Rankin Wilbournes Union with Christ is one of Hanks favorite books, so when Wilbournes newest book The Cross Before Me The Way to the Good Life arrived in the mail he read it immediately. As soon as he finished reading the book he knew that he needed to promote it as much as possible and invite Rankin Wilbourne back on the Hank Unplugged podcast for another discussion on the most important aspect of our human existence union with God. Topics discussed include: Why did Rankin Wilbourne decide to write The Cross Before Me The Way to the Good Life with Brian Gregor (8:50); what did the cross mean in the ancient world? (10:10); how to find true happiness in the cross (12:50); the relationship between Union with Christ and The Cross Before Me and how both books truly show the way to live your best life now (16:55); the importance of doing all that we do for the Glory of God (20:30); why Rankin Wilbourne used Tom Brady, Brad Pitt and Andre Agassi as examples that all men seek to find true happiness (23:00); the problem with seeking a culture driven formula for happiness as opposed to a Christ driven formula for true happiness (26:40); the significance of suffering and why we should rejoice in our suffering (30:20); Ephrem the Syrian, Bernard of Clairvaux and Jesus Christ on the importance of humility (34:30); Hank recalls a time when he was critical of the prosperity gospel and how it taught him to focus on the opinion of God instead of the opinion of man (41:45); the importance of confession as a spiritual exercise (44:00); the problem with cultural Christianity and the idea that we can have union with Christ and union with the culture, making Jesus an accessory to our identity as opposed to the center of our reality (47:00); recovering the scandal of the cross in a culture that has domesticated the cross (50:35); the importance of crucifying our ambition and ego (54:00); recapturing a sense of history and the value of Christian tradition rightly understood in order to properly understand the Bible its Sola Scriptura not Solo Scriptura (57:00); misunderstanding freedom as the ability to do whatever we want and why cruciform freedom is the source of true freedom (1:01:05); the greatest failure in life is a failure to love, but the cross shows us what love looks like and how to live a life of cruciform love (1:04:00); the myth that the church needs to be more relevant to grow (1:09:20); examining the idea that you cannot have God as your Father without having the Church as your mother (1:13:00); who deserves a good life? (1:18:00); God wants us to be both happy and holy, because a life of holiness is a life of happiness (1:23:00); the importance of spiritual exercises to improve our spiritual health because grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to merit (1:24:30). For more information on Rankin Wilbourne s Union with Christ and The Cross Before Me The Way to the Good Life click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri1910hup/ Listen to Hanks 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. You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from all the channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff and his son David continue their discussion with focus on Hanks magnum opus Truth Matters, Life Matters More: The Unexpected Beauty of an Authentic Christian Life.https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource1909hup/ See Episode 79 Journey through Cancer and Eastern Orthodoxy Hanks Conversation with David Hanegraaff, Part One also. Topics discussed include: Salvation transcends transaction, pointing to transformation and union with God (0:35); Truth Matters, Life Matters More is Hanks most profoundly personal and surprising book (1:55); saved by a miracle (see HUP 079 Journey through Cancer and Eastern Orthodoxy Hanks Conversation with David Hanegraaff, Part One at 1:45) (6:10); following truth wherever it leads (7:30); writing and rewriting (8:00); physical facts do not fix all the facts (9:15); must learn to read literature properly (9:40); outlandish biblical interpretations within evangelicalism motivated search that led to Orthodoxy (10:00); should Christians ask and pray for forgiveness for sin? (10:40); ancient sacrament of confession (11:00); life matters more, but truth is necessary (11:45); why not just skip to part two of book? (12:45); facts are necessary but vulnerability attracts (14:00); issue of Sacred Tradition (15:30); Tradition vs traditionalism (16:45); Tradition is the Bible rightly interpreted (17:55); Bible passed down through people closely associated with the original writings therefore better able to translate and interpret Scripture (18:00); Irenaeus and Ignatius (20:00); solace in consulting early Church Fathers’ interpretation (21:00); no lone ranger Christians need the church, ground and pillar of truth, which dispensed the necessary graces of God (23:00); Fusion and the imperative for Christian unity, and the Lords High Priestly prayer (John 17) (23:50); fusion is difficult, fission is easy (24:30); in essentials unity (26:50); in nonessentials liberty thus God has His people everywhere (28:40); unity not uniformity (32:30); Hank learned much from David (33:10); David awaiting birth of firstborn baby (33:40) UPDATE: Smush is a boy!; grand parents are heroes (34:35); Kathy and oneness in marriage (38:05); reading and meeting Jean Claude Larchet, The Theology of Illness https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-the-theology-of-illness/ (39:25); Father Alex Karloutsos asks, What engendered the most fear, being ostracized for becoming Orthodox, or cancer diagnosis? (41:25); first thought at cancer diagnosis (42:50); ultimately not about living or dying but about living well to the glory of God (47:50); Hanks hope for Truth Matters, Life Matters Hope (48:25); paradigm shift from transaction to transformation (49:00); focus on larger arch from creation to redemption and experience now life that is life to the full union with God https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri1909wa/(see HUP 079 at 43:20) (49:15); catching on within body of Christ Wilbourne’s Union with Christ (51:15); that the church can become the church again (51:50); John Dickerson’s Great Evangelical Recession https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-cri1808wa/(52:15); church life is necessary receive the graces of God through the church (52:30); Romans 12 (53:20); paramount grace is the Eucharist, and there are other graces (53:50); sacrament of confession (54:10); that the church would worship God in spirit and in truth (54:50); the body of Christ may be one; fusion (55:35); closing thoughts (56:00). Listen to Hanks 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. You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from all the channels we are listed on.

