Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 - Intro 1. 0:43 {Faith = Just a Family Tradition?} My husband believes that faith comes about by family tradition, and that someone's faith is just an expression of what their family has taught them rather than actual faith in God. What does the bible say about this? 2. 20:34 {Wealth & Poverty in Heaven} If we all get different wealth in Heaven based on our deeds on Earth, won’t that create a situation where some people are poor and some are rich? And what happens once we spend it all? 3. 25:28 {Was Paul Married? Widowed?} Acts 26:9-10: "...cast my vote" has implications that Paul was in the Sanhedrin (also residing over Stephen's trial in 8:1), which would have required him to be married (even though that requirement wasn't recorded until later; I'm guessing it was still implemented). Could Paul have been married? Perhaps widowed? 4. 30:04 {Did Saul Know who David Was?} Why at the end of 1 Samuel 16 did the author emphasize David's service to and recognition by Saul, but in 1 Samuel 17, Saul didn't seem to even know who David was (no one seemed to know him for that matter)? 5. 35:40 {Is Doubting OK?} I love Mark 9: 24 - “I believe, help my unbelief.” But how do we understand that along with James 1:6-8 which says to ask in faith with no doubting, as the one who doubts will not receive anything from the Lord? 6. 41:10 {Should We Pray to Mary?} How can I respond with Scripture to a Catholic friend who says, “Mary is the mother of Jesus, so why wouldn’t you seek help from her? Jesus wouldn’t like you disrespecting His mom in any way”? 7. 48:25 {Are Our Souls Truly Immortal?} I was raised in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and they say that the belief in an immortal/immaterial soul is Pagan in origin and has no basis in the Bible. Is this true? 8. 52:30 {The Fruit of False Prophets} In Matthew 7: 15-20, what are the fruits of the false prophets? The teaching? The followers? The acts? Or something else? 9. 57:36 {Leading with Proper Wisdom} In light of 1 Corinthians 3: 18, how can I lead others spiritually with wisdom without considering myself to be wise? 10. 1:01:35 {Will God Give Up on Repetitive Sinners?} I suffer from same-sex attraction. I fight it, but sometimes I give in. Will God give up on me at some point if I give in? 11. 1:07:35 {Premarital Cohabitation Without Sex?} Is it OK for me and my long-distance girlfriend to stay in an Air BnB for a couple of months if we do not fall into sexual sin, but are not married? 12. 1:10:31 {Must Christians Attend Church?} Do you have to attend church to be a Christian? 13. 1:14:18 {When Other Faiths Pray for Us} When people of other religions pray for us and we see these prayers answered, how do we reconcile that with Christianity? Does that mean all faiths are good? 14. 1:18:32 {Why did Jesus Die if Humans Still Die?} If the payment for sin is death, and both believers and non-believers will die anyways, then why did Jesus have to die for us? Was it for a chance at us entering Heaven? 15. 1:21:53 {Did Augustine Consider the Apocrypha Canon?} How would you respond to those who point out that Augustine considered the Apocrypha as canon? 16. 1:24:40 {Satan’s Fall in Luke 10} Could you shed some light on what Jesus meant in Luke 10: 18? Is Jesus talking about Satan's initial fall here, and what purpose does it serve in the passage? 17. 1:28:58 {OCD-Like Prayers} Any thoughts on struggles with OCD-like prayers? Ex: feeling the need to pray for protection over family members every day in fear that something bad will happen to them if I don’t. 18. 1:33:55 {God Didn’t Reveal Himself?} What do you tell an atheist who says he looked for God and God didn't reveal Himself to him? And in general, what do you make of the argument of nonresistant non-believers? 19. 1:40:16 {How to Hear God’s Voice} What does it mean to hear God's voice? Many teachings say to listen to your thoughts and discern God's voice. Is this even Biblical, or is it a cliche? Reminds me of imagination (visions/prophecy). 20. 1:45:13 {Why did God Change OT Names?} Why does God change the name of Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul, and Sarai to Sarah? Is there a meaning behind this?
