the Jews with their holy-days. Your Sabbaths, and new moons, and ceremonies, says He, My soul hates. By us, to whom Sabbaths are strange, and the new moons and festivals formerly beloved by God, the Saturnalia and New-year's and Midwinter's (Brumae) festivals and Matronalia are frequented — presents come and go — New-year's gifts — games join their noise — banquets join their din! Oh better fidelity of the nations to their own sect, which claims no solemnity of the Christians for itself! Not the Lord's day, not Pentecost, even it they had known them, would they have shared with us; for they would fear lest they should seem to be Christians. We are not apprehensive lest we seem to be heathens! If any indulgence is to be granted to the flesh, you have it. I will not say your own days, but more too; for to the heathens each festive day occurs but once annually: you have a festive day every eighth day. Call out the individual solemnities of the nations, and set them out into a row, they will not be able to make up a Pentecost. (Tertullian. On Idolatry, Chapter XIV, c. 155 – c. 240 AD)

Epiphanius, bishop of Salamis (c. 310–320 - 403AD) says that at Alexandria Aion's birth from Kore the Virgin was celebrated January 6:[13] "On this day and at this hour the Virgin gave birth to Aion." The date, which coincides with Epiphany, brought new year's celebrations to a close, completing the cycle of time that Aion embodies...In Ptolemaic Alexandria (305 BC-30 BC), at the site of a dream oracle, the Hellenistic syncretic god Serapis was identified as Aion Plutonius. The epithet Plutonius marks functional aspects shared with Pluto, consort of Persephone and ruler of the underworld in the Eleusinian tradition.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aion_(deity)

In the Eleusinian tradition, dating back to the 4th century BC, Persephone was taken to the underworld in the winter months, causing her goddess mother Demeter to withdrawal her blessing on the land so that it would get cold and nothing would grow. Nothing but the evergreen and holly, of course, which are symbols in Norse and Germanic cultures of life even in the dead of winter. You can see this in the tradition of the Holly King and the Oak King, although much of these ancient traditions is only speculative. There is, however, enough glimpses into ancient tribal and pagan cultures to make an educated guess at what they were about. One such celebration is Calennig. "Machen traces the Calennig to the Roman Saturnalia and suggests that the custom was brought to Caerleon by the Romans." (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calennig)

https://youtu.be/QD8xtoVbAg8 (A modern telling of ancient stories surrounding Calennig).

A winter tradition resembling Yultide is illustrated partly in Jeremiah 10. We see nature worship there and pagan winter holidays were clearly a long standing tradition before the book of Jeremiah was written. God told us not to worship as the heathen do. Do not declare a feast day unto Yahweh, and do not presume that God is pleased with your "holy" day. Holy = “apartness, set-apartness, separateness, sacredness.” Christians have inserted Christ into something Christ was not in to begin with.

The true origin of the "Holiday Season..."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brumalia


The smoking gun I have been looking for taken with the mountain of evidence one can present along with it should be enough to convict the church as "guilty" of idolatry by any righteous jury. Evidence does not get clearer than this. Christians were widely syncretizing with pagan customs in the early church. Not only that but apparently they were trying to Christianize them by bringing them into the church in order to lure in heathens to the fold. These two quotes by Tertullian and Epiphanius say it all, but let's end with some more modern support for forsaking Christmas.

Charles Spurgeon on Christmas:
“We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas. First because we do not believe in any mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English: Secondly, because we find no scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. Superstition has fixed most positively the day of our Savior’s birth, although there in no possibility of discovering when it occurred. It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the church celebrated the birth of our Lord; and it was not till long after the western Church had set the example, that the eastern adopted it. Because the day is not known. Probably the fact is that the “holy” days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We venture to assert that if there be any day in the year of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which our Savior was born it is the 25th of December. Regarding not the day, let us give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son.” —C. H. Spurgeon Dec. 24, 1871 (Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, p. 697)

