October 9, 2025 • 28 mins
On today’s Bible Answer Man broadcast (10/09/25), Hank answers the following questions:
Can people talk to spirits or the dead? Alexandra - Toronto, ON (0:56)
How should a Christian address a homosexual family member? Leigh - Durango, CO (5:00)
How do you define a healthy church? Do you know anything about Peter Ruckland? Dan - Sioux City, IA (15:13)
Is the book The Shack biblical? Josh - Raleigh, NC (17:39)
Where does Scripture give us guidance as to what good works we should be doing? Kelsey - Bandera, TX (19:56)
Can people talk to spirits or the dead? Alexandra - Toronto, ON (0:56)
How should a Christian address a homosexual family member? Leigh - Durango, CO (5:00)
How do you define a healthy church? Do you know anything about Peter Ruckland? Dan - Sioux City, IA (15:13)
Is the book The Shack biblical? Josh - Raleigh, NC (17:39)
Where does Scripture give us guidance as to what good works we should be doing? Kelsey - Bandera, TX (19:56)
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:07):
From Charlotte, North Carolina. You're listening to the Bible answer
Man broadcast with Hank Hanagraph, president of the Christian Research Institute.
The reason the Bible answer Man is on the air
is to defend the Christian faith, proclaim the gospel of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to teach discipleship
to his followers, because life and truth matter. For more
(00:30):
information or to order equipping resources, call eight eight eight
seven thousand CRII, which translates to eight eight eight seven
thousand two seven four, or go online to equip dot org.
That's equip dot org. The following program was pre recorded
(00:50):
and now here's your host, Hank Hanagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank for much. Randy will correct to the phone lines.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
First up today we'll talk to Alexandra in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Alexandra, Hi Henk, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Pleasure.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
So my question actually is around people who claim to
talk to spirits, talk to the dead, they reach out
to the dead. There seems to be an insurgence of
all these TV shows and so many people are really
relying on you know, this woman on TV even who
comforts them by saying, I've spoken to your dead I
(01:28):
was talking to a friend of mine who said she
did a study on it, and I don't know if
it's necessarily biblical.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I haven't.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I'm not well educated on it enough to know that.
She said it's actually something called familiar spirits, where they
actually talk to demons who are familiar with the dead.
And I'm just sort of confused and want to know
what your thought is.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Well, I mean, you bring up a very important issue,
and it's an issue addressed very early on by Moses
in the Book of Deuteronomy, and there he explains that
these kinds of practices are detestable to the Lord. First
and foremost is because we should be communicating not with spirits,
but we should be communicating with the living God. We
(02:12):
can have an intimate personal relationship with him, and that
relationship is enhanced day by day through communication. So when
we communicate with familiar spirits or demonic hosts, we are
doing precisely what pagans do and the inverse of what
we are called to do as Christians. And again that's
(02:34):
why it's called detestable to the Lord. But furthermore, it's
also dangerous, which is to say, you can be deluded
by the kind of information you get from familiar spirits.
Satan is more than happy to latch onto our credulity
and to run us in the wrong direction. And he
(02:56):
never identifies himself to us in his naked deformity. If
he did, we'd never buy into a subterfuge. Instead, what
he does is he presents himself as an angel of enlightenment.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
It sounds good, it feels good, and he gives you
just enough truth to make it palatable. In other words,
the skin of the truth stuff with a great big lie,
enough so you'll take a bite of the poisonous apple,
and as a result of that, you will suffer the
dramatic consequences. So the Bible's unequivocal we should not be
(03:32):
engaged in these practices. In fact, it's one of the
reasons I wrote my book The Covering God's Plan to
protect you from evil.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Awesome. Thanks for the clarity, because there's just so much
and it just seems like everywhere I go people are like, oh,
you know, I went to a fortune teller. I have
colleagues at work, or are like, oh, I can read
your palm. And it's just so there's that slight bit
of temptation and go ah, I kind of want to
see what they're saying, and then the fear of no,
I know this is actually wrong. Thanks for the clarity
(04:01):
you got it.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Thank you so much for your call. And of course,
as mentioned, this is something that I wrote about in
my book that covering God's plan to protect you from evil.
Without the covering, you are a guaranteed casualty in the
invisible war. With the covering, you are invincible. We are
on the front lines of spiritual warfare, whether you like
(04:24):
it or not. That's the reality. You have to take now,
a step out of the subjective smoke of demonic rhetoric
that's filling the marketplace, not only filling the marketplace in
the secular community, but also now in the Christian community,
and step into a real battle dressed in the full
(04:46):
armor of God. Again, if you understand what the full
armor of God is, you can put it on and
you are invincible in spiritual warfare. If you don't, you
are a guaranteed casualty. To the phone lines, we'll talk
to Lee and duringo Colorado.
