November 1, 2025 • 28 mins
On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank answers the following questions:
Is war a sin? Jason - Charlotte, NC (1:04)
Can you be homosexual and practice Christianity? Matthew - Tyler, TX (4:11)
What is the meaning of Pentecost and the history behind it? Jessica - Albuquerque, NM (5:18)
What are the basic differences between Christians, Catholics, and Jehovah’s Witnesses? Jessica - Albuquerque, NM (6:56)
When Mary conceived Jesus, did Jesus stop existing in heaven? Billy - Poplar Bluff, MO (15:11)
I recently became a Christian. How can I be used by God? I don’t think I have any gifts. Karen - Slater, MO (18:49)
Lot left Ur with Abraham. Was it disobedient for Lot to go with Abraham? Terri - MO (23:47)
Is war a sin? Jason - Charlotte, NC (1:04)
Can you be homosexual and practice Christianity? Matthew - Tyler, TX (4:11)
What is the meaning of Pentecost and the history behind it? Jessica - Albuquerque, NM (5:18)
What are the basic differences between Christians, Catholics, and Jehovah’s Witnesses? Jessica - Albuquerque, NM (6:56)
When Mary conceived Jesus, did Jesus stop existing in heaven? Billy - Poplar Bluff, MO (15:11)
I recently became a Christian. How can I be used by God? I don’t think I have any gifts. Karen - Slater, MO (18:49)
Lot left Ur with Abraham. Was it disobedient for Lot to go with Abraham? Terri - MO (23:47)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
Welcome to the best of the Bible answer Man Broadcast
with your host, Hank Hanagraph. Our mission is to equip
you with answers to share the hope that you have
within you because life and truth matter. Why because being
armed with truth will equip you to counter the corrosive
worldviews at work in our world today, while experiencing the
(00:29):
authentic Christian life will make you a winsome witness of
the purpose of life, which is to experience union with
God and Christ, both for today and for all eternity.
Our phone number is eight eight eight seven thousand CRI.
That's eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. You can find
us online at equip dot org. That's equip dot org.
(00:55):
The following program was prerecorded, and now to begin today's broadcast,
here's Hank Canagraph.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
A lot of you hanging on. We'll go right to
our phone callers, Jason and Charlotte, North Carolina. Your first
up today.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Hi, Hey, how's it going good? How are you good?
Speaker 4 (01:14):
I just want to let you know your radio show
made the Driver on seventy seven a lot better today.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
All right, Well, I have a question. If you look
at the King Commandments, there's no asterisk under any of
the commandments. And so I was wondering what you talk
about war and if war's a sin?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well, no, In fact, in some cases, if you didn't
go to war, it would be a sin, because ultimately
the greatest Good principle demands that sometimes one country opposes
the evil dictator in another country. During World War two,
we opposed Hitler and as a result of that, all
(01:57):
kinds of lives were saved and all kinds of good
eventually came out of that action. So, yeah, we have
to recognize that there are very compelling reasons sometimes to
go to war. If military action is not allowed in
order to maintain order among nations, then police should not
(02:18):
be permitted to maintain the order of a nation. So
it's a leap of logic to allow the police to
resist a murderer at the same time not let a
military force resist a murderous nation.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I was wondering, is there any Bible verses that you
could give that support that, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Wars are permitted by God in the same way the
divorces because of the hardness of our hearts. The aggressive
use of weapons is not commended. The defensive use of
weapons is commended by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ himself.
So there is principle in the scripture, but we're also
(02:58):
making a theological deduction based on the greater Good principle
with respect to what should happen among nations. God uses
nations in warlike capacities in order to further his own purposes.
For example, the Canaanites, who were brutally killing their own children,
(03:20):
sacrificing to idols, who were involved in such perversion that
it was mind boggling, were actually punished by God using
the acts of his judgment, which was Israel. Later on,
Israel itself, who had become so abominable that even the
(03:43):
acts of some of the pagan nations were considered tame
by comparison. God then used the Assyrians and the Babylonians
as the acts of judgment against Israel. So even God
sometimes uses nations to bring about his purposes and to
rid the horror of the evil that's going on within
(04:05):
those nations. All right, hey, you got it, man, Thank
you so much for your call. I want to go
back to the phone lines. We'll talk next to Matthew.
He's listening in Tyler, Texas.
Speaker 5 (04:15):
Hi Matthew, Hey, Hank, I appreciate the time.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Just a simple question, maybe not such a simple answer.
Can you be a homosexual and still practice Christianity?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Well, first of all, I would argue with the premise
of the question, homosexuality is not an identity. Homosexuality is
a behavior. And therefore, if you have come to faith
in Christ, what you have said is, whatever my besetting
sin is, I want to turn from it with God's
help and follow Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. I
(04:50):
want to do it his way as opposed to my
own way. So it's a recognition that it's a sin.
That does not mean that you cannot fall for the
temptation of a besetting sin. Of course you can, and
you are forgiven. So the point is, don't mistake a
behavior for an identity. That's what the culture wants to
foist on us, and that's simply selling us a bill
(05:11):
of goods.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Okay, that makes makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Thank you, you got it.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Thank you so much for your call. I want to
go back to the phone lines. Let's talk next to
Jessica listening in New Mexico.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Hi, Jessica, Hi, how are you good?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
How are you I'm good, Thank you for taking my call.