“No evidence remains about the exact date of the birth of Christ. The December 25 date was chosen as much for practical reasons as for theological ones. Throughout the Roman Empire, various festivals were held in conjunction with the winter solstice. In Rome, the Feast of the Unconquerable Sun celebrated the beginning of the return of the sun. When Christianity became the religion of the Empire, the church either had to suppress the festivals or transform them. The winter solstice seemed an appropriate time to celebrate Christ’s birth. Thus, the festival of the sun became a festival of the Son” (Holman Bible Dictionary, entry for Christmas)

The basic premise that appears to go back as far as Babylon and Egypt is that in the winter the sun shines its light the least in the cycle of the year, essentially dying, and therefore everything else withers and dies, except the evergreen. Pantheists believe that God is in everything and that there are spirits in the evergreens which help them survive the winter. That is why they are central to this season and why they are brought indoors and worshiped. You are bringing that "life" into your home as a... guess what? What is all paganistic idolatry about? Fertility. Fertility of the land and fertility of the womb to conceive. God told us not to worship as the heathen do. This is why I personally want nothing to do with Christmas and I find it difficult even to worship with those who do because they are inviting a spirit into their lives by participating in the holy-daze. This spirit stays around. If you clean out your home and don't fill it with the Holy Spirit then 7 more unclean spirits will come inhabit you. What you become is an idolator by the works of your own hands and by the traditions of men. What does the Bible say about associating with those who call themselves brethren but are idolators? It would behoove the "church" (not "circe" or "kirk" but rather ekklesia or assembly) to consider exactly why they do what they do. Is your worship based on what God has shown you by the Holy Spirit or by vain traditions of men?

I would like to conclude with a video from Skywatch TV. It is a good starting point for most Christians and I really appreciate what they say about division, a subject I struggle with when it comes to serious concerns like idolatry. Personally, I think a person should do everything they can to share the truth with the elders at their church, IN LOVE and PATIENCE, in order to help them see the truth. If they just flat out refuse to hear then it mioght be time to take it to God for direction from the Spirit whether you should "kick the dust from your heals."

https://youtu.be/UmRy831ZVOQ


Here is an additional note I'd like to add to Tertullian's quote from "On Idolatry". Some have argued that Bruma or Brumalia have no connection to Saturnalia and there are no descriptions of this festival. They say it simply means Winter time. See the Latin text for a reference to Brumae as the "Midwinter's festivals" and note that Tertullian gives a fairly detailed description of these events:

Nobis, quibus sabbata extranea sunt et numeniae et feriae a deo aliquando dilectae, Saturnalia et Ianuariae et Brumae et Matronales frequentantur, munera commeant et strenae, consonant lusus, conuiuia constrepunt.

Normal Vincent Peale's Bible of American Autohypnotism

From knightstemplar.org regarding 33rd degree Freemason, "Sir" Norman Vincent Peale (and his "Power of Positive Thinking"). He was also given the York rite degrees and was a holder of the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his contributions to theology. His influence on Christianity cannot be downplayed. His works formed the minds of modern Christianity, and that is not a compliment.
http://www.knightstemplar.org/KnightT…/articles/20110521.htm

A psychiatrist critical of Peale, R. C. Murphy, once exclaimed, "All this advertising is vindicated as it were, by a strict cleaving to the side of part truth..."

That is the best summary of modern Christianity I can think of.

A second major accusation of Peale is that he attempted to conceal that his techniques for giving the reader absolute self-confidence and deliverance from suffering are a well known form of hypnosis, and that he attempts to persuade his readers to follow his beliefs through a combination of false evidence and self-hypnosis (autosuggestion), disguised by the use of terms which may sound more benign from the reader's point of view ("techniques", "formulas", "methods", "prayers", and "prescriptions"). One author called Peale's book "The Bible of American autohypnotism".

While his techniques are not debated by psychologists, Peale said his theological practice and strategy was directed more at self-analysis, forgiveness, character development, and growth much like the Jesuits of the Catholic Church. Anyone who knows anything about the Jesuits will understand just how satanic that statement is.