Speaker 6 (05:03):
Higley, Hello, Hank, and blessings to you and your family.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (05:08):
I am not sure how to address homosexuals from a
biblical standpoint. I have a family member who is going
to be marrying her lesbian partner, and I want to
let her know that I love her, and yet at
the same time, I can't put my stamp of approval
on this, and I'm just sort of stuck.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Yeah, well, a couple of things. First of all, I
totally agree with what you just said. You love her,
but you can't put your stamp of approval on this,
and so we have to do everything necessary to demonstrate
that love in tangible ways and yet make clear that
it does make a difference to all of society. When
(05:55):
someone is involved in this kind of an act, a
lot of people will say, well, that doesn't make any
sense to me. What two people do, even if it
is a public ceremony not a private act, really isn't
going to impact anybody else, And that's just false.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
So people say, how could.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
It harm your marriage for two women to marry, And
the answer is that it does because it ends up
undervaluing all of marriage, and marriage is the substructure of society,
and the question how can this hurt is kind of
(06:34):
like asking if the real value of a dollar will
be affected if you're counterfeiting it.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Of course it will.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It will affect the value of real currency all over
the world in fact, and this is precisely what's going on.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So I think the attitude of love.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Is important, but also the ability to point out that
there is a very substantial price to pay when this
kind of activity becomes legalized in America. You should be
able to communicate that with gentleness and with respect.
Speaker 6 (07:08):
Okay, another really quick question. One of the best ways
that I've found, I don't know if this is accurate
to biblically support that homosexuality is wrong, is if not
being able to point to specific scriptures works. And I
probably need more of those, But just I looked at
it in a broad perspective, saying, you know, God started
(07:31):
with one man and one woman, and all the way
to Revelation he ends with Christ being the groom and
the Church being the bride, which is symbolic in one
way to one man and one woman. And I don't
know if that's biblically okay to make argument.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
No, I mean, I think it's a good argument. But remember,
homosexuality requires a person to contradict their own biology. It's
as though God has played some kind of a cruel
joke on them, creating their minds and their emotions for
attraction to same sex sexuality and yet creating their bodies
in direct opposition to that attraction. And this is common sense.
But beyond that, I mean, you look through the entirety
(08:12):
of the Bible, Old a New, and it's very clear
that homosexuality is something that is not only deflected to society,
but it's deflective to individual people.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
And that's why I go ahead.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
No, I'm sorry, I was just going to say, where
perhaps on your website or in the Bible answer Man books,
can I is there somewhere where I can find specific scriptures?
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yeah, a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
One, in the Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition, I
have an entry on homosexuality. Then also in Has God Spoken,
I have a pretty significant section on homosexuality where I
address the arguments that are raised against those who oppose
homosexuality and what the Bible actually says in this regard.
(09:01):
So in both those resources have got pretty substantive pieces.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Wonderful, Hank, I really I knew you would give me
a great answer, and I really appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Thank you so much you got it.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Thank you so much for your call. And of course
you know, at the bottom line, Jesus Christ ratified every
jot and tittle of the law, And while he did
not directly address incestuous, intergenerational interspecies or same sex sexuality,
he clearly reaffirmed every jot and tittle of enduring moral law.
(09:37):
And if you look at the New Testament. Paul likewise
derived his prescriptions against same sex sexuality in Romans chapter one,
in First Corinthians chapter six, and one Timothy chapter one,
from the creative order of Genesis and the prohibitions of Leviticus,
and he contended that even gentiles without access to the
direct revelation of Scripture had enough evidence in the natural
(09:58):
realm to discover god aversion to homosexual behavior. And of course,
in the Book of Romans, he not only describes the perversion,
but also the penalty. So we do well to recognize
that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality in an arbitrary
a capricious fashion. It carefully defines the borders of human
sexuality so that our joy might be complete. It doesn't
(10:20):
require an advanced degree in physiology to appreciate the fact
that the human body is not designed for homosexual relations. Now,
that doesn't mean that we should treat people with hate.
That means precisely the opposite. We should follow the model
of Jesus Christ, who loved the very people he wanted
(10:43):
to reach. And we should further recognize in truth that
all of us are sinners. So far from going into
this kind of a discussion with self righteousness. We recognize
our own sin and all the more recognize the grace
of God. When we come back from the break, we'll
go right back to your questions right here on the
(11:05):
Bible answer Man broadcast. Stay tuned for that, and remember
to pray for this ministry and support this ministry financially.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
If you are able to find out more about the
materials mentioned on the show, call a CRII resource consultant
toll free at eight eight eight seven thousand cri that's
eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. Our website is also
an excellent reference destination to help you. Just go to
(11:33):
equip dot org and find articles by Hank, books, CDs
and DVDs. Again, that's equip dot org. Or write crip
O Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte North Carolina, Zip two
eight two seven one. The Bible answer Man will continue
in just a moment.
Speaker 7 (12:01):
Truth Matters, Life Matters More by Hank Hannagraph is essentially
two books in one because Truth Matters Part one equips
Christians to defend the essential truth 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 in Christ. Simply put, the map is not
(12:24):
the territory. The menu is not the meal. We cheat
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message above the Messiah. Truth Matters, Life Matters More is
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(12:46):
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Speaker 1 (13:00):
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(13:22):
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(13:45):
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equip dot org. Once again, that's equip dot org. Has
(14:05):
God Spoken? Are the words of Scripture merely human in origin?
Or are they, in fact the very words of God himself.
