Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast, offers a meditation on thanksgiving—the gateway to righteousness. Thanksgiving is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous may enter. Prayer without thanksgiving is like a bird without wings. Each day we ought to approach God overflowing with thankfulness. Our thankfulness flows from the sure knowledge that our heavenly Father knows precisely what we need, and He will supply it in Christ Jesus. The Psalms are a rich reservoir for daily thanksgiving—for example, Psalm 118.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and Host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, comments on Benny Hinn’s misuse of Scripture in “7 Reasons for the Rapture.”[ https://www.bennyhinn.org/podcast/7-reasons-for-the-rapture/] Hinn cites Christ’s words in John 14:3 as teaching a secret pretribulational rapture: “And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also” (KJV). In Hinn’s paradigm, the church is raptured into a safe place and then all hell breaks loose on earth—two-thirds of all Jewish people on earth die in an unfathomably brutal tribulation. Hinn also cites Paul’s great and glorious passage on resurrection in 1 Thessalonians 4 as teaching a secret pretribulational rapture. In reality, these passages do not imply, let alone clearly teach, a pretribulational rapture. There just is no biblical basis for the notion that Jesus is coming secretly to rapture the church seven years prior to His second appearing. In fact, our Lord’s own words negate the very notion: “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done what is good will rise to live, and those who have done what is evil will rise to be condemned” (John 5:28–29 NIV). This event does not happen at the time of an imagined secret rapture but at the time of Christ’s second appearing. Some people are not raptured at one time and others at another time. No, all of humanity will rise in resurrection simultaneously. We ought not to be inventing theology in the 21st century (or 19th century when this whole notion originated)—reading our own odd predilections into the text. Rather, we ought to draw out of the biblical text only that which is in the text. We ought to interpret the Bible in the sense in which it was intended by the original authors (who wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) and understood throughout church history. We ought not to innovate—we ought to perpetuate. For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, The Apocalypse Code: Find Out What the Bible Really Says about the End Times and Why It Matters Today [https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-the-apocalypse-code-det/]

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, comments on a recent Wall Street Journal opinion article, “Are Internet Services as Good as Church?” by Paul Glader and John Semakula. The authors write about how digital worship has overtaken the Christian church, particularly among Evangelicals. Almost half of people who responded to a survey now believe that online services are as good as in-person services. Many don’t want to return to in-person worship, enjoying the opportunity to multi-task during the service or shop around for other worship experiences—dabbling in Christianity without commitment and accountability. But this constitutes a complete misunderstanding of what the Church actually is. Followers of Christ are baptized into a body—incorporated into the Body of Christ. Church is not just about holding to a corpus of intellectual precepts or listening to good TED Talks with a spiritual slant. Church, by its very nature, is a corporate, embodied experience—a sacramental experience within the Eucharistic assembly wherein we together partake of the “medicine of immortality” that transforms us. Sacraments are dispensed within—not apart from—the Body of Christ, and Christianity knows nothing of Lone Ranger experiences. (https://www.wsj.com/articles/internet-services-as-good-as-church-livestream-in-person-11634848177)

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, conveys another eloquent and convicting message from his sister Jobje, who is battling pancreatic cancer. Before her many missionary trips and travels, she would, of course, need to pack—and then unpack afterward. But now she is going on a journey that requires no packing. Jobje writes, “This time, I find myself unpacking for the greatest journey of my life—for my eternal home. In church this Sunday we sang one of the greatest hymns of our faith. ‘A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.’ One verse hit me anew: ‘Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also.’ It was a very sobering thought because that is exactly what I am doing. I’m letting my goods go even as in time I will have to let my kindred go. As I was packing my boxes for a Christian thrift store, I was struck with the thought for the first time that I would not need to pack a suitcase. I would not have to pack boxes ever again for my journey heavenward. Just me. Just me with my soul flying toward heaven at the moment of death, unencumbered by the things of this world—not even encumbered by my body. My body to be placed into the cold ground waiting the resurrection. That body can’t even accompany me on this particular journey. But this I know—that a special white robe of His righteousness will clothe me. Even my earthly name will be changed to a new one. ‘Nothing in my hand I bring’—no suitcase, no boxes—‘simply to Thy cross I cling.’ ‘Naked come to Thee for dress; helpless, I look to thee for grace.’ Yes, Lord, my Savior, the ensured ‘cloak of salvation' is all I need to adorn me in Your home. I look forward to that.”

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, considers the temptation of Eve in light of the literal principle of biblical interpretation. To read Scripture literally is to read it as literature. This means that we are to interpret the Word of God just as we interpret other forms of communication—in the most obvious and natural sense. Thus, when Moses uses the symbolism of a snake, we do violence to his intentions if we interpret him in a woodenly literal fashion. When the prophet Moses describes Satan as an ancient serpent, and the apostle John describes him as an ancient dragon, they do not tell us what Satan looks like. They teach us what Satan is like. In short, Eve was not deceived by a talking snake. Rather Moses used the symbol of a snake to communicate the wiles of the evil one who deceived Eve through mind-to-mind communication—precisely as he seeks to deceive you and me today.