14) Amen, as humans we also have a spirit we’re not just a body. When we die we will receive a new glorified body like Jesus, pure where as unbelievers are impure. (The wages of sin is death), as believers our sin debt to God, is paid in full through Jesus’s death and resurrection, Jesus took our sin, and we now possess the Holy Spirit in our body. Believers are now justified, (we’re now holy) before a holy God. We’re no longer spiritually dead we’re now spiritually alive In Christ, We’re living in a fallen world and in fallen bodies, until The return of Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:4-5 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),” Romans 8:30 “And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
There’s nothing really you can tell an atheist about the absence of any god. It’s like anything else that isn’t there…we have no good reason to believe it exists
@@iyaskelu7173 we always have them turned on but UA-cam sometimes takes several hours to process them in the background and make them available. I recommend checking back in a few hours and they should be there. God bless.
Praying for the LORD to deliver you Matthew of every addiction and of every fear! and that you will have not just a roof over your head, but a HOME. If you are in Christ, if you have repented from your sins and made Jesus LORD as well as accepted Him as you Saviour, you are in our family, the family of God and Heaven is your forever home. This life is a blip on a screen compared to eternity. I pray your life here will reflect the truth, grace and beauty of the LORD Jesus and that He will pour out His favor upon you for a good Bible believing, Christ centered, Holy Spirit-filled church, for work/income, relationships & friendships. I pray healing and deliverance in the mighty name of Jesus over you MatthewPyke! He is able! He loves you. Keep listening to Pastor Mike and other solid Bible teachers. Be in the word daily. Pray often. Listen much. Obey the LORD always. Be humble like Jesus. Have a pure heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Mt 5:8. If you want to hear God's voice, purpose to have a pure heart. Take in only those things that you know, according to Scripture, are pleasing to God the Father. May you be able to fully receive His grace and be a new creation in Christ Jesus. 2 Cor 5:17.
I rarely comment but you forced my hand this day Mike. Keep the cat on screen! How can I think biblically about anything if I don’t have a cat to admire?!
Agreed. Seeing the loving animals in the midst of all the violence, thievery and general degeneracy of the society around me reminds me of God's love and power.
I'm the only christian in my family. Has been for 40 years. I seeked God on my own in my teens and God met me and I gave my life to Jesus. I am now 58 and it has been very lonely that my family does not belive in Jesus at all. I have a very close and strong relationship with the Lord and ofcourse I have had so many friends that are christians and I go to church. But it is so sad when your bio family does not understand. God bless you.
@@joyceburns2613 Not always. It depends on if your unsaved family members choose to be saved. God will not force them to. I have been praying for my family day and night for years, and I’m not going to stop, but God has given us all the free will to accept or reject the Gospel. I’m hoping that one day all of my family members will be saved, before it’s too late, but the choice is theirs to make.
You're so right, I've got 7 siblings that basically cut off communication with me 53 yrs ago when I married up north and moved south. I thought after some time surely they'd reconsider, since we'd been a close knit family before. Didn't happen, but I've prayed daily for the most part of 53 yrs for them to walk with the Lord and be safe.
I wanted to be born again , but my insurance didn't cover it. I'm not payin' outa pocket just ta go ta heaven. I'll sit in hell forever before I pay outta pocket.
@@sammyquinn1salvation through Christ it's a free gift of God it's by face not my payment good luck and God bless don't Harden your heart hell's not going to be a party with friends
There are only 2 times in my life where obeying the whisper of the Holy Spirit truly ended in a clear result. One was a "turn left" situation that ended in me taking a homeless couple home with me, feeding them supper, and them saying they were praying for food, and started coming to my church, getting saved, getting married, completely changing their whole lives. The other was the night of a home invasion. I all of a sudden had a very loud thought telling me to break our shoe tree, take the rod that broke off, and use it as a lock for the sliding window in our home that didn't lock. That night two men came and tried every door and every window (including that one) to try and get in our house. I was home alone with 6 kids under 8. Only God knows what would have happened if I hadn't been obedient.