Three years in the making and based on two decades
of research and reflection, Hank Henagraph's monumental book Has God
Spoken answers what is surely the most important question facing
(14:26):
our world. In Has God Spoken? Memorable proofs of the
Bible's Divine inspiration, Hank counters the contentions of the Bible
attackers and clearly shows that belief in the Holy Scriptures
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Order has God spoken? From the Christian Research Institute by
(14:50):
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Speaker 3 (15:12):
Thanks very much, Randy, and let's go back to the
phone lines and talk to Dan and Sioux City, Iowa.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Hi, Dan, oh, henk, how are you good?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Thank you, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
You're welcome.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
How would you keep find a well balanced church? And
then the other question I have is have you ever
heard of Peter Rusman?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yes? I have.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
He's a KJV only sensationalist and his work is completely
thoroughly discredited and I would say even dangerous. But as
to a healthy, well balanced church, I always describe it
using the acronym WOW, which represents worship, oneness, and witness.
(15:55):
First of all, with worship, we need to worship God
through prayer, praise, and theclamation of the Word as we
come together as a body of believers. Secondly, oneness, Christ
breaks the barriers of gender, of race, of background, and
he unites us as one under the banner of His love.
(16:18):
And that kind of oneness is tangibly manifested through community,
confession and contribution. What I mean by that is, in
community we recognize our oneness and that we do not
come into the body of Christ as a lone ranger believer,
but part of a family of faith, which is to say,
(16:39):
when we're baptized, we're baptized as living stones in the
Temple of God. So we're a community, we're not an isolation.
Through confession, there's a core set of beliefs that we
adhere to what I call a central Christian doctrine, and
through contribution, it is using our time, our talent, and
our treasure for the glory of God for the extension
(17:01):
of His kingdom. And then finally, the second W in
the wow represents witness, and that is a reminder that
a healthy, well balanced church equips God's people to communicate
what they believe, why they believe, and who they believe.
So you know you've discovered a good church if God
has worshiped in spirited and truth through prayer, praise, and
(17:22):
the proclamation of the Word, if the oneness we share
in Christ is tangibly manifested through community, confession and contribution,
and if the church is equipped to equip its members
to communicate what they believe, why they believe in who
they believe. Back to the phone lines, we'll talk next
to Josh and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
Hi Josh, Hey Hank, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 8 (17:47):
I was just paulin I I'd read a book by
Paul Young called The Shack, and I really just wanted
to get your take on it. I mean, I've read
a bunch of stuff that's saying it's heresy, and I mean,
I'm not sure. I saw some good stuff in it,
but I don't really know if I'm I guess enough
biblically based to be able to divulge whether it's heresy
(18:10):
or not. I just wanted to get your take on it.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
Well.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
A couple of things I would say. First of all,
his stereotypical characterization of the Father is a large, beaming
African American woman, and the son is a Jew with
a big nose. And then the Holy Spirit is some
kind of a mysterious Asian female. I have to confess
makes me a little queasy. But that's not the real problem.
Some of the problems are pretty pronounced. For example, he
(18:35):
chides those he believes to have misconceptions about the Trinity,
and then he himself compromises, confuses, or outright contradicts biblical
orthodoxy by picturing the Father is bearing crucifixion scars as
well as being incarnated in tandem with the Holy Spirit.
Of course, in Biblical Christianity, only the Son comes in
(18:58):
the incarnation, and the Son suffers and dies on the cross.
And that's just a peek into the problems with the Shack.
I'm surprised that it was so well received, particularly with
his chiding of people for their false beliefs. All the
while he is giving his own false beliefs. What he
(19:21):
calls false beliefs on the part of Christians isn't false
at all, but what he's communicating is definitely false belief.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Kind of my thought.
Speaker 8 (19:28):
I mean, I thought it was a good story, but
I mean, other than that, I was a little bit
skeptical about it. And I had a couple just friends
of mine that they had just heard the reviews of it,
and they never really read it. So I just wanted
to get an opinion of somebody that actually read it.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Yep, we not only read it, but we did a
review on it. They're available through the ministry of the
Christian Research Institute.
Speaker 8 (19:52):
But thank you. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Hank, Hey, you got it.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Thanks for your call. Back to the phone lines. We'll
talk to Kelsey next listening in bendera text. This is
Hi Kelsey.
Speaker 9 (20:02):
Hi Hank, thank you for taking my call. I feel
like you're an old friend.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Oh well, I'm so happy.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
To hear that.
Speaker 9 (20:10):
My question has to do with the works that are
the evidence of our salvation, and it just has been
bothering me for a long time, just you know, wondering
if I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And
I was wondering what where the scripture would give me
guidance as to what it is that I'm supposed to
be doing. And as it's the fruits of the spirit
(20:32):
are also evidence that where does it tell what our
works should be?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Well, you know, what the Bible calls us to be
is not just a convert to Jesus Christ, but a
disciple of Jesus Christ. And a disciple of Jesus Christ
is a learner or a follower. And as disciples of
our Lord and Savior of Jesus Christ, we are involved
in three basic categories we're involved first and foremost in
(21:00):
worshiping God. That's what we are created for. So we
worship God through prayer, praise, and the proclamation of God's Word.