I just had a quick question, actually several, but I
was actually just wondering. My friends and I are doing
a Bible study, but a question came up about Acts
two and what the meaning of Pentecost is and the
history behind it.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah. Well, Pentecost is the unusual, non normative act of
restoring something that had been lost. At Babel, there was
a confusion of tongues. At Pentecost, God spoke in a
miraculous way, in such a way that the Gospel could
(06:06):
go out to the nations once again. So Pentecost becomes
a very powerful provision by God so that the early
Christian Church can be born in earnest and go out.
It's not as though the church never existed, but it
(06:26):
is now the church at Pentecost that is going to
go out into the world, just as Christ had commissioned
the Church to go out into the world, first to
teach people true worship, to teach people true oneness, and
then to bring people into the Body of Christ, which
happens at Pentecost when Peter without a bullhorn, without a microphone,
(06:49):
is able to preach in three thousand people stampede their way.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
To Calvary right often that question.
Speaker 7 (06:58):
Yes, I was actually wondering, what are the basic differences
between Christianity, Catholicism and Jehovah's Witness. We have a lot
here and they always come to campus and tend thems
you and then they asked us questions, so we were just.
Speaker 6 (07:12):
I was just wondering about that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Well, remember that all Christians are tied together in fellowship
through the essentials of the historic Christian Faith. That's why
you can't rightly consider a Jehovah's Witness a Christian because
they deny the essentials of the historic Christian faith. For example,
they deny the deity of Jesus Christ. So we are
(07:37):
united in our confession of the essentials of the historic
Christian faith, and that's what forms the basis of our fellowship.
And the importance can hardly be overstated. This is the
line of demarcation between the Kingdom of Christ and the
Kingdom and the cults. And the central Christian doctrine is
also the north star by which the course of Christianity
(07:58):
is set. It's the ever lasting reference point which guides
the Church through doctrinal storms that seek to sink it,
and it is the very foundation on which the Gospel
itself rests, from Christ's deity to the eschatological certainty that
He will appear again a second time to judge the
living in the dead. So essential Christian doctrine is foundational
(08:21):
to the Gospel. So all that adhere to the essentials
of the historic Christian faith can rightly be called Christian.
Those who deny the historic Christian faith. And by the way,
there are Catholics that do that. Not all Catholics do,
but there are Catholics that deny some essentials. There are
Presbyterians that deny some essentials, there are Episcopalians that deny
(08:42):
some essentials. In fact, you can find in mainline Protestant
churches today the complete eradication of the miraculous. That's what
liberalism often does to denominations. So you can find in
both Protestant circles and Catholic churches you can find people
denying essentials, much like what they do with respect to
(09:02):
the Watchtower organization. So apostasy can happen in all kinds
of different forms, and all kinds of different phases, and
all kinds of different places. But we hold in common
with Rome the great ancient ecumenical creeds like the Apostles Creed,
the Niceeing Creed, the Ethnationian Creed, and so forth.
Speaker 7 (09:20):
Right, Oh okay, great, well, thank you so much for
taking that call. I'm really excited I got to.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Talk to you.
Speaker 7 (09:24):
No, bless your your ministry.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Thanks God bless you as well. Thank you so much
for those wonderful warm words. And do remember this ministry
is able to do what we do not only because
we have staff members in house. It is because we
have supporters all around the world who see it as
their divine opportunity to reach other people. So when you're
(09:50):
giving to us, you're actually giving through us, touching the
lines of people for time and for eternity. If you
listen to the broadcast for any length of time, you'll
hear numbers of testimonies people who say they came out
of the kingdom of the cults. Is a direct result
of this ministry. People who were equipped to be able
(10:12):
to witness to other people, people who have grown in
their discernment skills, people who have learned the spiritual disciplines.
That's why we exist a discernment ministry, making a difference
for time and for eternity. We ask you to join us.
You can do that again in a safe, secure fashion
(10:33):
by giving to this ministry on the web at equipped
dot org. Will be right back with more answers to
your questions in just a few moments, so please don't
touch that dial.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
The Church of Almighty God, also known as Eastern Lightning,
is a socially subversive pseudo Christian cult. It follows a
self proclaimed female Christ whose heretical doctrines incite violence, denying
the Trinity and Biblical authority. Eastern Lightning uses psychological intimidation,
(11:03):
disrupts families, and has even perpetrated physical assaults in graphic language.
The counterfeit Christ exhorts followers to abandon their families and
devote themselves to recruiting new converts, branding those who refuse
as worthless. You can read more about the Iron Rod
of this false Almighty God in a special print issue
(11:26):
of the Christian Research Journal. To receive your copy, call
EIGHTA eight seven thousand CROI and make a gift to
support the Christian Research Institute's mind shaping, life changing outreaches.
That's eight eight eight seven thousand CROI or visit us
online at equip dot org. That's equip dot org. Don't
(11:49):
tune out. Hank Hanagraph will be back with more right
after this.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
Truth Matters, Life Matters More details Hank Hanigraff's personal pilgrimage
from his long defensive truth to his discovery that life
matters more. Essentially two books in one. Part one equips
Christians to defend the essential truths of the historic Christian faith.
Part two explains why truth is necessary but hardly sufficient.
(12:22):
That the map is not the territory, the menu is
not the meal. We are created to experience life to
the full through union with God in Christ. Is there
more to the Christian life than what you are experiencing?