Do you give with a joyful heart? According to today’s guest Dr. Andrew Geleris, “An utterly breathtaking divergence has developed between the joy of giving that God intends his people to experience and the way many Christians view giving as an unpleasant but necessary obligation of church membership.” Simply put, for many of us money has an unhealthy hold on our hearts. This conversation will challenge you to make a change in your life and view your finances from an eternal perspective. The Lord spoke more frequently and forcefully about almsgiving than he did about prayer, yet most Church leaders are reluctant to discuss money simply because it is often uncomfortable. “Dr. Andrew Geleris is passionate about challenging the Church to develop disciples with a biblical “theology of money” that promotes a Godly view on giving with all your heart that will leave Christians “refreshed—indeed, delighted—by recognizing the unfathomably great blessing God hopes to pour out on us through generosity.” “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2.9). To be involved in our Giving Tuesday partnership please click here.https://www.equip.org/product/giving-tuesday-hup/Topics discussed include: The relationship between money and salvation (5:00); how generous giving transforms our souls (8:20); The Parable of the Farmer (12:50); the relationship between repentance and finances (16:10); what almsgiving actually means and why it is so important (21:50); should we tithe? (24:30); the dangers of the prosperity gospel and the commodification of Christ (28:30); what can we learn from Mary washing the feet of Jesus? (34:45); what are whole burnt offerings and what is the equivalent today? (36:25); the “ovarian lottery” and God’s providence (41:20); how the parable of the soils inspired Alan Barnhart to create a financial finish line (44:45); what we can learn from St. Basil the Great about giving (53:05); what is sacrificial giving? (53:30); misconceptions about what tithing is for (57:55); how should we tithe? (1:00:45); we don’t truly own anything, in the grave “kings and beggars dwell together” (1:03:30); is there a problem with receiving public recognition for giving? (1:04:40); the spiritual growth we experience through giving (1:09:25); should we tithe on our gross or net income? (1:11:30); scriptural examples of giving (1:12:30); should we give to panhandlers? (1:14:30); are Christians fundraising the right way? (1:16:10); God’s financial priority is the care of the poor (1:19:15); the powerful lesson of the widow who gave all she had [Mark 12:41-44] (1:21:00); the rewards for almsgiving according to scripture (1:23:50); giving is more beneficial spiritually than financially (1:26:00). Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reads from a public letter written by Christian florist Barronelle Stutzman. Her courageous nine-year legal battle for religious liberty has ended in a settlement. Willing to stand on her convictions, she is a tremendous example of Christ-honoring perseverance.

Seemingly no topic is off limits when it comes to Anne Kennedy—a prolific author who has compiled a comprehensive catalogue of the cultural issues facing our world today through her contributions to the Christian Research Journal. She joins Hank Hanegraaff to discuss the topics of several of her articles in a wide-ranging conversation that touches on gaslighting, Black Lives Matter, modern attacks on womanhood, cancel culture and much more.Topics discussed include: On leaving the Episcopal church (2:45); growing up in West Africa as a missionary kid (6:30); making the decision to homeschool (10:40); the Revoice 2021 Conference (13:05); is manifesting The Secret 2.0? (16:45); the value of reading and New Year’s Resolutions (19:15); different views on time in different cultures (25:05); the rising influence of African Traditional religion in the West (28:00); the appeal of the prosperity gospel in Africa (30:30); the dangerous religious beliefs behind the Black Lives Matter organization (32:45); a proper Christian perspective on animals (34:40); what is gaslighting? (39:05); twisting the truth and why gaslighting is essentially lying (42:15); the changing meanings of words today (45:00); defending the patriarchy (48:05); a proper Christian understanding of wellness and self-care (52:15); The Making of Biblical Womanhood, the subjugation of women and Beth Allison Barr (54:45); the modern attack on womanhood (1:01:30); what is cancel culture? (1:03:30); the unique opportunity that cancel culture presents for evangelism (1:07:15); should we call out false teachers by name? (1:11:00); virtue has become less important than fame (1:13:10); what Brene Brown gets wrong about shame (1:14:30); why Anne Kennedy believes that Jen Hatmaker and Rachel Held Evans are two of the most significant apostasies of our time (1:20:35).To make sure to always be able to read Anne Kennedy’s print and online-exclusive articles, please subscribe to the print Journal here and early access to online-exclusives is included. https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/https://www.equip.org/early-access-to-online-exclusive-articles-faqs/Please see below the articles discussed:African Traditional Religion, Black Lives Matter, and Prosperity Gospel https://www.equip.org/article/african-traditional-religion-black-lives-matter-and-prosperity-gospel/Meditation Upon the Death of a Pet https://www.equip.org/article/meditation-upon-the-death-of-a-pet/For Our Lamps are Going Out: Gaslighting in the Age of Social Media https://www.equip.org/article/for-our-lamps-are-going-out-gaslighting-in-the-age-of-social-media/There is No Health In Us: Wellness and Self-care in the Age of COVID-19 https://www.equip.org/article/there-is-no-health-in-us-wellness-and-self-care-in-the-age-of-covid-19/Be Free! The Making of Biblical Womanhood A Summary Critique of The Making of Biblical Womanhood: How the Subjugation of Women Became Gospel Truth by Beth Allison Barr https://www.equip.org/article/be-free-the-making-of-biblical-womanhood-a-summary-critique-review-of-the-making-of-biblical-womanhood-how-the-subjugation-of-women-became-gospel-truth-by-beth-allison-barr/Naming Names: Why It’s OK (and Necessary) to Call Out False Teachers and Fugitives from Church Justice by Name https://www.equip.org/article/naming-names-why-its-ok-and-necessary-to-call-out-false-teachers-and-fugitives-from-church-justice-by-name/Why Do I Call Myself Good? A Look at Virtue Signaling https://www.equip.org/article/why-do-i-call-myself-good-a-look-at-virtue-signaling/But What If It Is Me? The Work and Worldview of Brené Brown https://www.equip.org/article/but-what-if-it-is-me-the-work-and-worldview-of-brene-brown/The Unhindered Leadership of Jen Hatmaker https://www.equip.org/article/the-unhindered-leadership-of-jen-hatmaker/The Theological Mess in the Moxie of Jen Hatmaker https://www.equip.org/article/the-theological-mess-in-the-moxie-of-jen-hatmaker/Have You Considered Trying Harder: The Theology of Rachel Hollis https://www.equip.org/article/have-you-considered-trying-harder-the-theology-of-rachel-hollis/The Theological Legacy of Rachel Held Evans https://www.equip.org/article/the-theological-legacy-of-rachel-held-evans/ Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and Host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, honors our nation’s Veterans—all who have served in the United States Armed Forces. Thank you for your sacrificial service. In The Dying Citizen, Victor Davis Hanson writes of a troubling poll concerning the lack of understanding many have about what it means to be a citizen of the United States. Hanson reminds us that citizenship is not indestructible—“the more it includes everyone, the less it can protect anyone.” He warns that we are becoming a nation of residents as opposed to citizens, and as a result we are losing enthusiasm for those who have preserved our freedom. Thank you to all who have served to protect the land of the free and the home of the brave.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, recently spoke with the Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia. Hank asked this remarkable servant of Christ to speak to the significance of the church—as the sphere within which union with God is accomplished. His Eminence explained that “to be a Christian does involve personal experience but not isolated experience—to belong to the community of the faith….Not ‘I’ but ‘we.’” Indeed, says Metropolitan Kallistos, “We do not come to our Savior Christ alone, isolated. But we come as brothers and sisters, sharing together in the experience of faith.” Moreover, “this sharing in faith is expressed through outward actions. Christianity is not just a theory—it is a way of life. And in that way of life we have certain actions which we call sacraments. And above all there are the two sacraments of Holy Baptism, which happens only once,” and “Holy Communion, the sharing in the Body and Blood of Christ in the Eucharist,” which is celebrated Sunday by Sunday. “At Baptism, the new Christian is buried and raised with Christ; at the Eucharist the members of Christ’s Body the church receive His Body….The Eucharist, by uniting the members of the church to Christ, at the same time unites them to one another: ‘We, who are many, are one bread, one body; for we all partake of the one bread’ (1 Corinthians 10:17). The Eucharist creates the unity of the church.” St. Ignatius christened the Eucharist our “medicine of immortality and the antidote against death, enabling us to live forever in Jesus Christ.” It is within the church that divine life penetrates the fabric of our humanity. The future life is infused into the present one and is blended with it so that our humanity may be transformed into the glorified humanity of the New Adam, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, recently spoke with the Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia. In this brief episode, Hank asked his Eminence to share about his love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. “What matters is not salvation as an idea, but the Savior. Christianity is not about ‘what.’ It is about ‘Who’—our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” Indeed, says Metropolitan Kallistos, “salvation is not just a theory, a philosophical doctrine…or a moral code. Salvation is the Savior.’”Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on

​Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, recently spoke with the Most Reverend Metropolitan Kallistos (Ware) of Diokleia. In this brief episode, Hank asked his Eminence to share the remarkable account of how he became Orthodox as a young man. Significant influences in the Metropolitan’s life included the writings of the Desert Fathers and a particular experience he had within an Orthodox Church in London—an experience of “heaven on earth,” of being one in the worship of God with the total invisible church.Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast and the 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘜𝘯𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 podcast, reflects on the virtue and spiritual discipline of reading. Tragically, many have given up on this wonderful discipline, or perhaps have never engaged it in the first place. Reading provides one with new heights of perspective and new depths of understanding. Some of the greatest breakthroughs in insight and understanding that Hank has experienced in his life have come as a direct result of reading. Sir Isaac Newton, a prodigious intellect who developed calculus, discovered the law of gravity, and designed the first reflecting telescope, would never have done so without a great deal of reading and reflection on the cumulative knowledge of others before him. What fed his genius was immersion in a sea of revelation. And, of course, the greatest of revelations is Scripture. Newton read Scripture, and we must as well.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on the significance of the U. S. State Department having issued the first passport with a gender designation “X.” This monumental decision is analogous to a submarine earthquake—barely noticeable on the surface of the water above—that triggers a catastrophic tsunami. The United States government has now effectively determined that one can no longer designate the gender of a human being on the basis of biology, but henceforth one self-designates gender on the basis of introspection and autonomous will. In other words, individuals choose wholly apart from objective evidence to subjectively self-designate gender as male, female, or something altogether other. Christians must speak up.