That is not only the gift for some, but it
is the responsibility for all. We are to worship God
in spirit and in truth, and by the way, not
(21:21):
in isolation, not as lone ranger Christians, but within the
context of the Body of Christ, where each of us
is necessary for the whole to function properly. The second
aspect of this in terms of what we are supposed
to be doing, is we are supposed to be demonstrating
(21:44):
the oneness we have with the Body of Christ through
our common confession and through the contribution of our time, talent,
and treasure. In other words, we are to use those
things that God has given us, our and the treasure
God has given to us, even the time that God
(22:04):
has given to us for his glory and for the
extension of His kingdom. And the third category in terms
of what we are supposed to be doing is we
are supposed to be witnesses to the love and grace
of Jesus Christ in a lost and searching world. It
is true as Jesus put it, the fields are white
(22:26):
unto harvest, but the labors are few. And I saw
that in graphic detail, not all that long ago, when
I was in Vietnam. You see the teeming masses of
people the Ho Chi Minh city where I was alone,
eight or nine million people. The vast majority of those
people have never heard of Jesus Christ. While the gospel
(22:49):
goes out over and over again in the West, in Vietnam,
so many millions have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.
There are eighty five million or more people in Vietnam,
and I'm just talking about one country here. I'm not
talking about Mira mar or Cambodia or Lass I'm talking
(23:10):
about one place, Vietnam. And there you have less than
one percent of the populace as believers in Jesus Christ.
And it accentuates the need for us to witness, to
witness to why we believe what we believe, to what
we believe, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, that
(23:33):
we are saved by God's grace through faith, and then
to who we believe, which is to say that it
is important for us to communicate the truth about the
nature of God, because virtually every theological heresy or cult
begins with a misconception of the nature of God, and
(23:53):
even those people in Vietnam that have heard of God
have a complete misconception of the nature of it. My
point here is to say that what are we to do.
We are to equip ourselves to be useful tools in
the hands of the Holy Spirit in the process of
bringing the life giving Word of God to the people
who so desperately need to hear it. And we can
(24:15):
do that directly, and sometimes we can do that indirectly
as well. When you support ministries like the Christian Research Institute,
you're supporting a ministry that's reaching literally around the world
with the Gospel giving reasons for faith in using those
reasons as springboards or opportunity to communicate the truth and
love and grace that only Jesus Christ can bring to
(24:36):
the human heart.
Speaker 9 (24:37):
Well, that's a wonderful answer, Thank you very much. That
makes me feel better. I was afraid and maybe I
was supposed to be like Miterture Race that I can
do those things in my own life.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Yeah, Bloom where you're planted and what I just said
can be remembered with the acronym wow worship oneness, and
when you think of oneness, you might want to read
Romans chapter twelve and then witness. We're almost out of
time for this edition of the Bible. Lancemen broadcast do
want to mention we have an increasingly difficult job to do.
(25:09):
There are so many aberrations, so many false teachings, so
many things that ensnare people, so much confusion, and we
are a ministry willing.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
To put it on the line. A lot of times.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I wonder, you know, if only I would leave certain
things unsaid, it would be a lot more popular and
the ministry would do a whole lot better financially. But
I can't do that. I think if I did that,
there's no reason for this ministry to exist. So I
got to tell it like it is based on the
Word of God. Test all things, hold fast to that
which is good. But if you believe in this ministry
(25:42):
and you love truth, stand with this ministry financially as
well as prayer flay you can give in a safe,
secure fashion on the web at equipped dot org via
the mail at box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolinas.
I go two eight two seven to one. Or as
always when you talk to where Resource Consults at number
two late seven thousand letters see right out of time
(26:03):
for the day, see tomorrow with more of the show.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Thanks for joining us for the Bible answer Man Broadcast
with Hank Hannagraph. Our daily commitment here at CRI is
to defend the faith once for all, delivered to the Saints,
and equip believers to become true disciples of Jesus Christ.
If you'd like to order resources or listen to the
broadcast online, visit our website at equip dot org. That's
(26:28):
equip dot org, or call a resource consultant at eight
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Bible answer Man Broadcast is supported by listeners like you.
(26:50):
We're on the air because life and truth matter.
Speaker 7 (27:01):
Hank Hannagraph has dedicated his life to defending truth because
truth matters. However, his life and ministry were radically transformed
by another three word phrase, Life matters more. Truth matters
because Christianity is rooted in history and evidence. Life matters
more because it is the experience of union with God.
The goal of Christian life is union with God. All
(27:24):
attempts to understand Christianity from a solely rational perspective put
us in danger of devolving into a transactional rather than
transformational relationship with God. Truth Matters, Life Matters More will
equip you to move beyond intellectually knowing about God to
experientially knowing Him in Christ. To receive your copy of
Truth Matters, Life Matters More called eight eight eight seven
(27:47):
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.
From Charlotte, North Carolina. You're listening to the Bible answer
Man broadcast with Hank Hanagraph, president of the Christian Research Institute.
The reason the Bible answer Man is on the air
is to defend the Christian faith, proclaim the gospel of
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and to teach discipleship
to his followers, because life and truth matter. For more
(00:30):
information or to order equipping resources, call eight eight eight
seven thousand CRII, which translates to eight eight eight seven
thousand two seven four, or go online to equip dot org.
That's equip dot org. The following program was pre recorded
(00:50):
and now here's your host, Hank Hanagraph.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
Thank for much. Randy will correct to the phone lines.
Speaker 3 (00:56):
First up today we'll talk to Alexandra in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Speaker 4 (01:01):
Alexandra, Hi Henk, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
Pleasure.