Truth matters, Life matters more unveils the unexpected beauty of
an authentic Christian life. To receive Truth matters, Life matters
(12:42):
more for yourself or as a terrific gift to a
friend or loved one called eight eight eight seven thousand
CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research
Institute's Life changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRI
or visit us online at equipp dot org.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Anyone who's been paying attention knows there's a war going on,
not just on traditional morality, civility, and decency, but even
more fundamentally on historic notions of truth. And the enemy
isn't just the onslaught of fake news, facilitated by a
post truth culture and turbocharged by growing legions of ideological spinductors.
(13:21):
Note the real enemies of truth range from postmodernist convictions
that there is no objective truth to militant scientism that
claims that only science can determine truth and religion is
little more than primitive superstitions. But CRI Support Team members
are not waving a white flag of surrender. They're holding
the fort by undergirding everyone of Christian Research Institute's mind
(13:45):
shaping and life changing outreaches twenty four to seven. To
learn how you can make a difference and enjoy all
the benefits of Support Team membership, simply visit equip dot org.
The Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive
collection of the most often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has
(14:08):
received throughout his four decades as host of the Bible
answer Man broadcast. With more than half a million copies
already in print, this newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition
helped seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on
topics such as reliability of the Bible, religions and cults,
the resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to
(14:31):
a better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship
to Him. To receive your copy of the Complete Bible
answer Book Collector's Edition Revised and Expanded, call eight eight
eight seven thousand CRII and make a gift to support
the Christian Research Institute's life changing outreaches eight eight eight
(14:52):
seven thousand CRII or visit us at EQUIP dot org.
And now here's Hank canagraph.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Thank you very much for Indian Let's go right back
to our phone callers. Next up, let's talk to Billy
in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
Speaker 9 (15:17):
Hi, Billy, Hey, Hank, how's it going?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Man?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Good?
Speaker 9 (15:20):
Her?
Speaker 10 (15:20):
You?
Speaker 9 (15:21):
Hey pretty good?
Speaker 10 (15:21):
Hey?
Speaker 9 (15:22):
Just had a real quick question. I was curious about
when Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit? Now was she
conceived by Jesus? Was did Jesus leave Heaven and his
place he held in Heaven? Did he bring it to earth?
(15:45):
I mean, did he literally leave Heaven and come to earth?
Did he stop existing in heaven for that time.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
No, Jesus Christ is one person with two natures. So
in the incarnation, and Christ takes on the human nature,
so he's one person with two natures, one percent human,
one hundred percent divine. In the incarnation, Jesus Christ did
not divest himself of a divine nature. He took on
(16:17):
the limitations of a human nature without divesting himself of
any divine properties.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
But I mean, did he literally leave heaven though, Well, no,
because Jesus Christ, if he is divine, has all the
attributes of divinity, which means transcendence and it means omnipresence.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
But his prerogatives of divinity were veiled, they weren't eradicated,
so he is every bit divine. So Jesus Christ would
know all things about all things from the perspective of
his divinity. From the perspective of his humanity, he would
(17:03):
not because he voluntarily veiled the prerogatives of divinity.
Speaker 9 (17:09):
Okay, yeah, I was just trying to fathom, I guess
in the sense what you're saying here.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Yeah, that's what the Bible tells us. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the word was God, and then we read that the
word became flesh and dwelt for a while among us
we beheld his glory in the incarnation. Jesus is still
the god man, one percent human, one hundred percent divine.
(17:36):
So all the attributes of divinity are still in Christ
as he walked this earth, but they are veiled every
now and then you see them more clearly. For example,
Jesus does what only God can do. He has the
power to lay down his life and the power to
take up his life again, thus demonstrating his god So
(17:58):
you see his divine prerogatives enacted at times, but he
takes on the form of a servant as Philippians lets
us know.
Speaker 9 (18:07):
Okay, I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
You got it. It's crucial to point out that though
the god Man is fully human, he's not merely human.
Though he took on all the essential properties of human nature,
he did not take on that which was non essential.
For example, he didn't have sinful inclinations, as Adam was
created without a proclivity towards sin, so the second atom
(18:30):
was untainted by original sin. And as with his moral perfection,
Jesus' other divine attributes omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and so forth
were not undermined in the incarnation. Back to the phone lines,
we'll talk next to Karen listening in Slater, Missouri.
Speaker 10 (18:53):
Hi, Karen, Yes, Hi, Hi, Hey, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Pleasure.
Speaker 10 (18:57):
Okay, I have a question. It's kind of it's probably weird,
but okay. I became a Christian here within the last
year and was baptized, and I mean, it's the greatest
thing that ever happened to me. I was raised Catholic,
but that's another story, and I took like the long road.
So I was like, really not a good person, and
(19:19):
I'm in recoveries. But I'm in church and but here
I am, and I read my Bible and I go
to a Bible study because I'm very curious. I want
to know and if someone said something, I will look
it up and I will ask. And I mean, I
read it all the time. But here's the thing. So
here I am, and I mean I try to live
(19:40):
as do you know. My thinking is do as God
would want you to do. With that, please God. But
I feel like I'm lost because I don't know, you know,
what am I supposed to be doing with my life.