​What must I do to be saved? This is a popular question—and an important one—but it is not the gospel. It is a response to the gospel. For many the gospel has often been reduced to a sales pitch of what Jesus can do for you. But, the gospel isn’t about what Jesus can do for you. The gospel is a declaration of what Jesus has done, solving the three biggest problems facing mankind—defeating death, sin and domination by demons. Hank is joined by Fr. Andrew Stephen Damick to discuss what the true content of the gospel is—and how we are to respond. For more information on Fr. Damick’s books, Arise, O God: The Gospel of Christ’s Defeat of Demons, Sin, and Death and Orthodoxy and Heterodoxy: Finding the Way to Christ in a Complicated Religious Landscape , https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-arise-o-god-the-gospel-of-christs-defeat-of-demons-sin-and-death-and-orthodoxy-and-heterodoxy-finding-the-way-to-christ-in-a-complicated-religious-landscape/What is the gospel? (2:45); the gospel of Caeser (9:00); The Lord’s Prayer as a declaration of the gospel (11:05); the gospel is all about how Jesus solves the three biggest problems facing mankind—death sin and domination by demons (13:25); the reality of demons and the Harrowing of Hades (23:15); is technology inherently evil? (28:05); Jesus is the Messiah—the Old Testament and the New Testament are not two different religions (34:00); how Christ is Risen summarizes the gospel (39:25); why do people often miss the reality of the Resurrection? (42:00); the role of faithfulness in the theology of Salvation (47:30); the positive significance of repentance in the life of a Christian (1:01:15); what must we do to be saved? (1:05:05); why should we believe in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist? (1:11:50); what happens to those who live and die without ever having heard the name of Jesus Christ? (1:24:15); similarities and differences between Orthodox, Protestant and Catholic Christians (1:28:25); what is Grace and why is it so often misinterpreted or misunderstood? (1:31:15); dogma, doctrine and theology (1:35:00); Sola Scriptura and Holy Tradition (1:41:45); Sola Fide and satisfaction theology (1:49:10); understanding faith and works through the lens of faithfulness (1:51:45); the rise of the Nones and the individualization of religious belief in the world today (1:54:00). Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, shares a parable of sorts from his sister Jobje, who is fighting pancreatic cancer. In the parable she receives a large mirror through which she looks back to survey the many years God has so graciously given to her. “I’m ashamed as I look back and see my road of life,” writes Jobje, “a road of life strewn thick with stones, rocks, and boulders—my transgressions are everywhere…making for a very rough and uneven road toward my final days on earth.” As she retraces the path of her life, the Lord then places into her hands a book of her life’s journey. “My book was so heavy and so full,” she says, “as I stumbled over and around the many boulders filling my road from the day I was born. I opened the book, and I was horrified at what I saw—every sin and transgression of mine was listed in that book. I was so jealous here, I lost my temper there. ‘Yes, Jobje, read each one of them, confess them, own them.’ ‘But Lord, there are so many of them, I am so ashamed.’” Having retraced her life’s path back to the beginning, she weeps bitterly. She turns to begin anew and retrace her journey forward. “Carefully picking my way around all those many boulders and obstacles—offenses of my sins—I look up in my tears and see my Savior standing in the far distance waiting for me upon the Rock of my salvation—upon Mt. Calvary with His cross. I see in His eyes the pain and sorrow that I have caused Him. I begin to run and climb up and over all the boulders of my sins until finally this prodigal daughter is reaching her heavenly Father.” Ashamedly, she hands Him back the book of her life’s journey and sees that on the cover is written a big “F.” “Failed.” She drops to her knees, weeping. “Please forgive me for all those sins,” she pleads. He hands back to her that awful book, and “there is still that ‘F,’ boldly written. But now,” she says, “I see the word ‘Failed’ crossed out, and behind it, boldly written, ‘Forgiven.’” “But, Lord, how is that possible?” He tells her to open the book again. “As I page through my book, I see His shed blood everywhere—blood obscuring all of my sins. He takes back my book and puts it in the ‘Forgiven’ section of His library. Now I turn around to look at all those boulders and to my surprise, I see thousands of lighted crosses”—each stone, rock, and boulder covered by a cross. “A glorious sight of total forgiveness! My previously darkened path has become a lighted pathway.” She hears the choir singing those precious words, “My sin, not in part, but the whole, is nailed to His cross, and I bear it no more.” Because of His great sacrifice on the cross, she can sing, yes, “It is well with my soul.”

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reads an insightful article that captures the very issues he too thinks about when passing through an airline terminal. The article is by Spencer Klavan, “Life in the Airline Terminal,” The American Mind (September 30, 2021), https://americanmind.org/salvo/life-in-the-airline-terminal/.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reacts to an article in USA Today titled, “Faith Guided Our Decision on 2 Abortions,” by Elon University religious studies professor and Presbyterian minister Rebecca Todd Peters. The author says “loudly and clearly that abortion can be a moral good” and that she aborted two of her children not despite, but because of, her “Christian identity and faith.” She writes, “people of faith need to shout from the rooftops” the message that “you shouldn’t have a baby just because you are pregnant.” According to Peters, killing a pre-born child can be a “morally responsible decision” if, for example, having a child would “interrupt one’s education or career.” Ultimately, she contends, “we need more Christians to stand up and testify that abortion can be a morally good decision.” Lord Jesus, help us to stand against, and not fall for, false and seductive rhetoric emanating from pulpits and lecterns throughout the land.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on the tension and debate over Christopher Columbus. Think of last year’s carnage in Portland on “Indigenous Peoples’ Day of Rage.” Or the city of Philadelphia placing a plywood box over a Columbus statue—which has remained covered beyond Columbus Day 2021. Now President Biden has issued the first presidential proclamation of “Indigenous Peoples’ Day,” attempting to disassociate the federal holiday from Columbus. What could possibly motivate American citizens today, supposed exemplars of social justice, to behave with such wanton recklessness in a supposed era of wokeness and progressive values? Could it be that they attack Columbus because of their hatred of Christianity? Anger over Columbus’ intention to spread the message of Christ to those he encountered in the new world? Or the deeply held Christian convictions prominently displayed in Columbus’ documents and diaries? The common (false) narrative that Columbus was a nefarious character—“a ruthless, money-grubbing, genocidal maniac, who severed hands, raped women, and who enslaved gentle people to satisfy a white supremacist lust for gold and glory”—is arguably tracible to the pontifications of a man named Howard Zinn. Read about this in a remarkable book by Dr. Mary Grabar, Debunking Howard Zinn: Exposing the Fake History That Turned a Generation against America [[https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri2102ea/]].