Speaker 4 (01:06):
So my question actually is around people who claim to
talk to spirits, talk to the dead, they reach out
to the dead. There seems to be an insurgence of
all these TV shows and so many people are really
relying on you know, this woman on TV even who
comforts them by saying, I've spoken to your dead I
(01:28):
was talking to a friend of mine who said she
did a study on it, and I don't know if
it's necessarily biblical.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I haven't.
Speaker 4 (01:34):
I'm not well educated on it enough to know that.
She said it's actually something called familiar spirits, where they
actually talk to demons who are familiar with the dead.
And I'm just sort of confused and want to know
what your thought is.
Speaker 3 (01:48):
Well, I mean, you bring up a very important issue,
and it's an issue addressed very early on by Moses
in the Book of Deuteronomy, and there he explains that
these kinds of practices are detestable to the Lord. First
and foremost is because we should be communicating not with spirits,
but we should be communicating with the living God. We
(02:12):
can have an intimate personal relationship with him, and that
relationship is enhanced day by day through communication. So when
we communicate with familiar spirits or demonic hosts, we are
doing precisely what pagans do and the inverse of what
we are called to do as Christians. And again that's
(02:34):
why it's called detestable to the Lord. But furthermore, it's
also dangerous, which is to say, you can be deluded
by the kind of information you get from familiar spirits.
Satan is more than happy to latch onto our credulity
and to run us in the wrong direction. And he
(02:56):
never identifies himself to us in his naked deformity. If
he did, we'd never buy into a subterfuge. Instead, what
he does is he presents himself as an angel of enlightenment.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
It sounds good, it feels good, and he gives you
just enough truth to make it palatable. In other words,
the skin of the truth stuff with a great big lie,
enough so you'll take a bite of the poisonous apple,
and as a result of that, you will suffer the
dramatic consequences. So the Bible's unequivocal we should not be
(03:32):
engaged in these practices. In fact, it's one of the
reasons I wrote my book The Covering God's Plan to
protect you from evil.
Speaker 4 (03:38):
Awesome. Thanks for the clarity, because there's just so much
and it just seems like everywhere I go people are like, oh,
you know, I went to a fortune teller. I have
colleagues at work, or are like, oh, I can read
your palm. And it's just so there's that slight bit
of temptation and go ah, I kind of want to
see what they're saying, and then the fear of no,
I know this is actually wrong. Thanks for the clarity
(04:01):
you got it.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
Thank you so much for your call. And of course,
as mentioned, this is something that I wrote about in
my book that covering God's plan to protect you from evil.
Without the covering, you are a guaranteed casualty in the
invisible war. With the covering, you are invincible. We are
on the front lines of spiritual warfare, whether you like
(04:24):
it or not. That's the reality. You have to take now,
a step out of the subjective smoke of demonic rhetoric
that's filling the marketplace, not only filling the marketplace in
the secular community, but also now in the Christian community,
and step into a real battle dressed in the full
(04:46):
armor of God. Again, if you understand what the full
armor of God is, you can put it on and
you are invincible in spiritual warfare. If you don't, you
are a guaranteed casualty. To the phone lines, we'll talk
to Lee and duringo Colorado.
Speaker 6 (05:03):
Higley, Hello, Hank, and blessings to you and your family.
Speaker 2 (05:07):
Thank you.
Speaker 6 (05:08):
I am not sure how to address homosexuals from a
biblical standpoint. I have a family member who is going
to be marrying her lesbian partner, and I want to
let her know that I love her, and yet at
the same time, I can't put my stamp of approval
on this, and I'm just sort of stuck.
Speaker 3 (05:31):
Yeah, well, a couple of things. First of all, I
totally agree with what you just said. You love her,
but you can't put your stamp of approval on this,
and so we have to do everything necessary to demonstrate
that love in tangible ways and yet make clear that
it does make a difference to all of society. When
(05:55):
someone is involved in this kind of an act, a
lot of people will say, well, that doesn't make any
sense to me. What two people do, even if it
is a public ceremony not a private act, really isn't
going to impact anybody else, And that's just false.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
So people say, how could.
Speaker 3 (06:13):
It harm your marriage for two women to marry, And
the answer is that it does because it ends up
undervaluing all of marriage, and marriage is the substructure of society,
and the question how can this hurt is kind of
(06:34):
like asking if the real value of a dollar will
be affected if you're counterfeiting it.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Of course it will.
Speaker 3 (06:43):
It will affect the value of real currency all over
the world in fact, and this is precisely what's going on.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So I think the attitude of love.
Speaker 3 (06:52):
Is important, but also the ability to point out that
there is a very substantial price to pay when this
kind of activity becomes legalized in America. You should be
able to communicate that with gentleness and with respect.
Speaker 6 (07:08):
Okay, another really quick question. One of the best ways
that I've found, I don't know if this is accurate
to biblically support that homosexuality is wrong, is if not
being able to point to specific scriptures works. And I
probably need more of those, But just I looked at
it in a broad perspective, saying, you know, God started
(07:31):
with one man and one woman, and all the way
to Revelation he ends with Christ being the groom and
the Church being the bride, which is symbolic in one
way to one man and one woman. And I don't
know if that's biblically okay to make argument.
