Theology For The Rest Of Us | Quick Answers To The Questions About God And The Bible

The Bible says that Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father. Does that mean He is stuck only in one place? And if so, does that mean Jesus is not omnipresent? Can Jesus be every where at one time? Or is He limited to one location? In this episode, Kenny answers these questions by highlighting the fact that Jesus has two unique and distinct natures. The human nature of Jesus is not omnipresent, but His divine nature certainly is fully omnipresent.

Jesus claimed to not know the day or hour of His return to Earth, but yet historical Christianity claims that Jesus is God. How can Jesus be God if He doesn't know everything? Is Jesus Christ omniscient? In this episode, Kenny responds to a regular listener that brought up these questions.  

In response to a recent email, Kenny makes clear what the first century Jews believed about reincarnation, specifically in regards to a prophecy given by the prophet Malachi about the idea of "Elijah" being sent back to Earth "before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes."

Euthanasia and assisted suicide are growing in popularity throughout Western cultures. In this episode, Kenny address the ideology behind euthanasia and the "culture of death" that is promoted when euthanasia is allowed. Humans are created in the image of God, therefore any killing of human beings, no matter the scenario, is an assault on God himself.

One of the more unique events of the life of Jesus takes place on a mountainside and is often referred to as the "Transfiguration of Jesus." In response to two recent emails from regular listeners, Kenny talks about the importance of this event and why were Moses and Elijah the two Old Testament prophets selected to be there that day to be witnesses to this event. Kenny also addresses how Moses and Elijah were able to be transported from their eternal state to that spot for this event.

The idea of sending people, money, and resources to other nations in hopes of proclaiming the Gospel is known as "missions" and it has been a big part of the Church since its inception. Why should Christians today care about missions?

The Christmas season has many traditions. One of the most famous traditions in the United States is the Santa Claus myth. This is begs the question: Should Christian parents raise their own kids to believe in the myth of Santa? Why or why not? And if not, how do we handle this with our kids? In this episode, Kenny tackles the importance of being prayerful and intentional whenever we make decisions as to what elements of our culture we engage with and which elements we choose to abstain from. Kenny gives two compelling reasons as to why parents ought to seriously consider abstaining from the practice of raising kids to believe in Santa. And gives us some thoughts on how to handle this character with our children.

In this episode, Kenny answers a question from a regular listener about talking to friends who may be a part of a church that is preaching heresy or being unfaithful to Biblical texts. In essence, how do we talk to a friend about their church's bad theology? How do we tell a friend or family member that their church is not Biblical? Kenny tackles this topic by reminding us that we must be gracious and kind, but we must not be afraid to be bold to stand up for Biblical convictions.

Some Christians claim it is sinful to make any statue or image of Christ because it is a violation of the second commandment. Some might even say that this applies to movies that depict Christ. Recently, a regular listener asked Kenny about this topic. In this episode, Kenny answers why he believes such statues are not necessarily a violation of the second commandment, but it depends on the motivation behind why the statues were created in the first place.

In episode 183, Kenny answered the question: Were There Any Writings From God that Are Not in the Bible? In that episode, Kenny mentioned the Letter to the Laodiceans that is mentioned by the Apostle Paul in Colossians 4:16. In response to some of those comments, Kenny received a critique by email from a regular listener. In this episode, Kenny responds to the critique from the regular listener about the Letter to the Laodiceans. Kenny expounds upon his thoughts about the letter and why he believes it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.

Suicide is a sensitive and sobering topic. Many people know someone who has committed suicide. Many Christians have asked, if someone commits suicide, will they go directly to hell? Or is there a chance they are in heaven? In this episode, Kenny points out that there are two different manners to answer this question, depending on the motivation of the person answering the question. Kenny tries to answer both motivations in the most sensitive and most Christ-honoring way possible. Related Episodes 43: Is Judas in Heaven or Hell? 71: Is Mental Illness Caused by Demons?

Two of the most well-known non-orthodox faiths in American today are the Mormons and the Jehovah's Witnesses. Most evangelical Christians would label these faiths as "cults" and would deny their orthodoxy. Is this a fair assessment? In this episode, Kenny explains the definition of a cult and why he treats these two faith groups differently than other cult-like groups.

Many people are fascinated with the concept of talking to angels or corresponding with other spiritual beings beyond our dimension. This is nothing new. And many of the celebrity psychics in our world take advantage of this fact. Some of these supposed psychics even claim to be able to correspond with angels. Is this true? Can certain psychics or spiritual mediums talk to angels? If not, who are they corresponding with? In this episode, Kenny answers this question by giving us a clear understanding of the Biblical purpose for angels.

Quite frequently, younger Christians ask whether or not it is wrong or sinful to listen to secular music. In this episode, Kenny makes it clear that no, it is not necessarily sinful, but that music can influence us in a grand fashion and therefore we ought to be cautious with our music selection. Kenny highlights the power and impact music has on our lives, minds, emotions and souls. With that in mind, we ought to be strategic in utilizing music to cultivate our intimacy with Christ. Recommended "Secular vs. Sacred" Chapel Lecture by LeCrae at Liberty University  

There are many people who believe, and publicly assert, that Christians are "obligated" to vote in order to influence the direction of our government. In this episode, Kenny makes clear his profound appreciation for his right to vote as an American, but highlights the logical flaw in claiming that any person is ever obligated to vote.

Some people have asked, "Are there any books, letters, or writings that were inspired by God that about to be in the Bible but, for some reason or another, was left out of the Bible by the early Christians? In this episode, Kenny gives an answer that will be somewhat surprising to some listeners, pointing out that there is some evidence that at least one divinely inspired letter written by the Apostle Paul wasn't included in the New Testament.

In this episode, Kenny addresses a point brought to him by a regular listener about the completion of the New Testament, the authenticity of the Biblical narratives, and the completeness (or wholeness) of the essence of the Gospel message, as well as the related theological elements and doctrinal components. Basically, how do we know that the message of the Gospel that we preach today is actually indeed the whole Gospel message that Jesus preached? How do we know that the early church didn't leave anything out (whether intentionally or maliciously)? Recommended Resources The Historical Jesus (by Gary R. Habermas) The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (by Gary R. Habermas & MIchael Licona) Christian Origins and the Question of God (4-Book Series) (by NT Wright)

Many people have faced the choice: Which church should my family and I attend? When we are faced with this question, there are many elements that impact and influence our decision. In this episode, Kenny explains how doctrine should be one of those elements that greatly impact our decision as to which church we choose to attend and worship at, however more importantly, Kenny asserts and explains how the faithful preaching of the Word of God ought to be the highest priority when selecting a church. Resources Relevant Magazine Article About What People Are Looking For in Church

In this episode, Kenny answers the question: Is it wrong to want to be God's favorite person? Kenny answers this question by examining the words of Jesus in Mark 10 when James and John asked Jesus to allow them to sit next to Him at God's table in heaven.

Halloween has been a popular, and overly commercialized, pseudo-holiday in the United States for more than a century. But many Christians have protested the tradition, claiming the pseudo-demonic nature of Halloween, as well as its pagan roots, makes it something Christians ought to abstain from participating in. Is abstinence the best approach? Should Christians participate in any Halloween festivities or not? In this episode, Kenny answers this question directly by pointing out that there are many different viable approaches to cultural traditions such as Halloween. Kenny also makes clear that his own approach is to use these sorts of events and traditions as an opportunity to prayerfully and intentionally penetrate the culture with Gospel-centered and redemptive purposes. Recommended Thoughts on Halloween from John Piper Open the Door to Halloween (article by Jonathan Parnell)