Consider The ‘Seven Diversities’ Of Jesus’ Appearances After Being Resurrected From the Grave

Jesus died as the Lamb of God. When He returns to Earth, He will be the Lion of Judah. (Photo by Jeff Rodgers on Unsplash)

We hear about “diversity” frequently in the public forums these days, but rarely is that quality of people and things considered in the context of historic events such as the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

But, as J. Warner Wallace of Cold-Case Christianity notes, there are seven diverse factors in the resurrection — let us refer to them as the “Seven Diversities.” For example, Wallace points to the fact that “Jesus appeared after the Resurrection to single eyewitnesses, to small groups and to huge crowds.”

Similarly, Wallace reminds us that “Jesus appeared and stayed with the eyewitnesses for different lengths of time. Some of his appearances were little more than a few minutes, others for hours. He stayed with the believers in Jerusalem for forty days.” Continue reading “Consider The ‘Seven Diversities’ Of Jesus’ Appearances After Being Resurrected From the Grave”

THINK ABOUT THIS: Why Doesn’t Everybody Agree About God?

Take two people of equal intelligence, similar life experiences and educational attainment, and in the same level of professional success, then hand them the Bible and what happens?

Don’t be surprised if one of them believes the Bible and the other doesn’t. Why does that happen? How can two similarly situated intelligent people reach diametrically opposed conclusions about the same book?

In the following video, former NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace talks about the three reasons that typically explain why an atheist rejects God and how that happens. Wallace, who is the founder of coldcasechristianity.com, also includes some fascinating information about him and his father, who remains an atheist:

Here’s Why The Case For God Isn’t A ‘God Of The Gaps’ Explanation

There is a a frequently heard claim by prominent atheist advocates like Sam Harris that Christians who argue for the existence of God are merely using God to explain the gaps in human knowledge about how the universe came to be, the origin of life, and other mysteries.

“Hey, we don’t understand how the world was created, or even if it was or has just always been, so that must be explained by a god,” is the alleged process atheists accuse Christians of following.

If you are a congressional aide who works on either of the Senate or House committees that deal with science and technology, odds are good you’ve heard this argument articulated more than once.

But, guess what, the same reasoning can be applied to “science of the gaps,” according to J. Warner Wallace of Cold-Case Christianity and NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective renown. “To deny personhood of the First Cause is science of the gaps,” he argues in the following video:

Why Does God Allow Evil To Exist?

What can you say to the grieving parents of a child who was kidnapped and murdered? Or to the wife and children of the loving Dad who was killed by a drunk driver? And how do we account for natural disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions that take thousands of lives?

J. Warner Wallace, Cold-Case Christianity.

These painful questions points us to the basic issue so often pondered by those wrestling with what they believe or disbelieve about God. Why does God, if He exists, allow evil to exist in this world He supposedly has created? Does he not care about all the pain and suffering seen throughout human history?

J. Warner Wallace of coldcasechristianity.org takes on these questions and notes among much else in a sensitive and thought-provoking analysis that there is no concept of evil without one of good, and both require the existence of a standard beyond the finite. Or, as Wallace puts it, “eternity changes everything:”

Here’s The Three Most VIP Reasons This Convinced Atheist Concluded The Bible Should Be Trusted

When Los Angeles Homicide and then-convinced atheist Detective J. Warner Wallace was nearing decision time in his investigation of Christianity following his wife’s conversion, he realized there were three key issues he needed to resolve.

First, were the Gospel accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ written during the lifetimes of eyewitnesses who saw and heard the Lord?

Second, were those eyewitnesses’ Gospel accounts corroborated in some way by independent sources, and, third, did their accounts change in the several centuries after they died?

Wallace, the cold-case expert featured on NBC’s “Dateline” and author of “Cold-Case Christianity” and “God’s Crime Scene,” discusses the evidence he considered and why he concluded the Bible is trustworthy in the following video:

No, God And The Flying Spaghetti Monster Are Not The Same

Among the most powerful ways of demoralizing or belittling an opponent is to mock their position. It’s not one I recommend, but it is the source of a particular kind of argument one hears from time to time from atheists in discussion with Christians.

“Believing in God makes about as much logical sense as believing in the Flying Spaghetti Monster,” is one form of mockery that, as cold-casechristianity.com’s J. Warner Wallace points out, was first heard in 2005 during debates in Kansas over whether to include Intelligent Design evidence as an alternative to evolutionary theory in public schools.

The most unfortunate aspect of this retort is the fact that Christianity, unlike any other world religion, is based on a fact in history for which there is significant evidence that can be assessed, verified and then accepted or rejected. And that makes all the difference:

Is God Hidden Or Are You Just Not Seeing What’s Right In Front Of You?

We get up everyday and all things seem to be just as they have always been, so where’s the evidence for God, some ask. If this god you keep talking about is so wonderful and all-powerful, why can’t we see Him?

Good question but, as Cold-Case Christianity’s J. Warner Wallace explains in the following video, the answer may well have more to do with you than with God:

Three Keys To Conspiracy Theories: Sex, Money, The Pursuit Of Power

Doesn’t matter what event or issue is involved, there are likely conspiracy theories galore about how those on top got there, why former leaders no longer are and a whole host of other things, including just about everything from who really shot JFK to COVID-19’s spread from Wuhan, China.

But how seriously should conspiracy theories be taken? People on the far Right believe Communists secretly took over the U.S. government and are controlling it today. People on the far Left contend a few rich capitalists control the levers of power.

Dr. Frank Turek of cross-examined.org asks in this interview of cold-case christianity’s J. Warner Wallace about conspiracy theories and Wallace explains that there are three motives invariably found behind crimes and conspiracies, sexual lust, greediness for money and the desire for power. And that’s just for starters!