Speaker 3 (07:50):
No, I mean, I think it's a good argument. But remember,
homosexuality requires a person to contradict their own biology. It's
as though God has played some kind of a cruel
joke on them, creating their minds and their emotions for
attraction to same sex sexuality and yet creating their bodies
in direct opposition to that attraction. And this is common sense.
But beyond that, I mean, you look through the entirety
(08:12):
of the Bible, Old a New, and it's very clear
that homosexuality is something that is not only deflected to society,
but it's deflective to individual people.
Speaker 2 (08:24):
And that's why I go ahead.
Speaker 6 (08:26):
No, I'm sorry, I was just going to say, where
perhaps on your website or in the Bible answer Man books,
can I is there somewhere where I can find specific scriptures?
Speaker 2 (08:36):
Yeah, a couple of things.
Speaker 3 (08:37):
One, in the Complete Bible answer Book Collector's Edition, I
have an entry on homosexuality. Then also in Has God Spoken,
I have a pretty significant section on homosexuality where I
address the arguments that are raised against those who oppose
homosexuality and what the Bible actually says in this regard.
(09:01):
So in both those resources have got pretty substantive pieces.
Speaker 6 (09:06):
Wonderful, Hank, I really I knew you would give me
a great answer, and I really appreciate your time.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
Thank you so much you got it.
Speaker 3 (09:14):
Thank you so much for your call. And of course
you know, at the bottom line, Jesus Christ ratified every
jot and tittle of the law, And while he did
not directly address incestuous, intergenerational interspecies or same sex sexuality,
he clearly reaffirmed every jot and tittle of enduring moral law.
(09:37):
And if you look at the New Testament. Paul likewise
derived his prescriptions against same sex sexuality in Romans chapter one,
in First Corinthians chapter six, and one Timothy chapter one,
from the creative order of Genesis and the prohibitions of Leviticus,
and he contended that even gentiles without access to the
direct revelation of Scripture had enough evidence in the natural
(09:58):
realm to discover god aversion to homosexual behavior. And of course,
in the Book of Romans, he not only describes the perversion,
but also the penalty. So we do well to recognize
that the Bible does not condemn homosexuality in an arbitrary
a capricious fashion. It carefully defines the borders of human
sexuality so that our joy might be complete. It doesn't
(10:20):
require an advanced degree in physiology to appreciate the fact
that the human body is not designed for homosexual relations. Now,
that doesn't mean that we should treat people with hate.
That means precisely the opposite. We should follow the model
of Jesus Christ, who loved the very people he wanted
(10:43):
to reach. And we should further recognize in truth that
all of us are sinners. So far from going into
this kind of a discussion with self righteousness. We recognize
our own sin and all the more recognize the grace
of God. When we come back from the break, we'll
go right back to your questions right here on the
(11:05):
Bible answer Man broadcast. Stay tuned for that, and remember
to pray for this ministry and support this ministry financially.
Speaker 1 (11:12):
If you are able to find out more about the
materials mentioned on the show, call a CRII resource consultant
toll free at eight eight eight seven thousand cri that's
eight eight eight seven thousand CRII. Our website is also
an excellent reference destination to help you. Just go to
(11:33):
equip dot org and find articles by Hank, books, CDs
and DVDs. Again, that's equip dot org. Or write crip
O Box eighty five hundred, Charlotte North Carolina, Zip two
eight two seven one. The Bible answer Man will continue
in just a moment.
Speaker 7 (12:01):
Truth Matters, Life Matters More by Hank Hannagraph is essentially
two books in one because Truth Matters Part one equips
Christians to defend the essential truth 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 in Christ. Simply put, the map is not
(12:24):
the territory. The menu is not the meal. We cheat
ourselves of authentic union with Christ when we elevate the
message above the Messiah. Truth Matters, Life Matters More is
a modern classic and the magnum opus of one of
the great theological minds of our time. To receive Truth Matters,
Life Matters More, simply call eight eight eight seven thousand
(12:46):
CRI and make a gift in support of the life
changing work of the Christian Research Institute. That's eight eight
eight seven thousand CRI, or go online to equip dot org.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
Bertrand Russell famously said most people would rather die than think,
and many of them do not so with CRI Support
Team members. Support Team members are not only serious thinkers,
but their membership and CRI's Support Team helps to equip
hundreds of thousands of fellow believers around the globe each
(13:22):
and every month. Are you not a member, then you're
missing out. Not only do Support Team members form the
backbone of Christian Research Institute's outreaches, but they enjoy their
selection of resources from our Equipping Essentials library to discover
how you can make a difference twenty four to seven
and equipping believers at home and abroad to stand for
(13:45):
life and truth. Check out the benefits of membership at
equip dot org. Once again, that's equip dot org. Has
(14:05):
God Spoken? Are the words of Scripture merely human in origin?
Or are they, in fact the very words of God himself.
Three years in the making and based on two decades
of research and reflection, Hank Henagraph's monumental book Has God
Spoken answers what is surely the most important question facing
(14:26):
our world. In Has God Spoken? Memorable proofs of the
Bible's Divine inspiration, Hank counters the contentions of the Bible
attackers and clearly shows that belief in the Holy Scriptures
is not a guess or wishful thinking. It is the
only logical conclusion after an honest examination of overwhelming evidence.