All right, Mike, I won’t say that you are the best Bible teacher in the world 😉 but will say that I am very thankful to Jesus for gifting you with much needed discernment to teach His word. Keep on going strong! Blessings, brother! ✝️🔥❤
Be honest => you believe as does Mike => that even though Jesus paid for all sin => that only 3% are going to heaven (and of course you and Mike are part of the 3%ers…..). Keep patting each other on the back and spew encouragement and blessings on each other while 97% are going to Hell for all eternity. Ask yourself why you don’t care about others and why God => who knew EVERYTHING FROM BEFORE CREATION => settled on a plan to only save a few….. and how Satan doesn’t really win if he gets 97%…… And ask yourself => if you really have any discernment at all….
@@HagerVids It’s beyond sad that he’s even in the your top 4. Your life and spiritual experience are totally lacking. If you don’t have Paul at number 2 or number 4 and understand WHY => it’s likely you’ll never see it on this side of death. SMH at the overwhelming majority of Christendom.
Yes indeed! The intercessor was abolished with the destruction of the church my man! That ability to talk directly to Jesus feels so much more special you know?
Christ is our intercessor indeed, we pray “In Jesus name” but I would say our prayers are directly addressed to and heard by God the father. Christ taught this when he showed us how to pray. “Our father who art in heaven,…” Like you said, the curtain was broken by Christs death and we are reconciled in relationship back to God. :-)
@jaqua7732 there are many things that are named differently across languages, people and places included. We say God, the israelites said Adonai, Elohim, YHWH, whatever else. Why should it bother anyone? If we are correctly and clearly talking about the same person is it wholly relevant that we're using a different name?
Protestant ‘soft’ Calvinist almost-sorta cessationist here- when God speaks specifically, YOU KNOW IT. It’s crystal clear, not ambiguous, and in my case, very convicting. Small story: Was going to a local church, kept forgetting to bring food for an ongoing children’s ministry (that apparently lots of people kept forgetting but I had resolved to bring food). After about 3 months of forgetting , early Saturday morning, getting cereal and outta nowhere, this very clear question: “Your children eat well, but what of the others?” Here I was, a person extremely hesitant to believe God speaks to us like that (and still am very careful to believe testimony), and yet it had just happened. It was firm, loving, but also extremely convicting. I stopped right there and repented, then got on my knees and prayed for clarity and forgiveness. Then, for the next 6 months or so (until I left that church ), I was extremely diligent to buy food and deliver it to the church-where I learned the bin was mostly empty except when I would bring food. Maybe God used me as a witness against that church’s lack of love or care or maybe God just wanted me to get on with a good work, but either way, this staunch Reformed theology Protestant is firmly convinced it was of the Lord. Honestly I’m not sure I want to hear from Him like that again- it wasn’t fearful, but so convicting. Amen.
Love the kitty visit. I have one who sits in front of my monitor and stares at me while I'm in meetings. I wonder if he thinks I'm talking to him. lol Thank you Mike for being here.
About the Holy Spirit. Ones I was leaving my daughter’s house late evening… I was already at the door when I got an urge to get on my knees to pray or something bad will happen. At first, I wanted to ignore it thinking that “what could happen?”, but then I got up stairs and got on my knees for a short prayer. On the way back home I saw an accident right on the road where I drove that had happened just few min before my arrival to that spot. The car from the opposite direction lost control and hit the car ahead of me… Conclusion: if you feel like praying, don’t ignore it. It might be helpful to other people also.