I mean, I know, worship Jesus, but I mean, like, okay,
some people might be me physically inclined. So maybe they
(20:02):
go to school and they become teachers and they teach
people to you know, play the organ or da da
da and for you know, Jesus, and to pass on
the music of you know, the church or whatever. But
I don't have I don't think I have anything real.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Well, actually the truth as you do. And God moves
through people and circumstances so that you might find and
use your gifting. But I can absolutely guarantee you that
as a believer, you have gifts and you are called
to use those gifts within the body of Christ. And
this is what's so important, Karen. When you became a believer,
(20:42):
you weren't born again in isolation. You're born again within
a community of faith, right, And that's why Paul says,
I say to every one of you, do not think
of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of
yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of
faith God has given you. Just as each of us
has one body with many members, and these members do
(21:05):
not all have the same function. So in Christ, we
who are many, form one body, and each member belongs
to all the others. And then he says this, we
have different gifts according to the grace given us, and therefore,
whatever your gift is, you have to use that gift
within the context of serving Christ. Some gifts are teaching,
(21:29):
some are musical, as you mentioned, some are encouraging, some
are giving, some are showing leadership, some are showing mercy.
There are different gifts, and God will show you those gifts.
I mean, he did not save you without a purpose.
He saved you for eternity, but He has a purpose
(21:50):
for you in the meantime. That's why He's left you here.
So you got a purpose and a calling, and it's
not always easy to find. What you have to do
is be faithful. You have to take part of the
means of grace, which means that you should be involved
in a healthy, well bounced church. You should partake in
the sacraments.
Speaker 10 (22:08):
Yes, I do, I do. I volunteer, I go to
Bible study. I you know, deliver meals on wheels. I mean,
I am, I do.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
See here's the problem, and let me just use a
personal anecdote when I became a believer. I remember the
man that was discipling me. I would say to him,
you know, I don't feel any different, and he would
look at me like I was from Mars. He would say, wow,
are you different? But subjectively we don't always see the changes,
(22:38):
but objectively, other people can see them. And just as
you're talking, I mean, you're talking about a lot of
things that you're doing. You're exercising gifts of mercy, so
you are using your gift. And we don't all have
the same gift. I mean, who's to say that your
gift is not more important than mine. God, in his
own economy, uses people in different ways. But we're all
servants that are used for his gloves.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
So just keep.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Pressing on and partake of the means of grace. Make
sure that you're.
Speaker 10 (23:05):
Praying, oh wait, all the time.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Make sure that you're in the word of God.
Speaker 10 (23:10):
I read in my Bible regularly, I mean several times.
It always goes with me wherever I go.
Speaker 11 (23:15):
Well, I mean I always you know what you don't
know it, But you're an example. Okay, you're already an example.
And just keep partaking of the means of grace. And
I promise you God will continue to use you. And oftentimes,
you know, there are times that I wonder myself and
people think this is silly when I.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Say it, but I wonder, God, are you using me?
And yet you have those insecurities that happen as you
travel along the path of life. But God's using you, Karen,
thanks for calling in.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Bless you.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Okay, I want to go back to the phone line
doctor Terry in Missouri.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
Hi, Terry, Hi, I absolutely praise God for you, brother Hank,
and all the people that surround you to make your
voice happen on this radio ministry. It is a maze.
What had it done in my life?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
No, bless you, but my question.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
We had Sunday School a couple Sundays ago, and one
of the questions that was brought up is when Abram
was told by the Lord to leave his land and
his father and go to a place that he would
show him. Lot went with him, And the question was
was it a disobedient or wrong for a Lot to
go with Abram.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
No, I think that Lot was following the Lord and
going with Abraham. Now, Lot, you can see, and a
lot of little hints in the text was looking out
for his own welfare. When Abraham and Lot had to
split up because God had prospered both of them, Lot
looked to the fattest part of the land, as it were,
because he saw the promise of prosperity, and Lot ended
(24:48):
up in Sodom and Gemara, and as a result of that,
also ended up becoming a victim of the culture, which
is to say, we're called to transform the culture. But
Lot became a microcosm, to one degree or another, of
the culture, and therefore he had to be saved from
the very culture that he had embraced. So there's a
(25:12):
sense in which the Bible is telling us that Abraham
was following God in faith. Lot was following what God
could provide, and so it's sort of an example of
loving the Master or loving what is on the master's table,
and Lot was an example of the latter, and yet
(25:32):
God providentially gave him more than one chance so that
he could turn and be rescued, be saved from the world,
and embrace true spirituality.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
Praise God. That's awesome.
Speaker 9 (25:47):
I love you, Hank, keep it up.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Hey, thank you so much, Terry, appreciate your call. And
as always, it is such a privilege to do the
Bible answer Man Broadcast Monday through Friday. At this time
we answer your questions on air. If you can give,
please be generous consider the fact that you are touching
lives for time and for a trinity. See you next
time with more of the Bible Instament Broadcast.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Thank you for joining us for the Bible answer Man Broadcast.
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(26:37):
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Speaker 8 (27:01):
Hank Handigraph has dedicated his life to defending truth because
truth matters. Yet, an encounter with Christians in the underground
Church of China left Hanograph contemplating his Christian experience. They
were experiencing something beyond truth. They were experiencing life, truth Matters,
Life Matters More by Hank hanigraph is two books in one,
Because Truth Matters. Part one equips Christians to defend the
(27:25):
essential truths of the historic Christian faith. In Part two,
Hank explains why life matters More and how we can
experience the height of human existence union with God. Prepare
to move past intellectually knowing about God to experientially knowing
God in Christ. To receive your copy of Truth Matters,
Life Matters More, the unexpected beauty of an authentic Christian
(27:46):
life called eight eight eight seven thousand CRI, and make
a gift to support the Christian Research Institutes Life Changing
Outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRI or visit us
at equipped dot org.