Hank Hanegraaff is joined by Neil Thomas to discuss his book Taking Leave of Darwin: A Longtime Agnostic Discovers the Case for Design. Neil Thomas was a committed Darwinist and agnostic — until an investigation of evolutionary theory led him to a startling conclusion: “I had been conned!” As he studied the work of Darwin’s defenders, he found himself encountering tactics eerily similar to the methods of political brainwashing he had studied as a scholar. Thomas felt impelled to write a book as a sort of warning call to humanity: “Beware! You have been fooled!” For more information on receiving Taking Leave of Darwin: A Longtime Agnostic Discovers the Case for Design for your partnering gift click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri2110hup/Topics discussed include: What led Neil Thomas to question his acceptance of Darwinian evolution? (7:45); the wide-ranging and significant impact of the Darwinian paradigm (10:15); scientific bias against deism and towards materialism (14:00); how did Darwin gain acceptance of his theories? (16:10); the false antagonism between religion and science—naturalism vs. the miraculous (18:50); was Darwin a fundamentalist? (23:40); the fossil record and the Darwinian paradigm (28:20); Darwinian delusions (30:40); the 1953 Miller-Urey experiment (33:30); the rising popularity of Panspermia (37:45); the unfair accusations of pseudoscience attached to the work of Intelligent Design advocates (40:40); Darwin, Chomsky and how linguistics impact evolutionary theory (44:00); the complexity of the human brain (47:20); how consciousness convinced Alfred Russel Wallace to disagree with Darwinism (50:55); racism, sexism and eugenics as ramifications of social-Darwinism (54:45); materialistic magic in the Darwinian paradigm postulating that something can come from nothing (1:01:00); the privileged planet (1:05:25); how do you explain the rising popularity of the multiverse theory? (1:09:00); what is the mystery of mysteries? (1:13:30); the humility of Einstein as opposed to the hubris of many academic elites (1:16:45); the limits of materialistic explanations (1:19:00); the great historical irony of many post-enlightenment thinkers today (1:22:15); does Intelligent Design make more sense than materialism in an age of scientific enlightenment? (1:23:45). Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast, comments on an article in USA Today by Deena Yellin, entitled “Millions Giving up Organized Religion—America’s Fast-Growing Movement: The ‘Nones’” (October 4, 2021). ‘Nones’ have no religious affiliation. Yellin explains that a “sea change” is taking place in our culture. Something is “replacing organized religion.” This “hard-to-define” something “can manifest as a devotion to nature, meditation, yoga or political activism, among other things.” According to polls, Nones—“as many as 70 million American adults”—“still believe in a higher power, or even the biblical God—but on their own terms.” The truth, however, is that Church is never optional. What is needed is to find the mystery that can be found nowhere other than in Christ’s Church, because the Church is the sphere within which union with the one true and living God in Christ is accomplished. It is through the Church that God’s saving power is mediated to the whole of humanity. While the article talks about lone-ranger, individualized spirituality, Christianity knows nothing of the sort. The Church is the reincarnation of Eden. The place in which we may access the Tree of Life replete with its eucharistic bounty. It’s in the Church that we receive the graces that transform us and satisfy our deepest needs, and such cannot be accomplished in isolation—but only within the community of the body of Christ.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, shares another note of deep and abiding encouragement to us all from his sister Jobje, who is an astonishing example of faithfulness in the midst of suffering. From her chemo chair, she explains that this has been an Elijah week for her, with moments on Mt. Carmel as well as in the dark cave. “Why is it,” she pleads, “I cannot trust my Savior more, and I shoulder the doubting Thomas mantle?” And in the same breath, she reiterates her gratefulness that God in His mercy has given her “another two months extension of life.” “Amazing,” says Jobje, “how my life is now measured in small increments, not by years or by a half a year. His continued love for me amazes me! I know the day will come,” she continues, “when the chemo is no longer effective. Will I then still be able to give grateful thanks to a merciful Savior, to yield uncomplainingly, to mold myself slowly into His sovereign will and joyfully accept the closing of my earthly life? But ahh, the glorious knowledge that He has redeemed me and will Shepherd me personally by His staff, from the musty, deep, disappointing hollow black caves of this life into my eternal Home, a forever bright victorious Mt. Carmel! I do look forward to that moment!” Having walked with the Lord throughout her life, Jobje is now, at a precarious moment, able to rejoice in the midst of suffering. What an example to us to build our faith in our Lord through the spiritual disciplines so that when we too come to a point when we can see the end of our lives, we will do so in joy and hope and peace in Christ Jesus.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Hank Unplugged podcast, shares an article in the Wall Street Journal by Dr. Monica Gandhi, “Covid will Soon Be Endemic, Thank Goodness.” Dr. Gandhi says that “a disease becomes endemic when it is manageable” yet “is unlikely to be eliminated because of the pathogen’s inherent properties.” Dr. Gandhi reports that “although SARS-CoV-2 has proved unpredictable, no virus in history has ever continued to evolve to higher pathogenicity.” In her view, “widespread immunity, vaccinated and natural, will bring a full return to normal.” Jesus is Lord.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on recent interaction between Senator Rand Paul and Xavier Becerra, President Biden’s Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services. As Sen. Paul points out in the interchange, Sec. Becerra dubbed him, Jonathan Isaac (who plays for the Orlando Magic), and some hundred million Americans who have natural immunity against COVID-19—“flat Earthers.” Reality is that Sen. Paul, Isaac, and the millions of Americans who have looked at the science and determined that antibodies resulting from having contracted COVID-19 produce significant immunity (as is the case with measles and smallpox) are anything but obscurantists lacking mental acumen and reasoning skills. To call someone a “flat Earther” is no small slight. Andrew Dickson White, founder of Cornell University, once did the same. He decried what he called the regrettable reality that two hundred years after Ferdinand Magellan had empirically proved that the Earth was round, Christian fundamentalists persisted in perpetuating flat-Earth mythology. Like Sec. Becerra, it was White’s contention that people like Sen. Paul and Isaac were unable or unwilling to consider the facts. Thus, they must be crushed under the full weight of government mandates and penalties, until they cry uncle (Uncle Sam). What Sec. Becerra must surely know, however, is that his use of the flat-Earth moniker is pure propaganda! Columbus, of course, knew full well that unanimous scholarly opinion from Augustine to Aquinas pronounced the Earth spherical. And far from being flat Earthers, as Sec. Becerra recklessly demeans them, Sen. Paul, Isaac, and millions of other Americans are well aware of the reality that a lunar eclipse is not produced by a flat Earth. It is high time that name calling is replaced by a civil, reason- and science-based national discussion on whether natural immunity is indeed as good or better than present vaccines. Or, for that matter, whether the combination of natural immunity and vaccine immunity surpasses one or the other or both.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, decries the recent passing of the deceptively named Women’s Health Protection Act (H. R. 3755) in the U. S. House of Representatives. This horrendous piece of legislation would mandate in federal law virtually unfettered access to abortion, including sex selection abortion and the abortion of pre-born children with proclivities to Down Syndrome, allowing for abortions up to the very moment of birth. H. R. 3755 is perhaps the most draconian, pro-death legislation in the history of humanity. And then there is the language crisis that threatens to undo Western civilization. The bill is not specifically a “Women’s” Health Protection Act. Rather, it is “intended to protect all people with the capacity for pregnancy.” The language has shifted from women’s health to the health of “birthing people” — “cis-gender women, transgender men, non-binary individuals, those who identify with a different gender, and others.” Pregnancy is no longer the province of biological women. And this is now the perspective of the Department of Justice, CDC, and the White House. It is not enough to open our southern border to the unvetted and unvaccinated but we’re now using language to redefine the borders of human sexuality. With no objective reference points, societal norms reduce to mere matters of subjective preference.