Order has God spoken? From the Christian Research Institute by
(14:50):
calling eighty eight seven thousand CRII or go online to
equip dot org. Equip dot org. Now back to the
Bible answer Man Broadcast and your host and canagraph.
Speaker 3 (15:12):
Thanks very much, Randy, and let's go back to the
phone lines and talk to Dan and Sioux City, Iowa.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
Hi, Dan, oh, henk, how are you good?
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Thank you, thanks for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
You're welcome.
Speaker 6 (15:21):
How would you keep find a well balanced church? And
then the other question I have is have you ever
heard of Peter Rusman?
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yes? I have.
Speaker 3 (15:30):
He's a KJV only sensationalist and his work is completely
thoroughly discredited and I would say even dangerous. But as
to a healthy, well balanced church, I always describe it
using the acronym WOW, which represents worship, oneness, and witness.
(15:55):
First of all, with worship, we need to worship God
through prayer, praise, and theclamation of the Word as we
come together as a body of believers. Secondly, oneness, Christ
breaks the barriers of gender, of race, of background, and
he unites us as one under the banner of His love.
(16:18):
And that kind of oneness is tangibly manifested through community,
confession and contribution. What I mean by that is, in
community we recognize our oneness and that we do not
come into the body of Christ as a lone ranger believer,
but part of a family of faith, which is to say,
(16:39):
when we're baptized, we're baptized as living stones in the
Temple of God. So we're a community, we're not an isolation.
Through confession, there's a core set of beliefs that we
adhere to what I call a central Christian doctrine, and
through contribution, it is using our time, our talent, and
our treasure for the glory of God for the extension
(17:01):
of His kingdom. And then finally, the second W in
the wow represents witness, and that is a reminder that
a healthy, well balanced church equips God's people to communicate
what they believe, why they believe, and who they believe.
So you know you've discovered a good church if God
has worshiped in spirited and truth through prayer, praise, and
(17:22):
the proclamation of the Word, if the oneness we share
in Christ is tangibly manifested through community, confession and contribution,
and if the church is equipped to equip its members
to communicate what they believe, why they believe in who
they believe. Back to the phone lines, we'll talk next
to Josh and Raleigh, North Carolina.
Speaker 8 (17:43):
Hi Josh, Hey Hank, how are you good?
Speaker 2 (17:46):
Thank you.
Speaker 8 (17:47):
I was just paulin I I'd read a book by
Paul Young called The Shack, and I really just wanted
to get your take on it. I mean, I've read
a bunch of stuff that's saying it's heresy, and I mean,
I'm not sure. I saw some good stuff in it,
but I don't really know if I'm I guess enough
biblically based to be able to divulge whether it's heresy
(18:10):
or not. I just wanted to get your take on it.
Speaker 5 (18:13):
Well.
Speaker 3 (18:13):
A couple of things I would say. First of all,
his stereotypical characterization of the Father is a large, beaming
African American woman, and the son is a Jew with
a big nose. And then the Holy Spirit is some
kind of a mysterious Asian female. I have to confess
makes me a little queasy. But that's not the real problem.
Some of the problems are pretty pronounced. For example, he
(18:35):
chides those he believes to have misconceptions about the Trinity,
and then he himself compromises, confuses, or outright contradicts biblical
orthodoxy by picturing the Father is bearing crucifixion scars as
well as being incarnated in tandem with the Holy Spirit.
Of course, in Biblical Christianity, only the Son comes in
(18:58):
the incarnation, and the Son suffers and dies on the cross.
And that's just a peek into the problems with the Shack.
I'm surprised that it was so well received, particularly with
his chiding of people for their false beliefs. All the
while he is giving his own false beliefs. What he
(19:21):
calls false beliefs on the part of Christians isn't false
at all, but what he's communicating is definitely false belief.
Speaker 5 (19:27):
Kind of my thought.
Speaker 8 (19:28):
I mean, I thought it was a good story, but
I mean, other than that, I was a little bit
skeptical about it. And I had a couple just friends
of mine that they had just heard the reviews of it,
and they never really read it. So I just wanted
to get an opinion of somebody that actually read it.
Speaker 3 (19:46):
Yep, we not only read it, but we did a
review on it. They're available through the ministry of the
Christian Research Institute.
Speaker 8 (19:52):
But thank you. I appreciate it.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Hank, Hey, you got it.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Thanks for your call. Back to the phone lines. We'll
talk to Kelsey next listening in bendera text. This is
Hi Kelsey.
Speaker 9 (20:02):
Hi Hank, thank you for taking my call. I feel
like you're an old friend.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
Oh well, I'm so happy.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
To hear that.
Speaker 9 (20:10):
My question has to do with the works that are
the evidence of our salvation, and it just has been
bothering me for a long time, just you know, wondering
if I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And
I was wondering what where the scripture would give me
guidance as to what it is that I'm supposed to
be doing. And as it's the fruits of the spirit
(20:32):
are also evidence that where does it tell what our
works should be?