Hank sits down with his eldest son David to reflect on his journey through Mantle Cell Lymphoma, his recent allogeneic stem cell transplant, and spiritual surgery. God is not interested in healing us physically; He is interested in healing the whole of us body, soul, and spirit. Gods providence and glory are clearly manifest in Hanks journey. Topics discussed include: Hanks son David wrote a remarkable personal reflection https://www.equip.org/article/does-the-bible-answer-mans-son-believe-that-he-has-left-the-christian-faith/ (0:30); David was used by the Lord to save his fathers life, and Hank recounts his recent experience with his allogeneic stem cell transplant (1:45); Hanks dear friend Donny: God’s got you (2:45); in the intensive care unit (4:10); a further miraculous word from the Lord through friend Ramsey: God’s got you (5:00); after the ICU, Hank could no longer take care of himself a transformational coming to the end of himself (7:15); Gods providential work (8:40); the Lords timing is perfect as Hank approaches 100 days post transplant (9:45); David asks Hank to speak to the coincidence of his cancer diagnosis and his formal entrance into Orthodoxy in April 2017 (10:15); doctrine of deification (10:50); Luther and deification (12:55); Hank increasingly troubled with his own spiritual condition (14:20); beginning to explore Eastern Orthodoxy (16:45); Orthodox liturgy is God centered (18:55); finding home at St. Nektarios Greek Orthodox Church (19:15); Hank says no to familys request to attend Orthodox church (20:15); Kathy loves it (22:20); the Eucharist is the medicine of immortality (Ignatius) (23:05); truth matters, life matters more motivates study of Orthodoxy (24:00); Chrismated April 9, 2017 Palm Sunday (24:20); finally able to partake of the Eucharist (25:00); next day headlines read, Hanegraaff leaves the Christian Faith (25:30); six days later, diagnosed with Mantle Cell Lymphoma (26:00); allogeneic stem cell transplant and E. coli infection (27:10); transformational book The Theology of Illness by Jean Claude Larchet (28:10); honestly thankful for cancer and spiritual surgery (29:10); God is not knowable in His essence, we know God by His energies (32:40); deification is a scary word with an even scarier definition (33:30); Hank selfreliant (34:10); I’ve never seen my father closer to Christ (35:55); Hank comes to an end of himself (36:10); dear friend Elijah and truth matters, life matters more (38:30); the menu is not the meal (41:15); meaning of the Eucharist (42:40); the larger arch from creation to deification, and the smaller arch from the fall to salvation (43:20); wrong sense of deification (44:40); the Tree of Life Christ (45:30); salvation transcends transaction, pointing to transformation and union with God (48:30). To find our more information on Truth Matters, Life Matters More click here https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource1909hup/. For more information on Theology of Illness by Dr. Jean-Claude Larchet click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-the-theology-of-illness/

Climate change is one of the most contentious issues of our time, leaving many Christians unsure of how they should view climate change. A key issue of concern at the Christian Research Institute is discernment, which is precisely why Hank wanted to have a conversation with Dr. Patrick Michaels to encourage Christians to critically consider how they view climate change. Dr. Michaels is a leading climatologist, who was a contributing author and reviewer of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007. We hope that this conversation helps you to better understand this highly controversial and politicized issue.. Click here to see Hank's writings on this topic. https://www.equip.org/article/how-should-christians-think-about-global-warming/ Topics discussed include: why is the government involved in scientific issues, and what happens when science gets politicized? (6:00); are CO2 emissions always bad? (8:15); the social cost of carbon, and asking if there is a social benefit to carbon emission? (10:10); isn’t the climate always changing? (12:10); how should we process alarmist narratives pushed by politicians regarding climate change? (14:45); the economic impact of climate change initiatives (16:55); how reliable are the computer models that predict climate patterns? (18:55); the political abuse of the global-warming narrative (21:40); the virtue signaling of global warming and the role it plays in a modern secular religion (24:45); do global warming initiatives harm the poor? (26:00); the problem with consensus science (27:00); which of the many climate models is best at predicting climate patterns? (29:20); Patrick Michaels taking a stand against