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reacts to a New York Post article reporting on the claims of the beheading of two young boys and that the Taliban have been killing off Christians with alarming speed. This should not come as a surprise. Sharia is rooted in the unalterable words of Allah and thus embodies the will of God for every aspect of society — past, present, future. Sharia is state, state is sharia, and sharia mandates proactive and perpetual war against Jews and Christians. This is the consensus of Muslim jurisprudence, which in concert with the will of Allah, mandates war as a “religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force” (Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah). Certainly, many Muslims are peaceful and tolerant; however, the history of Islam demonstrates conclusively that Islam is not a peaceful and tolerant religion. There is a collapse of clear thinking about Islam in the West, while thousands from Afghanistan are now entering the United States unvetted — and to suggest that terrorists are embedded among them is hardly unwarranted. Our porous borders expose the West to the same kind of terror that Afghanistan is presently experiencing.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Hank Unplugged podcast, responds to an article—a testimonial of a mother—in Insider, titled, “My Toddler Came Out as Trans at Age 4. He’s So Much Happier Now.” The anonymous author explains, “My son started telling me he was a boy a few months before he turned 2.” Then her toddler didn’t like her hair and didn’t have peace until she was given a boy haircut. “The short hair turned quickly into ‘boy’ clothing and underwear. From sitting to pee to trying to stand while peeing.” Different gender pronouns were preferred and so was a different name—“the name he chose for himself.” All of this, the enthusiastic and hope-filled mother tells us, has been a “sacred” journey. That little child—who months prior to reaching her second birthday knew that she was a boy—has a life ahead of her. And our hearts break. How does a girl become a boy? Can you change your biological sex? For the first time in history, we’re talking about decoupling biological sex and gender. Hard reality remains, however, that while you can mask biology, you can’t change it. We cannot magically transform female (XX) chromosomes into male (XY). Yet the publication of such an article is an attempt to enthuse others into allowing their toddlers to make decisions that will determine the rest of their lives. Western culture is truly at a tipping point.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on the difficult-to-imagine reality that on Friday (September 24, 2021), “House Democrats united behind legislation [H.R. 3755]…enshrining in federal law a virtually unlimited right to kill a baby through all nine months of pregnancy” (National Review). The naturalist philosopher John Stuart Mill—a religious skeptic— said, “Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends, than that good men should look on and do nothing.” In this regard, think of the words of King Solomon: “My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent. If they say, ‘Come with us, Let us lie in wait for blood, Let us ambush the innocent without cause’….My son, do not walk in the way with them. Keep your feet from their path, For their feet run to evil And they hasten to shed blood” (Proverbs 1:10–11, 15–16 NASB).

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on the teachings and recent death of John Shelby Spong, who for many decades influenced a great number of people within the Episcopal Church. Spong was well known for rejecting essential doctrines of the historic Christian faith, including the doctrines of the Trinity and the Incarnation, Virgin Birth, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. But consider the words of St. Paul, who asked, “If it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you [like Bishop Spong] say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised [as Bishop Spong preached], your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead” (1 Corinthians 15:12–20 NIV).