1:29:18 I have a friend who is a believer and has OCD. I mention this because he's talked about his compulsive need to pray. However, as is typical with most people who have OCD, many of their actions aren't contingent on "if I don't do X often/consistent enough, bad thing Y will happen"; rather, many people with OCD (and my friend has told me his internal rationale for this/how he can express his condition with this) do things because the initial action does not "feel right" in their head. For example, the need to turn a light on and off constantly: the compulsion to do this stems from a misfiring in their head that tells them "that light was not turned off/on properly, we have to do it again to correct it" (even though it's a light switch, and there is only 2 directions it can be moved, they feel compelled to repeat these actions over and over again, in the hope the next time they do it, it will feel correct). My friend has identified that his need to pray, as it persists with his OCD, comes from the thought/feeling that the prayer he did "didn't feel right", and because he wants to do right in the eyes of God, he has to do that prayer over, and over, and over again until it feels right. He has ascribed his OCD episodes like it's a bug on the windshield that only he can see. I elaborate on all of this because my friend has shown me that this "OCD" term often gets mischaracterized, there is very much a mental/physical/chemical issue going on when a person typically experiences a repeating episode.
This makes perfect sense to me and I can relate very much. I trained myself years ago to deliberately do the opposite of what my compulsion was urging me to do, or to consciously ignore it until the urge subsided. Not easy as it's like having an itch you're choosing not to scratch. But for me it created new patterns and behaviors that weren't so compulsive. Although I do still experience it with regard to prayer to some degree.
Excellent insight, greyknight. I appreciate that input. It gels with what I can remember from my childhood. A couple of my siblings had brief struggles with OCD-type behaviors, though thankfully they "outgrew" them (though outgrew is probably not the right word for it). In addition to the compulsion to do a thing over to make it right, I remember my sister had to make things "even". Like if she accidentally hit one arm on the side of the table while walking past, she would intentionally smack the other arm on the table, too, to make them even.
Try ask him to reflect deep the reason he prayed, is not because of responding to God but he just didn't feel it right (right according to his own eyes and feelings). Reply to him in these both verses. 1. Judges 21:25 (the context of this is that everyone acts according to what they think is right, but this is in a hapless and desperate tone, because all these people are against God). 2. Matthew 15:7 - he is acting exactly just like the Pharisees, prioritizing what they consider right, technicalities and customs but failed to address the main priority that sprouted all those actions and laws - to worship God with their whole heart, soul and mind in each of their action. Edited: oh yeah forgot to add, in case your friend still would not believe, Psalms 81 is a very interesting chapter. The writer is asking people to rejoice and sing about God's salvation, but then he heard God's voice. God is not happy. He rebukes them in verse 8! This should make one reflect. Singing, praying cannot be treated as simplistic worship formula that by doing so, they will definitely get good things. Old Testament addressed mankind's corruptions and evil are rooted deep in their hearts and mind. This sickens God, and no amount of prayer, worship and animal sacrifices in Old Testament will make them acceptable to God. Thus now, as a Christian, one needs to recognize his own sinful position before this Holy God (Isaiah 6:5), recognize what has made possible that we can approach God now AND be taught the expectations to live as Christian (Paul's letters on churches, I think Ephesian is a brilliant start for reading and studying). Remember, acceptable worship to God or being a holy righteous person can never come from our efforts, it is a privilege given by God.
Im in the same exact boat as question 17, it intensified years ago when I forgot to pray for protection and I was robbed that night, but then sometimes I look back and think God did actually protect me because I wasn't physically harmed when I definitely could've been
1:01:25 "Nothing arrogant about knowing you are wise, as long as you also know where you are a fool." This is such a great line from Mike! This is where so many people mess up. They either are too prideful of their own wisdom or have too low self-esteem about their foolishness. Neither are reflective of reality. We are all wise in some areas and foolish in others. The important part is having a correct and honest view of which is which.