INTELLIGENT DESIGN: Mona Lisa Didn’t Just Appear Spontaneously Out Of Nothing

Go to an art museum and you will see dozens of illustrations of the common sense truth that design requires a designer. Regardless if you see a classic Rembrandt or some weird post-modern existential scream, there was an artist behind it (i.e. a designer).

It’s the same in nature generally and specifically in that part of nature studied as the field of biology. In the following video, Cold-Case Christianity’s J. Warner Wallace, the NBC “Dateline” detective extraordinaire, walks us through eight signs he sees in biology of design.

THINK ABOUT THIS: What If Your Friend Tells You All About The Red Tesla In Your Dream Last Night?

So, you’re jawing with a friend on the cell and happen to mention that you had a really odd dream the other night during which you were driving a sporty Tesla Model S through Hollywood.

Then your friend says, “right, it was a red convertible and we had the top down.” Would that freak you out? What if the next thing he said was “the blonde was in the back seat with me and the redhead was up there with you” and he was right!?!? (Yes, I know Tesla doesn’t make a convertible Model S, but work with me here, ok?)

Now you’re really freaked out because two people just don’t independently have the same dream like that. But, as Cold-Case Christianity’s J. Warner Wallace (the Tesla illustration was actually his, not mine) explains in this video, something like it did happen after Jesus was resurrected. And that makes all the difference in the world for all of us:

DON’T MISS THIS!

THERE’S MORE THAN ONE WAY TO ‘TRUST THE SCIENCE’

THINK ABOUT THIS: Would We Still Think Jesus Was Resurrected Without The Bible?

That question in the headline above might well seem like an odd one to ask in a world in which the Bible is by far the most-read, best-selling book of all human history. Imagining our world without it is like imagining it without the Sun.

But it being Easter and all, what if we didn’t have the Bible to tell us what the events of this most significant of all weeks mean to each of us as individuals and to all humanity?

That’s a question former NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace addresses in the following video. It’s all about inferences and evidence. He’s writing a book about the resurrection of Christ based on this question and preparing to teach a course on it, so his thoughts here are not mere off-the-cuffisms:

HARD FACTS: Maybe Jesus Didn’t Really Die On The Cross, He Just Revived After They Buried Him?

Among the most common objections to Christianity is the rejection of the disciples’ claim that they saw and talked to the resurrected Jesus three days after his crucifixion on the cross and burial in a grave carved out of stone. He didn’t actually die on the cross, the critics claim.

This objection is one of the several ways, for example, that Islam rejects the resurrected Jesus Christ as proof of His claim to be both God and man. Similarly, atheists came up with the claim that Jesus could not have been resurrected from the dead because He didn’t die on the cross. He was buried, then revived in the cool grave, escaped and walked all the way to India or maybe Japan where he married, had kids, and died. (No, I’m not making this up, you can Google it!)

Palm Sunday is right around the corner, so odds are good this objection will be heard in coming days in the mainstream media, in online college classes and in the popular culture. But NBC “Dateline” Cold-Case Detective J. Warner Wallace explains in the following video why people who claim Jesus didn’t die on the cross have no idea what they are talking about:

Here Are 10 More Of The Most Amazing Facts About Jesus They Didn’t Tell You In School

How To Know That The Life And Miracles Of Jesus Aren’t Just A Legend

If you’ve ever been involved in a debate on campus or in a typical Washington discussion group about religion, odds are good you’ve heard somebody claim the following:

“You can’t trust the Bible because Jesus was a man who was a great teacher but still no more than a man, and besides, in the decades after his death, his followers invented Christianity by embellishing his words and actions to turn him into this mythical God-man figure.”

It may sound sophisticated and smart, but the reality, as NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace explains in the following video, is the Gospels are solid and credible testimony that you could stake your life on in court:

There Is A BIG Difference Between A Fact And An Inference

If Joe tells you that two plus two equals four, he’s told you a fact. But if he then tells that you two is the square root of four and you conclude Joe has something more than basic math skills, you’re making an inference. But how do you know if your inference is accurate?

Are facts and inferences really so different? That’s an important question if you work on Capitol Hill. Consider these two claims: The federal budget has a huge deficit this year and it’s all X’s fault. You know which of those two claims is a fact but how do you determine if the inference is true or false.

J. Warner Wallace, NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective and founder of coldcasechristianity.org, spent years cracking old unsolved murders, so he knows a few things about the difference between facts and inferences, plus knowing how to judge the accuracy of an inference:

PUEBLA 2020: A Well-Spent Week Comes To A Close With A Blessing

This year marked the fifth in the past six that I have joined a devoted and talented team of nearly two dozen men and women who are present and former members of Friendship Baptist Church (FBC) in Sykesville, Md., on a week-long mission to Puebla, Mexico.

At the outset, let me be clear that my saying this is not “virtue signaling” on my part. That God led me for the first time to go on this mission trip in 2015 was in itself a miracle and concrete evidence of how radically He has transformed a previously selfish, booze-addicted and politics-obsessed egotist with a new heart and desire to love and serve Him, my family, fellow believers, and my neighbors. I get zero credit here, it’s all to His credit and glory.

Led by Senior Pastor Mark Massey beginning in 2001, the FBC mission team has worked with the extraordinary pastors, members and friends of Hananeel Baptist Church in Puebla in building a facility that began as a small garage and is now a beautiful sanctuary, classroom building and courtyard. Continue reading “PUEBLA 2020: A Well-Spent Week Comes To A Close With A Blessing”