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reacts to Nancy Armour’s call in USA Today for another boycott. She says “NCAA and leagues shouldn't play big games in Texas.” Why? Because Texas governor Greg Abbott opposes the painful killing of innocent preborn human beings. She opines that we ought to be “champions of science, history, and critical thinking,” while castigating Texas officials for their “ghoulish obsession” with protecting preborn children, who from Armour’s perspective do not have the same value and right to life as she herself has. She bloviates about her commitment to science all the while denying that which ought to be self-evident to any thinking person. After all, what does the science say? As the late Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth, a principal research associate at Harvard Medical School's Department of Medicine, put it, “It is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception, when egg and sperm join to form the zygote, and this developing human always is a member of our species in all stages of its life.”

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, notes that on September 11, 2021, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America furthered its slide into illiberal liberalism with the installment of their first transgender bishop. This individual will oversee about 200 congregations within one of the largest Protestant denominations in the United States—a denomination boasting 3.3 million members. The bottom line is that this is a matter of tampering with natural law—and to strike at natural law is to strike at the foundation of human civilization. Throughout human history, gender and sex have always been coupled together—it has been self-evident truth that men cannot become women, and women cannot become men. In the frank words of Dr. Paul McHugh, “transgendered men do not become women. Nor do transgendered women become men. All…become feminized men or masculinized women, counterfeits or impersonators of the sex with which they ‘identify.’”

Hank Hanegraaff is joined by J. Warner Wallace to discuss his new book Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible. As a former atheist, Wallace understands why people would be skeptical about the significance of Jesus in our world today. When a pastor claimed that Jesus was the most significant figure in history, Wallace’s experience as a Cold Case Detective wouldn’t let him simply dismiss the claims of Christianity without a thorough examination of the facts. Employing his investigative background, Wallace was able to confirm the historicity and deity of Jesus—without relying on the New Testament manuscripts. Wallace no longer doubts the importance of Jesus and has dedicated his life to teaching others how to investigate the claims of Christianity and make a convincing case for the truth of the Christian worldview and the eternal importance of Jesus Christ—the quintessential person of history. For more information on receiving Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible for your partnering gift, please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri2110hup/Topics discussed include: What made Jesus so smart? (8:20); what is a cold-case detective? (10:30); the value of illustrations while making investigations and arguments (12:45); what made J. Warner Wallace believe that he could uncover the truth about Jesus using the same approach used to solve real murder cases (16:35); what is a person of interest? (18:25); the testimony of J. Warner Wallace (19:10); can you prove the historicity and deity of Jesus Christ without using evidence from the Bible? (22:45); did mythology impact Christianity or did Christianity actually have a bigger influence on mythology? (29:35); why did Jesus arrive at the precisely perfect moment in history? (34:55); examining extrabiblical accounts of Jesus Christ (37:40); there have been more books written about Jesus than anyone else and it is not even close (42:00); why were so many artists—Christians and non-Christians alike—inspired by Jesus Christ? (44:00); the impact of Jesus and his followers—Christians—on the history of education globally (56:00); the importance of parenting on raising Christian children that will remain Christians as adults (59:50); the myth that Christianity is anti-science (1:04:30); the impact of the Judeo-Christian worldview on scientific discovery (1:10:20); how did Jesus ignite a scientific revolution? (1:17:30); why does it make sense to believe in miracles? (1:20:45); the impact of Jesus Christ on world religions other than Christianity (1:27:30); the overwhelming historical impact of Jesus Christ (1:30:50); why Hank Hanegraaff believes that Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible is apologetics at its best (1:35:20).

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast and the 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘜𝘯𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘨𝘨𝘦𝘥 podcast, is excited about the new book by J. Warner Wallace, A Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World That Rejects the Bible (Zondervan, 2021). Wallace, a cold-case detective, shows that Jesus of Nazareth certainly is a person of interest—as a case in point, Jesus dominates the publishing and film industries. There are twice as many books on Jesus of Nazareth as there are on the nearest challenger. And no other religious figure in history has inspired as many screenplays and movies. Whether you love Jesus or despise Him, you cannot ignore Him.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on an excellent article by Cole Aronson, “In Defense of Motherhood.” Aronson reacts to the Department of Health and Human Services having replaced the moniker “mothers” with the phrase “birthing people.” A biological reality distinctive to mothers is in process of erasure. It isn’t enough that biological males compete against biological females in sports, now distinctives of biological females are being disparaged by new linguistic mandates. The term is even more objectionable when one considers that life does not begin with birth—but with conception.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, received an image of his new pre-born grandchild and reflects on the president’s recent words, “I don’t agree” with “those who believe life begins at the moment of conception.” The most powerful human being in the free world no longer follows the science.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on the heroic, Christ-honoring actions of Todd Beamer on Flight 93, September 11, 2001, who helped prevent the Muslim hijackers from crashing the Boeing 757 into the United States Capitol. Beamer’s source and impetus were the very Creator who made us all icons of Himself.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on the fact that with the passing of time—twenty years since September 11, 2001—we have become complacent to the Islamic terrorism that spawned the Manhattan massacre. Some have forgotten—others are blithely unaware—that Islam is the only significant religious system in the history of the human race with a sociopolitical structure of law that mandates violence against the infidel. Disastrously, the current narrative is that to tell the truth in this respect is tantamount to radicalizing Muslims and exacerbating hostilities that might otherwise lie dormant. This narrative is, of course, patently false. In reality, Islam is not a religion in the sanitized western sense. Rather, Islam is an all-encompassing socio-political legal matrix that has bred a worldview antagonistic to anything but itself. There are, certainly, millions of peaceful and tolerant Muslims, but that hardly means that Islam is a peaceful and tolerant religion. It is not. The only real solution to a disintegrating West and resurgent Islam is the proliferation of the gospel of peace proclaimed by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, shares that when his friend and publisher Jack Countryman asked him to write on peace, he considered it a daunting task. Not because he’s not experienced peace. Rather, because—as St. Paul explains—“the peace of God transcends all understanding.” How does one explain what transcends all understanding? The gospel of peace is a preview of the promise of perfect peace in paradise. Through peace with God, peace with others, and the promise of certain peace in paradise, we are equipped to face all the trials and tribulations life brings our way.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, shares another profound letter from his sister Jobje, as she continues her arduous journey through pancreatic cancer treatment. “Each morning I eagerly look outside before the sun rises to reveal an absolutely beautiful scene. A white, thick mist hovers in the distance over the yet unplowed fields…. This mist which has brought by night the silent secret dew, the morning’s light reveals its adorning—the silvery, translucent, delicate frosting of the moisture on the branches, the twigs, the needles of the pine trees, and then even as I watch the steamy mist everywhere arising upward to meet the sun…This is my Creator at work, Who each day paints a new picture of His mercy for me.” James 4:14 reminds us, “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.” “I am here only for a little while, but I am made in His image. Someday I will rise like a mist from my earthly existence, ascending upward into the sky to meet the Son, my Savior, and as He parts the veiled, cloudy mist, as He reveals Himself to me, as He takes me by the hand, as He brings me upwards through the misty clouds…I will finally finish my journey at His heaven…. I look forward to that day.” Thank you for your prayers for Jobje and her family.