Welcome to the best of the Bible answer Man Broadcast
with your host, Hank Hanagraph. Our mission is to equip
you with answers to share the hope that you have
within you because life and truth matter. Why because being
armed with truth will equip you to counter the corrosive
worldviews at work in our world today, while experiencing the
(00:29):
authentic Christian life will make you a winsome witness of
the purpose of life, which is to experience union with
God and Christ, both for today and for all eternity.
Our phone number is eight eight eight seven thousand CRI.
That's eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. You can find
us online at equip dot org. That's equip dot org.
(00:55):
The following program was prerecorded, and now to begin today's broadcast,
here's Hank Canagraph.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
A lot of you hanging on. We'll go right to
our phone callers, Jason and Charlotte, North Carolina. Your first
up today.
Speaker 3 (01:10):
Hi, Hey, how's it going good? How are you good?
Speaker 4 (01:14):
I just want to let you know your radio show
made the Driver on seventy seven a lot better today.
Speaker 2 (01:20):
Thank you.
Speaker 4 (01:21):
All right, Well, I have a question. If you look
at the King Commandments, there's no asterisk under any of
the commandments. And so I was wondering what you talk
about war and if war's a sin?
Speaker 2 (01:33):
Well, no, In fact, in some cases, if you didn't
go to war, it would be a sin, because ultimately
the greatest Good principle demands that sometimes one country opposes
the evil dictator in another country. During World War two,
we opposed Hitler and as a result of that, all
(01:57):
kinds of lives were saved and all kinds of good
eventually came out of that action. So, yeah, we have
to recognize that there are very compelling reasons sometimes to
go to war. If military action is not allowed in
order to maintain order among nations, then police should not
(02:18):
be permitted to maintain the order of a nation. So
it's a leap of logic to allow the police to
resist a murderer at the same time not let a
military force resist a murderous nation.
Speaker 4 (02:30):
I was wondering, is there any Bible verses that you
could give that support that, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Wars are permitted by God in the same way the
divorces because of the hardness of our hearts. The aggressive
use of weapons is not commended. The defensive use of
weapons is commended by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ himself.
So there is principle in the scripture, but we're also
(02:58):
making a theological deduction based on the greater Good principle
with respect to what should happen among nations. God uses
nations in warlike capacities in order to further his own purposes.
For example, the Canaanites, who were brutally killing their own children,
(03:20):
sacrificing to idols, who were involved in such perversion that
it was mind boggling, were actually punished by God using
the acts of his judgment, which was Israel. Later on,
Israel itself, who had become so abominable that even the
(03:43):
acts of some of the pagan nations were considered tame
by comparison. God then used the Assyrians and the Babylonians
as the acts of judgment against Israel. So even God
sometimes uses nations to bring about his purposes and to
rid the horror of the evil that's going on within
(04:05):
those nations. All right, hey, you got it, man, Thank
you so much for your call. I want to go
back to the phone lines. We'll talk next to Matthew.
He's listening in Tyler, Texas.
Speaker 5 (04:15):
Hi Matthew, Hey, Hank, I appreciate the time.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
Just a simple question, maybe not such a simple answer.
Can you be a homosexual and still practice Christianity?
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Well, first of all, I would argue with the premise
of the question, homosexuality is not an identity. Homosexuality is
a behavior. And therefore, if you have come to faith
in Christ, what you have said is, whatever my besetting
sin is, I want to turn from it with God's
help and follow Jesus Christ as savior and Lord. I
(04:50):
want to do it his way as opposed to my
own way. So it's a recognition that it's a sin.
That does not mean that you cannot fall for the
temptation of a besetting sin. Of course you can, and
you are forgiven. So the point is, don't mistake a
behavior for an identity. That's what the culture wants to
foist on us, and that's simply selling us a bill
(05:11):
of goods.
Speaker 4 (05:13):
Okay, that makes makes a lot of sense.
Speaker 5 (05:15):
Thank you, you got it.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Thank you so much for your call. I want to
go back to the phone lines. Let's talk next to
Jessica listening in New Mexico.
Speaker 3 (05:24):
Hi, Jessica, Hi, how are you good?
Speaker 6 (05:27):
How are you I'm good, Thank you for taking my call.
I just had a quick question, actually several, but I
was actually just wondering. My friends and I are doing
a Bible study, but a question came up about Acts
two and what the meaning of Pentecost is and the
history behind it.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
Yeah. Well, Pentecost is the unusual, non normative act of
restoring something that had been lost. At Babel, there was
a confusion of tongues. At Pentecost, God spoke in a
miraculous way, in such a way that the Gospel could
(06:06):
go out to the nations once again. So Pentecost becomes
a very powerful provision by God so that the early
Christian Church can be born in earnest and go out.
It's not as though the church never existed, but it
(06:26):
is now the church at Pentecost that is going to
go out into the world, just as Christ had commissioned
the Church to go out into the world, first to
teach people true worship, to teach people true oneness, and
then to bring people into the Body of Christ, which
happens at Pentecost when Peter without a bullhorn, without a microphone,
(06:49):
is able to preach in three thousand people stampede their way.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
To Calvary right often that question.
Speaker 7 (06:58):
Yes, I was actually wondering, what are the basic differences
between Christianity, Catholicism and Jehovah's Witness. We have a lot
here and they always come to campus and tend thems
you and then they asked us questions, so we were just.
Speaker 6 (07:12):
I was just wondering about that.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Well, remember that all Christians are tied together in fellowship
through the essentials of the historic Christian Faith. That's why
you can't rightly consider a Jehovah's Witness a Christian because
they deny the essentials of the historic Christian faith. For example,
they deny the deity of Jesus Christ. So we are
(07:37):
united in our confession of the essentials of the historic
Christian faith, and that's what forms the basis of our fellowship.