As a child, Donald Trump attended Marble Collegiate Church (where Peale preached for most his life) with his parents, Fred and Mary. Both he and his two sisters were married there. Trump has repeatedly praised Peale and cited him as a formative influence

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Vincent_Peale



In case anyone is wondering why I post so much "negative" stuff it's because I'm trying to show you that you can't live in a bubble and ignore what Satan is doing in the world. If you really believe the Bible and hear the call to be a disciple you must face the darkness and expose it in the light. This is why Yahshua said you will suffer. It is not because you ate too much RoundUp, slept next to a smart meter for years and wound up with cancer. It's not because some random act of violence happened to you. It's the righteous acts of the saints that bring about righteous suffering. That does not mean you don't carry the peace and joy of Yahweh. You carry it through the trials which come from persecution towards those who stand with the lamp of His truth in the midst of a wicked world. The peace and joy comes from knowing the promise, not from ignoring the pain of the present. Is there reward for suffering which comes from partaking in the things of this world and reaping the consequences but still keeping a happy face while proclaiming the name of Christ? That's not the Gospel. Isn't the Gospel confrontational? Isn't this the example that was set by Christ and the apostles? They heard what God has declared, saw what He was doing, saw what the enemy was doing and called a spade a spade. The spades killed them for it. "And they did not love their lives even unto death." They also encouraged good things when they saw them but they did not ignore the truth for the sake of "peace and safety" in their hearts and lives.

December 25th Is Not Christ's Birthday

Do you know why the date of Dec 25th was chosen to be Christ's birthday? Jewish tradition is that all prophets are conceived and die on the same day. There is ZERO evidence of this but since Christ died on Passover, we have a presupposed fallacy that He must have been conceived on Passover (late April). This has served as a foundation for eager minds to try and prove, spuriously, the date of Christ's birth. April to December is only 8 months BTW which I supposed could be possible.

Using the story about the angel visiting Zechariah to tell him he is going to conceive a child, early bishops "over-curiously" (words of Clement of Alexandria c. 190AD) try to guess the date of Christ's birth. They say they can trace the time back to exactly when Zechariah was serving in the temple and establish that as the conception time of John the Baptist (more speculation but I guess there *could* be something to that). Since the Bible tells us that Yahshua was supposedly born 6 months after John they then trace the date of Christ's birth to either Dec 25th or Jan 6th. One thing they missed is that God doesn't have to fulfill His promises right away. Who is to say that John was conceived soon after the angel visited Zechariah? Luke says, "Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived." That's not very specific. Also note that Mary received a visit from Gabriel when John was in the womb somewhere between 5 and 6 months (again not very specific). There is nothing indicating Christ was conceived right then and there either. He may have been conceived a month or two later. So considering all these things, any attempt at nailing down even a somewhat accurate timing is very, very dubious. Besides, there were shepherds watching their flocks in the open fields at Christ's birth. That doesn't sound like winter*(see edit below).

Another important question to ask is why there were bishops going to such great lengths to calculate the date of Christ's birth 150+ years after His death? If it was important, surely the apostles, who were very close to Him, would have written it down or something? So many questions surround this date and I can't get past asking, "Why stretch so hard to make it fit?" There IS an answer to that question. You have to know your history really well in order to understand it though. Are you willing to look into it or are you going to be lazy and just go with the flow?

Charles Spurgeon on Christmas:
“We have no superstitious regard for times and seasons. Certainly we do not believe in the present ecclesiastical arrangement called Christmas. First because we do not believe in any mass at all, but abhor it, whether it be sung in Latin or in English: Secondly, because we find no scriptural warrant whatever for observing any day as the birthday of the Savior; and consequently, its observance is a superstition, because not of divine authority. Superstition has fixed most positively the day of our Savior’s birth, although there in no possibility of discovering when it occurred. It was not till the middle of the third century that any part of the church celebrated the birth of our Lord; and it was not till long after the western Church had set the example, that the eastern adopted it. Because the day is not known. Probably the fact is that the “holy” days were arranged to fit in with the heathen festivals. We venture to assert that if there be any day in the year of which we may be pretty sure that it was not the day on which our Savior was born it is the 25th of December. Regarding not the day, let us give God thanks for the gift of His dear Son.” —C. H. Spurgeon Dec. 24, 1871 (Spurgeon, Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, p. 697)