climate change consensus because science has always progressed by people going against the consensus (32:10); is it really time to panic about climate change? (34:20); how can people read the news stories about climate change with a critical mind? (38:20); is the Earth warming, and if it is, what should we do about it? (39:15); why Patrick Michaels believes that the Paris Climate Accord is a joke (43:35); is global warming actually bad? (46:40); should nuclear fission be viewed as an alternative energy source? (48:00); Patrick Michaels on his upcoming book Scientocracy: The Tangled Web of Public Science and Public Policy (50:05); and are people developing apocalypse fatigue? (53:40). Thank you for listening to the Hank Unplugged podcast! We prayerfully ask you to consider making a financial pledge of support to stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the battle for life and truth. The outreaches of the Christian Research Institute are fully funded by listeners like you. To learn more about how you can support this podcast or any of the many outreaches of the Christian Research Institute simply visit https://www.equip.org/product/2019fyewa/ or call 888-7000-CRI. Thanks again for tuning into another edition of the Hank Unplugged podcast.

Welcome to a special edition of the Hank Unplugged podcast. Hank has been in the hospital undergoing an allogenic stem cell transplant and has been documenting his journey through a series of Facebook Live recordings that you can find on equip.org,https://www.equip.org/category/video/ the Bible Answer Man YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCE45f5DdMA9AA-kXU-TVqwA and of course, the Bible Answer Man Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/BibleAnswerManBroadcast/. Make sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel and Facebook page to ensure that you never miss any content updates from the Christian Research Institute. The following is the audio from Hanks Facebook Live recording on June 11,2019. Just prior to receiving his son Pauls stem cells, Hank was joined in his hospital room by his sons Xander, Paul, and Dave in a meditation on faith and prayer, confronting doubt, and our call to be imitators of our great God and Savior our precious Lord Jesus Christ. Hank has since received the transplant and is doing remarkably well! He, along with his family and the rest of the team at the Christian Research Institute appreciate your prayers and continued support as you stand shoulder to shoulder with us in the battle for life and truth.

This edition of Hank Unplugged features exceptional excerpts from conversations with two Christian thinkers that offer refreshing perspectives on the role that illness and anxiety play in our struggle toward holiness. The first conversation you will hear is with Dr. Jean-Claude Larchet, the author of The Theology of Illness. The insights of Dr. Larchet will undoubtedly challenge the way you view suffering, illness, and what it truly means to be spiritually healthy. The second conversation features Dr. Nicole Roccas and focuses on a spiritual sickness rooted in apathy known as despondency, a condition as old as time that is thriving in today's culture of leisure, anxiety, and digital distraction. Dr. Nicole Roccas examines wisdom from Christian thinkers throughout history to offer a way out of despondency and back to the present moment. In an age of increasing levels of depression, suicide, and despondency, the insights of these two inspirational Christians will help draw you out of the depths of spiritual illness and deeper into spiritual communion with our Creator. Topics discussed include: do people today have fewer resources than their ancestors did to deal with the problem of illness? (4:40); spiritual illness is more serious than physical illness, yet our modern age has made the medical doctor the new high priest of civilization (6:05); how detached we have become from the wisdom of the early church fathers (8:00); the difference in the human body before and after the Fall and the implications for our resurrected state in the world to come (11:30); was man created perfect? (15:20); deification (theosis) and what it means to become God’s by grace (16:20); is there a link between illness and sin? (23:15); why perfect health does not exist in this world (27:00); good health is evil if it contributes to making a person indifferent to his salvation and keeps him away from God by giving him the false impression that he is self-sufficient (32:15); the role suffering plays in raising our awareness and why illness can be better than health if it aids our spiritual progress (37:30); the essential role of prayer in growing closer to God (41:10); introduction to conversation with Dr. Nicole