The Universe Next Door

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Nick Shalna is joined by Dr. Joe Allotta, Pastor and Professor, to discuss what the new State of Theology survey reveals about the faith and views of our culture, including the evangelical church. Does this new research show that the church is continuing to misunderstand who Christ is and why it matters so much?  Are believers and non-believers moving closer or further from the biblical perspective on cultural issues? What can we do about it and how does this provide us with a great opportunity in the realm of apologetics? Join us as we break down the good and bad news, and discuss the way forward.

Interested in giving to support The Universe Next Door?
 https://apologetics.org/donate/

Check out Trinity College of Florida where Dr. Allotta teaches:
https://www.trinitycollege.edu/

Recent episodes focused specifically on the person and work of Jesus Christ
(Also available on Apple, Spotify, Google, etc.):

Jesus Nature as God and Man https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/12010425-how-to-understand-jesus-nature-as-the-god-man

Shocking Old Testament Prophecy about Jesus
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/11601708-the-most-shocking-predictions-about-jesus

Is Jesus the Visible God in the Old Testament?
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/11524197-is-jesus-the-visible-god-in-the-old-testament-colossians-1-15

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What do we mean when we say that Jesus is both God and Man? What does the Bible say about this and why is it such a big deal? What's so dangerous about teaching that Jesus left His divinity in heaven? Join us as we discuss the nature of Christ and why it matters more than you may think!

Jesus the Visible God:
https://theuniversenextdoor.buzzsprout.com/235413/11524197-is-jesus-the-visible-god-in-the-old-testament-colossians-1-15

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While the New Testament does not give an explicit date or any date at all for the birth of Jesus, does it offer clues and insights as to when His birthdate may have been? Is the Christmas holiday really based on pagan myths and legends such as Saturnalia? Is it possible that scholars have been misled by a mistake Josephus made regarding the timing of the reign of Herod? Join us as we discuss these topics and many more!

*The Steinmann article referenced is not in the Public domain so it can’t be posted. However, you can find it here:
https://www.jstor.org/stable/25442624

The birthdate for Jesus presented originally came from R.L Martin's The Star that astonished the World, which can be read for free here:
https://www.askelm.com/star/

Also check out the book Reversing Hermon by Michael Heiser for more detail on this date, plus the meaning of Jesus' birth associated with the flood.
https://www.amazon.com/Reversing-Hermon-Watchers-Forgotten-Mission/dp/0998142638/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?crid=1TIJ9JFKOG8E7&keywords=reversing+hermon&qid=1672788709&sprefix=reversing+hermon%2Caps%2C153&sr=8-1

Sorry, I do not think I have the ability to upload the photo of the Rev 12 constellations on September 11, 3 BC to the podcast description. However, they can be found through google search. 

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Why were the Magi led to Jerusalem and then to Bethlehem by "His star"? What prompted Herod and the Jewish Sanhedrin to give them a hearing and take them seriously? How did they know to expect when the Messiah would be born? What are their origins and were they familiar with biblical prophecy? Where did the idea of "Three kings" come from and is it completely inaccurate? Join us as we uncover who the Magi were and what significance they had in the ancient world.

Interested in giving to support The Universe Next Door?
https://apologetics.org/donate/

The Star that Astonished the World - book:
https://www.askelm.com/star/

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Why are there differences between Matthew and Luke's genealogies of Jesus in the New Testament? Are these differences mistakes or are they meant to communicate something? What is the significance of the number 14 in Matthews genealogy and the number 77 in Luke's? Why are there four women listed in Jesus' lineage who are all in some way related to the same category of sin? Join us to find out why genealogies are not as boring as they've been made out to be, and how they are actually packed with theology and purpose.

Check out the next episode as we look at a potential date for Jesus’ birth and who the Magi were!

Good resources for more research:
- https://biologos.org/series/how-should-we-interpret-biblical-genealogies/articles/matthews-genealogy-of-jesus-part-ii
- https://www.youtube.com/@thestudyofchristianity
- Heiser's view - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7aU5GU5xOY4&t=245s

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Are you prepared to defend the differences in Jesus's two genealogies found in the New Testament? Join us tomorrow night at 6pm for the start of our brand new series on understanding and defending Christmas!

Have a question regarding Christmas? Send it to [email protected] to have it answered during this series!

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Nick Shalna is joined by philosopher Dr. Douglas Groothuis-- author of Truth Decay and Christian Apologetics, to discuss tough issues regarding CRT, philosophy and culture. How should we think about these topics as Christian believers? What are the roots of the popular ideologies that we see growing in our culture today?
Have a question for our upcoming apologetics Christmas series? Send it to: [email protected]

Interested in giving to support The Universe Next Door?
https://apologetics.org/donate/

Fire in the Streets book:
https://www.amazon.com/Fire-Streets-Confidently-Incendiary-Cultural/dp/1684513081/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1DO7S3BAJJESR&keywords=doug+groothuis+fire+in+the+streets&qid=1670878473&sprefix=doug+grooth%2Caps%2C589&sr=8-1

Knowledge of God in the World book:
https://www.amazon.com/Knowledge-God-World-Word-Introduction/dp/0310113075/ref=sr_1_8?crid=344U1FDUMQ6M0&keywords=doug+groothuis&qid=1670878504&sprefix=doug+groothuis%2Caps%2C945&sr=8-8

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Nick Shalna is joined by Dr. Paul Copan, author of Is God a Moral Monster and Is God a Vindictive Bully,  to discuss what the Bible really has to say about the topic of slavery. Are there drastic differences between the African slave trade and the "slavery" mentioned in the Old Testament? How is servitude in the Bible to be viewed in light of other ancient near eastern cultures? Join us as Dr. Copan answers these questions as well as many others regarding the topic of slavery in the Bible.

Interested in giving to support The Universe Next Door?
https://apologetics.org/donate/

Is God a Moral Monster book:
https://www.amazon.com/God-Moral-Monster-Making-Testament/dp/0801072751/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JZ30SK75M8T0&keywords=is+god+a+moral+monster+by+paul+copan&qid=1670265441&sprefix=is+god+a%2Caps%2C214&sr=8-1

Is God a Vindictive Bully book:
https://www.amazon.com/God-Vindictive-Bully-Reconciling-Portrayals/dp/1540964558/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=is+god+a+vindictive+bully+by+paul+copan&qid=1670265474&sprefix=is+god+a+vind%2Caps%2C103&sr=8-1

Dr. Copan's Website:
http://www.paulcopan.com/

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Nick Shalna interviews Andrew Peterson, the award winning author of The Wingfeather Saga, and Chris Wall who is the executive producer of Andrew's brand new animated series! Andrew and Chris are not only offering an incredibly entertaining TV show, but also a series that will help your children (and their parents) use their imagination to think about God in a powerful way.

The Wingfeather Saga Trailer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LF1tyZd6Ss&t=1s

Episode 1 Premiere Tonight @ 8pm:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T00ovvLpCOc

The Wingfeather Saga Website:
https://www.wingfeathersaga.com/

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What will ultimately happen to Satan? If he was defeated at the cross, where is he now? Is hell only a temporary place, or somewhere people go to be "refined" for a period of time? What is the lake of fire and what does Jesus have to say about the concept of hell? Join us as we wrap up our three part series on Satan by discussing the Dragon's demise!

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