And the importance can hardly be overstated. This is the
line of demarcation between the Kingdom of Christ and the
Kingdom and the cults. And the central Christian doctrine is
also the north star by which the course of Christianity
(07:58):
is set. It's the ever lasting reference point which guides
the Church through doctrinal storms that seek to sink it,
and it is the very foundation on which the Gospel
itself rests, from Christ's deity to the eschatological certainty that
He will appear again a second time to judge the
living in the dead. So essential Christian doctrine is foundational
(08:21):
to the Gospel. So all that adhere to the essentials
of the historic Christian faith can rightly be called Christian.
Those who deny the historic Christian faith. And by the way,
there are Catholics that do that. Not all Catholics do,
but there are Catholics that deny some essentials. There are
Presbyterians that deny some essentials, there are Episcopalians that deny
(08:42):
some essentials. In fact, you can find in mainline Protestant
churches today the complete eradication of the miraculous. That's what
liberalism often does to denominations. So you can find in
both Protestant circles and Catholic churches you can find people
denying essentials, much like what they do with respect to
(09:02):
the Watchtower organization. So apostasy can happen in all kinds
of different forms, and all kinds of different phases, and
all kinds of different places. But we hold in common
with Rome the great ancient ecumenical creeds like the Apostles Creed,
the Niceeing Creed, the Ethnationian Creed, and so forth.
Speaker 7 (09:20):
Right, Oh okay, great, well, thank you so much for
taking that call. I'm really excited I got to.
Speaker 2 (09:24):
Talk to you.
Speaker 7 (09:24):
No, bless your your ministry.
Speaker 2 (09:26):
Thanks God bless you as well. Thank you so much
for those wonderful warm words. And do remember this ministry
is able to do what we do not only because
we have staff members in house. It is because we
have supporters all around the world who see it as
their divine opportunity to reach other people. So when you're
(09:50):
giving to us, you're actually giving through us, touching the
lines of people for time and for eternity. If you
listen to the broadcast for any length of time, you'll
hear numbers of testimonies people who say they came out
of the kingdom of the cults. Is a direct result
of this ministry. People who were equipped to be able
(10:12):
to witness to other people, people who have grown in
their discernment skills, people who have learned the spiritual disciplines.
That's why we exist a discernment ministry, making a difference
for time and for eternity. We ask you to join us.
You can do that again in a safe, secure fashion
(10:33):
by giving to this ministry on the web at equipped
dot org. Will be right back with more answers to
your questions in just a few moments, so please don't
touch that dial.
Speaker 1 (10:43):
The Church of Almighty God, also known as Eastern Lightning,
is a socially subversive pseudo Christian cult. It follows a
self proclaimed female Christ whose heretical doctrines incite violence, denying
the Trinity and Biblical authority. Eastern Lightning uses psychological intimidation,
(11:03):
disrupts families, and has even perpetrated physical assaults in graphic language.
The counterfeit Christ exhorts followers to abandon their families and
devote themselves to recruiting new converts, branding those who refuse
as worthless. You can read more about the Iron Rod
of this false Almighty God in a special print issue
(11:26):
of the Christian Research Journal. To receive your copy, call
EIGHTA eight seven thousand CROI and make a gift to
support the Christian Research Institute's mind shaping, life changing outreaches.
That's eight eight eight seven thousand CROI or visit us
online at equip dot org. That's equip dot org. Don't
(11:49):
tune out. Hank Hanagraph will be back with more right
after this.
Speaker 8 (12:01):
Truth Matters, Life Matters More details Hank Hanigraff's personal pilgrimage
from his long defensive truth to his discovery that life
matters more. Essentially two books in one. Part one equips
Christians to defend the essential truths of the historic Christian faith.
Part two explains why truth is necessary but hardly sufficient.
(12:22):
That the map is not the territory, the menu is
not the meal. We are created to experience life to
the full through union with God in Christ. Is there
more to the Christian life than what you are experiencing?
Truth matters, Life matters more unveils the unexpected beauty of
an authentic Christian life. To receive Truth matters, Life matters
(12:42):
more for yourself or as a terrific gift to a
friend or loved one called eight eight eight seven thousand
CRI and make a gift to support the Christian Research
Institute's Life changing outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRI
or visit us online at equipp dot org.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Anyone who's been paying attention knows there's a war going on,
not just on traditional morality, civility, and decency, but even
more fundamentally on historic notions of truth. And the enemy
isn't just the onslaught of fake news, facilitated by a
post truth culture and turbocharged by growing legions of ideological spinductors.
(13:21):
Note the real enemies of truth range from postmodernist convictions
that there is no objective truth to militant scientism that
claims that only science can determine truth and religion is
little more than primitive superstitions. But CRI Support Team members
are not waving a white flag of surrender. They're holding
the fort by undergirding everyone of Christian Research Institute's mind
(13:45):
shaping and life changing outreaches twenty four to seven. To
learn how you can make a difference and enjoy all
the benefits of Support Team membership, simply visit equip dot org.
The Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition is the comprehensive
collection of the most often asked questions Hank Hannigraph has
(14:08):
received throughout his four decades as host of the Bible
answer Man broadcast. With more than half a million copies
already in print, this newly revised and expanded Collector's Edition
helped seekers and skeptics alike sort through the truth on
topics such as reliability of the Bible, religions and cults,
the resurrection and afterlife, and many more issues vital to
(14:31):
a better understanding of God in Christ and our relationship
to Him. To receive your copy of the Complete Bible
answer Book Collector's Edition Revised and Expanded, call eight eight
eight seven thousand CRII and make a gift to support
the Christian Research Institute's life changing outreaches eight eight eight
(14:52):
seven thousand CRII or visit us at EQUIP dot org.
And now here's Hank canagraph.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
Thank you very much for Indian Let's go right back
to our phone callers. Next up, let's talk to Billy
in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
Speaker 9 (15:17):
Hi, Billy, Hey, Hank, how's it going?
Speaker 2 (15:19):
Man?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Good?
Speaker 9 (15:20):
Her?
Speaker 10 (15:20):
You?
Speaker 9 (15:21):
Hey pretty good?
Speaker 10 (15:21):
Hey?
Speaker 9 (15:22):
Just had a real quick question. I was curious about
when Mary conceived of the Holy Spirit? Now was she
conceived by Jesus? Was did Jesus leave Heaven and his
place he held in Heaven? Did he bring it to earth?
(15:45):
I mean, did he literally leave Heaven and come to earth?
Did he stop existing in heaven for that time.
Speaker 2 (15:54):
No, Jesus Christ is one person with two natures. So
in the incarnation, and Christ takes on the human nature,
so he's one person with two natures, one percent human,
one hundred percent divine. In the incarnation, Jesus Christ did
not divest himself of a divine nature. He took on
(16:17):
the limitations of a human nature without divesting himself of
any divine properties.
Speaker 3 (16:25):
But I mean, did he literally leave heaven though, Well, no,
because Jesus Christ, if he is divine, has all the
attributes of divinity, which means transcendence and it means omnipresence.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
But his prerogatives of divinity were veiled, they weren't eradicated,
so he is every bit divine. So Jesus Christ would
know all things about all things from the perspective of
his divinity. From the perspective of his humanity, he would
(17:03):
not because he voluntarily veiled the prerogatives of divinity.
Speaker 9 (17:09):
Okay, yeah, I was just trying to fathom, I guess
in the sense what you're saying here.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
Yeah, that's what the Bible tells us. In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and
the word was God, and then we read that the
word became flesh and dwelt for a while among us
we beheld his glory in the incarnation. Jesus is still
the god man, one percent human, one hundred percent divine.
(17:36):
So all the attributes of divinity are still in Christ
as he walked this earth, but they are veiled every
now and then you see them more clearly. For example,
Jesus does what only God can do. He has the
power to lay down his life and the power to
take up his life again, thus demonstrating his god So
(17:58):
you see his divine prerogatives enacted at times, but he
takes on the form of a servant as Philippians lets
us know.
Speaker 9 (18:07):
Okay, I appreciate that.
Speaker 2 (18:09):
You got it. It's crucial to point out that though
the god Man is fully human, he's not merely human.
Though he took on all the essential properties of human nature,
he did not take on that which was non essential.
For example, he didn't have sinful inclinations, as Adam was
created without a proclivity towards sin, so the second atom
(18:30):
was untainted by original sin. And as with his moral perfection,
Jesus' other divine attributes omniscience, omnipotence, omnipresence, and so forth
were not undermined in the incarnation. Back to the phone lines,
we'll talk next to Karen listening in Slater, Missouri.
Speaker 10 (18:53):
Hi, Karen, Yes, Hi, Hi, Hey, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (18:56):
Pleasure.
Speaker 10 (18:57):
Okay, I have a question. It's kind of it's probably weird,
but okay. I became a Christian here within the last
year and was baptized, and I mean, it's the greatest
thing that ever happened to me. I was raised Catholic,
but that's another story, and I took like the long road.
So I was like, really not a good person, and
(19:19):
I'm in recoveries. But I'm in church and but here
I am, and I read my Bible and I go
to a Bible study because I'm very curious. I want
to know and if someone said something, I will look
it up and I will ask. And I mean, I
read it all the time. But here's the thing. So
here I am, and I mean I try to live
(19:40):
as do you know. My thinking is do as God
would want you to do. With that, please God. But
I feel like I'm lost because I don't know, you know,
what am I supposed to be doing with my life.
I mean, I know, worship Jesus, but I mean, like, okay,
some people might be me physically inclined. So maybe they
(20:02):
go to school and they become teachers and they teach
people to you know, play the organ or da da
da and for you know, Jesus, and to pass on
the music of you know, the church or whatever. But
I don't have I don't think I have anything real.
Speaker 2 (20:20):
Well, actually the truth as you do. And God moves
through people and circumstances so that you might find and
use your gifting. But I can absolutely guarantee you that
as a believer, you have gifts and you are called
to use those gifts within the body of Christ. And
this is what's so important, Karen. When you became a believer,
(20:42):
you weren't born again in isolation. You're born again within
a community of faith, right, And that's why Paul says,
I say to every one of you, do not think
of yourself more highly than you ought, but think of
yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of
faith God has given you. Just as each of us
has one body with many members, and these members do
(21:05):
not all have the same function. So in Christ, we
who are many, form one body, and each member belongs
to all the others. And then he says this, we
have different gifts according to the grace given us, and therefore,
whatever your gift is, you have to use that gift
within the context of serving Christ. Some gifts are teaching,
(21:29):
some are musical, as you mentioned, some are encouraging, some
are giving, some are showing leadership, some are showing mercy.
There are different gifts, and God will show you those gifts.