Hank Hanegraaff, host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reminds us that Islam advances not only by sword but, as the late Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi boasted, by migration without assimilation. Indeed, said al-Qaddafi, “Allah will grant Islam victory in Europe—without swords, without guns, without conquests.” His point was that a civilization that is becoming Islamic demographically will inevitably succumb to Islam politically. From his perspective, there was no need to fly airplanes into buildings when with patience those same buildings can fall into Muslim hands, much like the billions of dollars of equipment and capital that are now in the hands of the Taliban, who also exercised patience.MUSLIM: What You Need to Know about the World’s Fastest-Growing Religion https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-muslim-and-robert-spencer-books-on-islam/

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, observes that the moral evils we see happening in the world, including horrendous events in Afghanistan and the ongoing holocaust of abortion on demand, as well as natural evils like hurricanes, all cry out for an explanation. It may seem as though there are many possible responses to this problem. In reality, however, there are only three basic ones—responses from the point of view of philosophical naturalism, pantheism, and theism. And only Christian theism provides a relevant, plausible, and existentially satisfying resolution to the problem of evil. As followers of Jesus Christ, we look forward to a world in which “there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain” (Revelation 21: 4).

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reminds us that it is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception. The human nature of a human being from conception to old age is not a mere metaphysical contention but a scientific fact. While an embryo does not have a fully developed personality, an embryo does have full personhood from the moment of conception.

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, asks what will be the fate of American and Afghan allies left captive behind enemy lines in Afghanistan. Tragically, the answer is borne out by history. Recall that precisely seven years ago, Mosul, Iraq fell. Muslim fighters thereafter captured village after village. Men were executed. Women and girls taken as slaves, with the sanction for raping captives issued directly from Allah in the Qur’an. Indeed, the consensus of sharia, in concert with the will of Allah, mandates war as a “religious duty, because of the universalism of the Muslim mission and (the obligation to) convert everybody to Islam either by persuasion or by force” (Ibn Khaldun, The Muqaddimah). The Islamic wars mandated by sharia will continue on as a plague on the landscape of humanity.

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on what could cause someone to blow themselves up and kill so many others in the process. According to the Qur’an, women are promised to suicide bombers as soon as they depart this life. And these women, known as houris, do not sleep, get pregnant, menstruate, spit, blow their noses, or ever get sick, and these “good and lovely, buxom and virginal” women are created specifically as a reward for males of the Muslim community who have been faithful to Allah. Qur’anic descriptions of the houris are particularly intoxicating to modern-day Islamic jihadists. Tragically, most Muslims, like these young Islamic jihadists, are blithely unaware that the sensual visions of paradise that inflame and inform their lusts emanate from the fertile imaginations of mere people—a bankrupt Zoroastrian eschatology.

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, reflects on the appointment of Harvard’s new Chief Chaplain atheist Greg Epstein. He is the author of Good without God and somehow knows with certainty that there is no life after death, and that we should not look to God for answers—rather we should look to him. Much has changed in Harvard’s four-hundred-year history. Consider Harvard’s original mission statement: “Let every student be plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to consider well the end of his life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom, as the only foundation of all sound knowledge and learning.”

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, shares a profound letter from his sister Jobje as she continues through the arduous trial of pancreatic cancer treatment. Psalm 139 has been Jobje’s favorite Psalm—what she describes as a spiritual birth certificate summarizing what each of us can expect as we travel from the start of life to its very end. Jobje’s name in the Dutch language means “God is gracious.” “Search Me O God, and know my anxious thoughts. All the days ordained for me are written in your book before even one of them came to be.”

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, recently broke the trophy that he won for coming in first place in a charity golf tournament. His initial disappointment quickly diminished as he remembered that our treasures on earth will pale in comparison to our treasures in heaven. Another reminder to set our sights on the life to come and live our lives for an audience of one.

Hank Hanegraaff, the host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast and the Hank Unplugged podcast, discusses the reservoir of wisdom literature available in books of the Bible such as Proverbs—may we all take advantage of this precious gift of God by immersing ourselves in the wisdom in the Word of God.