Roccas on Time and Despondency: Regaining the Present in Faith and Life (51:50); how Dr. Nicole Roccas writes about death, sadness, and despondency with a spirit of hope (55:50); while our anxieties draw our focus to the future and our regrets focus on the past, the present is where we are truly able to commune with Christ, and that is precisely why it is important to be present (59:15); time isn’t an illusion or an abstraction but central to how we experience life. Likewise, our faith is not an abstraction but experienced in the present moment in time (1:02:05); Dr. Nicole Roccas wrote Time and Despondency — what is meant by despondency? (1:06:15); what are some of the symptoms of despondency, and how does technology contribute to distraction and despondency? (1:09:50); is despondency a crime needing to be punished or a sickness needing to be healed? (1:13:50); can despondency be both a sickness and a crime? (1:17:10); anger as a source of despondency (1:18:15); using busyness to mask purposelessness and despair (1:20:15); and time as the giver of second chances (1:22:45)

:On this special edition of the Hank Unplugged podcast, Hank is joined by Cindee Martin Morgan, the daughter of Dr. Walter Martin (founder of the Christian Research Institute), who interviewed Hank last year for a personal project. One of the objectives of the Hank Unplugged podcast is to offer a more leaned back, less didactic version of Hank Hanegraaff, and the staff at the Christian Research Institute enjoyed this interview so much that we are offering it as a special edition of the Hank Unplugged podcast. The conversation displays a deeply personal perspective on Hank’s early life, transition into ministry, and reflections on what has now been thirty years leading the Christian Research Institute. This is truly a unique episode of the Hank Unplugged podcast that you won’t want to miss.[Editor's Note: This conversation took place before Hank’s cancer went into remission.] Topics discussed include: despite Hank’s background as a Dutch immigrant in the Christian Reformed Church, he considered himself to be a practical atheist until the age of twenty-nine, when he accepted Christ and began to truly live as a Christian (3:00); Hank recalls what it was like growing up as the son of a Christian Reformed pastor (7:35); the story of how Hank met his wife, Kathy, who taught him to evangelize as his trainer in Evangelism Explosion (11:55); Hank recalls some of his greatest mentors in the faith, such as Dr. Walter Martin, Chuck Colson, and R. C. Sproul (14:45); how Hank first met Dr. Walter Martin (18:30); the greatest lesson that Hank learned from Dr. Walter Martin (19:35); what motivated Hank to join the Christian Research Institute (20:45); where Hank was when he heard that Dr. Walter Martin had died (24:30); Hank recalls some amusing anecdotes about his relationship with Dr. Walter Martin (26:55); what inspired Hank to write his first book, Christianity in Crisis (32:00); Hank discusses why he is so passionate about his book Has God Spoken? Memorable Proof of the Bible's Divine Inspiration (37:45); why Hank has always been firmly and unapologetically pro-life (40:05); Hank’s initial reaction to being diagnosed with cancer, and why Hank considers his battle with cancer to have been one of the best experiences of his life (44:35); learning to trust God “in the midst of our whys,” through the midst of uncertainty (52:50); how Hank’s tight-knit family rallied around him during his battle with cancer (55:55); what led Hank to become a member of the Eastern Orthodox Church (57:05); the problem with a transactional view of Christianity as opposed to the transformational purpose of Christianity leading to union with God, also known as theosis (1:07:30); discussing Martin Luther and his belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist (1:13:35); Hank’s response to those who claim that he left the Christian faith by joining the Eastern Orthodox Church (1:15:55); remembering Elliot Miller, longtime friend, colleague, and editor of the Christian Research Journal (1:25:40); discussing threats to the church and why the greatest modern-day threat to the church is not external but internal (1:33:30); the criticality of the church recognizing the importance of the doctrine of unity, uniting in the essentials of the historic Christian faith, or, as C. S. Lewis put it, Mere Christianity (1:39:00); reflecting on the individuals that Hank looks forward to reuniting with in heaven, while taking into account that our perspectives will vary greatly upon arriving in heaven (1:41:30); words of wisdom that Hank lives by and would like to pass on to the next generation (1:44:15); and addressing one of Hank’s favorite Bible verses, 1 Timothy 4:16 (1:47:45).