I mean, he did not save you without a purpose.
He saved you for eternity, but He has a purpose
(21:50):
for you in the meantime. That's why He's left you here.
So you got a purpose and a calling, and it's
not always easy to find. What you have to do
is be faithful. You have to take part of the
means of grace, which means that you should be involved
in a healthy, well bounced church. You should partake in
the sacraments.
Speaker 10 (22:08):
Yes, I do, I do. I volunteer, I go to
Bible study. I you know, deliver meals on wheels. I mean,
I am, I do.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
See here's the problem, and let me just use a
personal anecdote when I became a believer. I remember the
man that was discipling me. I would say to him,
you know, I don't feel any different, and he would
look at me like I was from Mars. He would say, wow,
are you different? But subjectively we don't always see the changes,
(22:38):
but objectively, other people can see them. And just as
you're talking, I mean, you're talking about a lot of
things that you're doing. You're exercising gifts of mercy, so
you are using your gift. And we don't all have
the same gift. I mean, who's to say that your
gift is not more important than mine. God, in his
own economy, uses people in different ways. But we're all
servants that are used for his gloves.
Speaker 3 (23:00):
So just keep.
Speaker 2 (23:01):
Pressing on and partake of the means of grace. Make
sure that you're.
Speaker 10 (23:05):
Praying, oh wait, all the time.
Speaker 2 (23:08):
Make sure that you're in the word of God.
Speaker 10 (23:10):
I read in my Bible regularly, I mean several times.
It always goes with me wherever I go.
Speaker 11 (23:15):
Well, I mean I always you know what you don't
know it, But you're an example. Okay, you're already an example.
And just keep partaking of the means of grace. And
I promise you God will continue to use you. And oftentimes,
you know, there are times that I wonder myself and
people think this is silly when I.
Speaker 2 (23:33):
Say it, but I wonder, God, are you using me?
And yet you have those insecurities that happen as you
travel along the path of life. But God's using you, Karen,
thanks for calling in.
Speaker 3 (23:43):
Bless you.
Speaker 2 (23:45):
Okay, I want to go back to the phone line
doctor Terry in Missouri.
Speaker 5 (23:50):
Hi, Terry, Hi, I absolutely praise God for you, brother Hank,
and all the people that surround you to make your
voice happen on this radio ministry. It is a maze.
What had it done in my life?
Speaker 2 (24:01):
No, bless you, but my question.
Speaker 5 (24:04):
We had Sunday School a couple Sundays ago, and one
of the questions that was brought up is when Abram
was told by the Lord to leave his land and
his father and go to a place that he would
show him. Lot went with him, And the question was
was it a disobedient or wrong for a Lot to
go with Abram.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
No, I think that Lot was following the Lord and
going with Abraham. Now, Lot, you can see, and a
lot of little hints in the text was looking out
for his own welfare. When Abraham and Lot had to
split up because God had prospered both of them, Lot
looked to the fattest part of the land, as it were,
because he saw the promise of prosperity, and Lot ended
(24:48):
up in Sodom and Gemara, and as a result of that,
also ended up becoming a victim of the culture, which
is to say, we're called to transform the culture. But
Lot became a microcosm, to one degree or another, of
the culture, and therefore he had to be saved from
the very culture that he had embraced. So there's a
(25:12):
sense in which the Bible is telling us that Abraham
was following God in faith. Lot was following what God
could provide, and so it's sort of an example of
loving the Master or loving what is on the master's table,
and Lot was an example of the latter, and yet
(25:32):
God providentially gave him more than one chance so that
he could turn and be rescued, be saved from the world,
and embrace true spirituality.
Speaker 5 (25:45):
Praise God. That's awesome.
Speaker 9 (25:47):
I love you, Hank, keep it up.
Speaker 2 (25:49):
Hey, thank you so much, Terry, appreciate your call. And
as always, it is such a privilege to do the
Bible answer Man Broadcast Monday through Friday. At this time
we answer your questions on air. If you can give,
please be generous consider the fact that you are touching
lives for time and for a trinity. See you next
time with more of the Bible Instament Broadcast.
Speaker 1 (26:12):
Thank you for joining us for the Bible answer Man Broadcast.
If you'd like more information about the Christian Research Institute
or to order resources, just call eight eight eight seven
thousand CRII. That's eight eight eight seven thousand, two seven four,
or visit equip dot org where you can listen live
or download archived broadcast. Again, that's equip dot org. You
(26:37):
can also write to us at Post Office box eighty
five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolina, zip code two eight two
seven one. The Bible answer Man Broadcast is supported by
listeners like you. We're on the air because life and
truth matter.
Speaker 8 (27:01):
Hank Handigraph has dedicated his life to defending truth because
truth matters. Yet, an encounter with Christians in the underground
Church of China left Hanograph contemplating his Christian experience. They
were experiencing something beyond truth. They were experiencing life, truth Matters,
Life Matters More by Hank hanigraph is two books in one,
Because Truth Matters. Part one equips Christians to defend the
(27:25):
essential truths of the historic Christian faith. In Part two,
Hank explains why life matters More and how we can
experience the height of human existence union with God. Prepare
to move past intellectually knowing about God to experientially knowing
God in Christ. To receive your copy of Truth Matters,
Life Matters More, the unexpected beauty of an authentic Christian
(27:46):
life called eight eight eight seven thousand CRI, and make
a gift to support the Christian Research Institutes Life Changing
Outreaches eight eight eight seven thousand CRI or visit us
at equipped dot org.
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