“No evidence remains about the exact date of the birth of Christ. The December 25 date was chosen as much for practical reasons as for theological ones. Throughout the Roman Empire, various festivals were held in conjunction with the winter solstice. In Rome, the Feast of the Unconquerable Sun celebrated the beginning of the return of the sun. When Christianity became the religion of the Empire, the church either had to suppress the festivals or transform them. The winter solstice seemed an appropriate time to celebrate Christ’s birth. Thus, the festival of the sun became a festival of the Son” (Holman Bible Dictionary, entry for Christmas)

EDIT:
I do have to correct myself on one thing. Evidently, sheep do often stay outside in the winter months. Here is a blog about it:
http://www.livingwithgotlands.com/2015/02/how-can-sheep-survive-bitter-cold-weather/
Now shepherds were actually living in the fields with their flocks but since the temperature in Bethlehem only gets down to about 35 degrees at worst it is not unreasonable to expect this. I stand corrected on that particular fact, however it does not retract from the mountain of other facts presented on this subject here or anywhere else.

The Cloud of Witnesses and the First Resurrection

And what more shall I say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and Barak and Samson and Jephthah, also of David and Samuel and the prophets: who through faith subdued kingdoms, worked righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, became valiant in battle, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. Women received their dead raised to life again.
Others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. Still others had trial of mockings and scourgings, yes, and of chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented— of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.
​ Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 11-12

In reading this it would appear that there is a contradiction. The former spoken of obtained the promise but the latter did not? There is a dichotomy going on here on multiple levels. Those who obtained the promise were first tortured, despised, rejected and/or ignored. The power of God is still shown through them because of their faith, and this happened in their life on this planet, yet their faith persists today as a testimony. Paul is referencing people before and after Christ dies, old and new covenants, and he is looking toward the future in those who were alive at that time and those who would follow. We have them as a cloud of witnesses as well as ourselves. Scripture says Christ will return in the clouds and we are those clouds. (See Rev 1:7, Zech 12:10, Matt 26:64, Acts 1:9-11). He will return the same way which He left. This a parable.

Speaking to the Pharisees Christ said, "...from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power and coming on the clouds of heaven."
FROM NOW ON.

When the two men spoke to the disciples from heaven, "...why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven," they were asking them a rhetorical question. Why are you gazing up into heaven? He was received by the cloud of witnesses in heaven and He will be received by His witnesses on earth who will one day be caught up into the clouds with Him. The heavens declare the glory of God. HalleluYah!

Those who suffered in times past for their faith and experienced the power of God in different ways will not be made perfect apart from us. We all are made perfect together, those who are of the household of faith. Still the suffering is not over. I'm torn between the torture of this existence and the peace and joy of God. Why? Because in the here and now there must be suffering, like Lot (for that righteous man, living among them day after day, was tormented in his righteous soul by the lawless deeds he saw and heard - not only in Sodom and Gomorrah but later as seen in the story of Moses and Egypt). Still, knowing the promise is what brings peace and joy. We receive pieces of the promise through our faith, hope and love during trials but we do not obtain the promise until God's appointed time. Then we will sit with Him on His throne and judge righteously, those who attain the firstfruit resurrection.

I say "we" inclusively in hope because we do not know whether we will be a part of the firstfruits. The firstfruits are overcomers, and they overcome by the blood and testimony of Yahshua. The testimony of Yahshua is the spirit of prophecy and we should not despise prophecies (nor ignore them). They are as important as any other doctrinal understanding. Let us be like the men of Issachar who understood the times in which they lived so they knew what to do.