: Jack Graham is the pastor of Prestonwood Baptist and among the most influential Christians in America. Graham joins Hank to discuss his book Angels: Who They Are, What They Do, and Why It Matters and the underestimation of the influence of angels in our lives. Their conversation touches on common misconceptions about angels, the presence of angels throughout the Bible, and the existence of both holy angels and dark angels. Topics discussed include: how Jack Graham went from wanting to be a professional baseball player to becoming a pastor of one of the largest, most influential churches in the world (3:15); the influence of Prestonwood Baptist in the United States, and why Graham is uncomfortable with the label of megachurch (6:15); the mass exodus of millennials from the church today and the rise of the nones (no religious affiliation) (9:00); providing an alternative to Planned Parenthood though the ministry of the Prestonwood Pregnancy Center (12:35); the influence and significance of angels in our lives, and why Graham is so passionate about angels (14:40); the presence and significance of angels throughout the Bible and the presence of guardian angels in our lives (19:55); remembering that there are angels in the angelic state and also angels in the fallen state — addressing holy angels and dark angels (23:15); common misconceptions people have about angels (29:05); looking to the Book of Isaiah as an example of why our focus should be on the holiness of God rather than our own happiness (32:55); the need for more Christians to not only read the Bible but to memorize and meditate on the Bible (37:25); the responsibility of Christians to be involved in mentorship in the Christian community (41:55); Hanegraaff and Graham share their views on retirement and how it relates to Christian ministry (43:45); the state of evangelism in China (45:05); Hanegraaff personally thanks Graham for his consistent support and encouragement during Hanegraaff’s battle with cancer (48:00); and Graham gives his perspective on the current state of the United States of America (51:10).

Dr. Jay Richards humbly calls himself a shameless generalist due to the diversity of his intellectual endeavors, making him the perfect guest for educationally engaging conversations on a variety of topics. Richards has no problem going against the status quo, which is why he is consistently confronting consensus decision making and deploring the dangers of groupthink, especially when it comes to global warming and evolution. The conversation also touches on Richards’s new book, The Human Advantage, which addresses the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), how smart machines are reshaping our world, and why they will never be a substitute for what he calls “the human advantage.” Topics discussed include: politics disguised as science — a 12-step program on when to doubt a scientific consensus (2:45); how and why stakeholder interests and incentives influence the research and findings of academics (9:25); how motivated blindness inhibits an individual’s ability to perceive inconvenient data (11:55); how worldviews can impact your view on climate change and environmentalism (15:10); on comparing global warming denial to holocaust denial and other ad hominem arguments (18:20); how to get people to think critically (20:30); how tenure and groupthink impact intellectual discourse (22:00); the problems of cliques and conspiracies in publishing and peer reviews (25:05); the problem when politicians don’t understand the issues but merely follow the popular narrative (27:15); are the fires in California a product of climate change? (28:45); are natural disasters such as hurricanes and fires naturally bad for the Earth? (30:30); the problem with connecting any extreme weather event as evidence for global warming (33:10); invalidating the process of peer review by excluding dissenters (34:10); the issue of consensus being declared before consensus actually exists (37:05); the difference between scientific observation and scientific data — and why it matters (39:15); the problem when consensus science is used to justify economic and public policies (45:20); addressing misconceptions concerning the term nationalism (47:35); why so many young people are buying into socialism (50:45); why do so many journalists go along with the consensus? (54:15); why you should always be skeptical when someone cites consensus as justification for their beliefs (56:40); addressing the issue of theistic evolution (59:15); addressing the power of headlines in shaping public opinion and how it is similar to the infamous icons of evolution (1:03:00); why Richards believes that following your passion is a fallacy when it comes to finding a successful career (1:06:20); how Richards and Hanegraaff deal with the “task of translation” when communicating complex ideas (1:12:30); how solar eclipses show that we are part of a universe designed for discovery and provide us with evidence of a creator (1:14:20); the myth that machines eventually will replace humans, as addressed in Richards’s new book The Human Advantage: The Future of American Work in an Age of Smart Machines (1:18:10); the human advantage of virtue and the future of work in an age of smart machines (1:23:25); and why Christians should care about the issue of artificial intelligence in the face of a growing movement of transhumanism (1:26:25).

As we celebrate the first advent of Christ coming in flesh, Hank Hanegraaff shares a message of hope for the future with thanksgiving, remembering what a remarkable year 2018 has been. If you’ve already made a gift to the Christian Research Institute this month, thank you!! If you haven’t, please consider offering one today in support of CRI’s mind-changing, life-transforming work at our website.