Speaker 2 (20:37):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Well, you know, what the Bible calls us to be
is not just a convert to Jesus Christ, but a
disciple of Jesus Christ. And a disciple of Jesus Christ
is a learner or a follower. And as disciples of
our Lord and Savior of Jesus Christ, we are involved
in three basic categories we're involved first and foremost in
(21:00):
worshiping God. That's what we are created for. So we
worship God through prayer, praise, and the proclamation of God's Word.
That is not only the gift for some, but it
is the responsibility for all. We are to worship God
in spirit and in truth, and by the way, not
(21:21):
in isolation, not as lone ranger Christians, but within the
context of the Body of Christ, where each of us
is necessary for the whole to function properly. The second
aspect of this in terms of what we are supposed
to be doing, is we are supposed to be demonstrating
(21:44):
the oneness we have with the Body of Christ through
our common confession and through the contribution of our time, talent,
and treasure. In other words, we are to use those
things that God has given us, our and the treasure
God has given to us, even the time that God
(22:04):
has given to us for his glory and for the
extension of His kingdom. And the third category in terms
of what we are supposed to be doing is we
are supposed to be witnesses to the love and grace
of Jesus Christ in a lost and searching world. It
is true as Jesus put it, the fields are white
(22:26):
unto harvest, but the labors are few. And I saw
that in graphic detail, not all that long ago, when
I was in Vietnam. You see the teeming masses of
people the Ho Chi Minh city where I was alone,
eight or nine million people. The vast majority of those
people have never heard of Jesus Christ. While the gospel
(22:49):
goes out over and over again in the West, in Vietnam,
so many millions have never heard the name of Jesus Christ.
There are eighty five million or more people in Vietnam,
and I'm just talking about one country here. I'm not
talking about Mira mar or Cambodia or Lass I'm talking
(23:10):
about one place, Vietnam. And there you have less than
one percent of the populace as believers in Jesus Christ.
And it accentuates the need for us to witness, to
witness to why we believe what we believe, to what
we believe, which is the gospel of Jesus Christ, that
(23:33):
we are saved by God's grace through faith, and then
to who we believe, which is to say that it
is important for us to communicate the truth about the
nature of God, because virtually every theological heresy or cult
begins with a misconception of the nature of God, and
(23:53):
even those people in Vietnam that have heard of God
have a complete misconception of the nature of it. My
point here is to say that what are we to do.
We are to equip ourselves to be useful tools in
the hands of the Holy Spirit in the process of
bringing the life giving Word of God to the people
who so desperately need to hear it. And we can
(24:15):
do that directly, and sometimes we can do that indirectly
as well. When you support ministries like the Christian Research Institute,
you're supporting a ministry that's reaching literally around the world
with the Gospel giving reasons for faith in using those
reasons as springboards or opportunity to communicate the truth and
love and grace that only Jesus Christ can bring to
(24:36):
the human heart.
Speaker 9 (24:37):
Well, that's a wonderful answer, Thank you very much. That
makes me feel better. I was afraid and maybe I
was supposed to be like Miterture Race that I can
do those things in my own life.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
Yeah, Bloom where you're planted and what I just said
can be remembered with the acronym wow worship oneness, and
when you think of oneness, you might want to read
Romans chapter twelve and then witness. We're almost out of
time for this edition of the Bible. Lancemen broadcast do
want to mention we have an increasingly difficult job to do.
(25:09):
There are so many aberrations, so many false teachings, so
many things that ensnare people, so much confusion, and we
are a ministry willing.
Speaker 2 (25:19):
To put it on the line. A lot of times.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
I wonder, you know, if only I would leave certain
things unsaid, it would be a lot more popular and
the ministry would do a whole lot better financially. But
I can't do that. I think if I did that,
there's no reason for this ministry to exist. So I
got to tell it like it is based on the
Word of God. Test all things, hold fast to that
which is good. But if you believe in this ministry
(25:42):
and you love truth, stand with this ministry financially as
well as prayer flay you can give in a safe,
secure fashion on the web at equipped dot org via
the mail at box eighty five hundred, Charlotte, North Carolinas.
I go two eight two seven to one. Or as
always when you talk to where Resource Consults at number
two late seven thousand letters see right out of time
(26:03):
for the day, see tomorrow with more of the show.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
Thanks for joining us for the Bible answer Man Broadcast
with Hank Hannagraph. Our daily commitment here at CRI is
to defend the faith once for all, delivered to the Saints,
and equip believers to become true disciples of Jesus Christ.
If you'd like to order resources or listen to the
broadcast online, visit our website at equip dot org. That's
(26:28):
equip dot org, or call a resource consultant at eight
eight eight seven thousand, two seven four. Of course, you
can write to CURI 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.
(26:50):
We're on the air because life and truth matter.
Speaker 7 (27:01):
Hank Hannagraph has dedicated his life to defending truth because
truth matters. However, his life and ministry were radically transformed
by another three word phrase, Life matters more. Truth matters
because Christianity is rooted in history and evidence. Life matters
more because it is the experience of union with God.
The goal of Christian life is union with God. All
(27:24):
attempts to understand Christianity from a solely rational perspective put
us in danger of devolving into a transactional rather than
transformational relationship with God. Truth Matters, Life Matters More will
equip you to move beyond intellectually knowing about God to
experientially knowing Him in Christ. To receive your copy of
Truth Matters, Life Matters More called eight eight eight seven
(27:47):
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.
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