I posted a comment on this but it seems to have been deleted. I think Mike's critique of the first question (or questioner's husband at least) is flawed, in that the husband's position is only fallacious if we attribute to him an argument that he didn't actually make. "Faith is a poor epistemology" is not fallacious "Faith is a poor epistemology, therefore Christianity is false" is Husband only makes the first point. I don't think Mike did this on purpose but it's a shame regardless imo
@meatloafgodxer You're over complicating it for some reason. The husband said that his wife's faith comes solely from her family upbringing, which is a clear genetic fallacy. Mike went way into the weeds on this question, so maybe you're conflating one of the hypothetical points he made with his point about the husband
@killerrabbit2693 It's very poor... I just ask you what evidence that there's not, and it keeps going in a circle. As to the question expansively, Mike has videos on that, which you can check out. He mentions one in question 1
@@alohi79 That is poor. Almost like you tried shifting the burden of proof. Or were you being silly? Cause falsifying an unfalsifiable claim is..... Impossible. And theists hide behind it.
Im really struggling to quit smoking. Its ridiculous how this addiction controls me, i say "this is my last one" but then i just do it. Im reaching our to mike and the community for prayer (specifically for dicipline and strengthened convictions) If you read this and need prayer for something leave a reply and i will pray for you aswell.
In question 17 I had the opposite happen. Leaving college for winter break I felt Holy Spirit tell me to “spin the car” I’m like hmm no. But I felt it again. In an open parking lot I sped up turned the wheel hard and on snow my car spun into a circle. “Do it again”. I did On our ride home, we hit black ice and my car spun the exact way it did there. I still cried Jesus but my obedience was preparation. Don’t become hyped focused but rather ask the lord to lead you so that you can accomplish his will for your life. Helps me but I also value your advice 😊
I became a Christian at age 20, the only one who was saved at the time. My parents didn't teach me about God at all. I've sure told them alot over the years.
My family were very anti Christian. We went to church some, but more to make connections. It was drilled into my head that teachings in church has no place in real life. God found me even still!
My mother was very much a believer in the protestant Christian faith, my father was brought up roman catholic who later turned to Jehover witness.. i was brought up with 2 parents who absolutely believed in God but how they got there was different and I was very much an agnostic/atheist until very recently when I found my faith in Jesus Christ and his divinity.
On Q11: There are probably circumstances under which it might not be a sin to live under the same roof with your girlfriend, but I really don't believe this is one of them. We're told over and over again to flee temptation (see, e.g., 1 Cor 6:18, Matt 26:41, 2 Tim 2:22, 1 Tim 6:11, Prov. 4:14-15), and this is exactly the opposite of fleeing temptation--I speak from experience here. Even if that isn't a sin in itself, it's extremely unwise, and given the biblical injunctions on wisdom, there's certainly a point where foolishness is itself sinful. If there's a reason you must live together, and you're already engaged, then go ahead and get married. If you're delaying because you can't yet afford the wedding she wants, do it civilly (though I'd still encourage you to involve your church) and have the big party later. If you aren't yet engaged, why are you proposing living with your girlfriend for months?
I once had a deep conversation with a friend of mine who is an agnostic. He said that if there is a God, then he has to have been created by someone, and that entity would have had to be created by someone, and so on. So his conclusion was that there is an infinate dynasti, that in and of itself is without a cause, consisting of entities that is caused by other entities. I was like; ¨If that is possible, why cant the uncaused cause simply be one person?¨
Thank you Pastor Mike for your faithful service to the Lord. May He strengthen you in your faith, give you wisdom, and bless you in your walk with Him. Amen
For question 17 about OCD praying, the counsel that Pastor Mike offered to not act upon that compelling fear response of OCD to pray for your family is spot on. This is because although the fear feels compelling it's not valid and is caused by the disorder. When you pray in response to the anxiety, you are engaging in a compulsion which in turn gives weight and validity to the fearful obsession. That likely being, that if you don't pray repeatedly, something bad will happen to your family. The praying may temporarily alleviate the anxiety but because this is OCD the praying will feed the disorder. The anxiety will come right back and you will get caught up in the cycle of the disorder. As to the "spirit of fear" I think the application was different for Timothy because he faced real/valid danger in preaching the Gospel. He had to learn to rely on God's Spirit rather than his own for the task. He had to choose to step out in faith trusting God in a very real and dangerous situation even while he felt trepidation. OCD is different in that the doubts and fears it presents are due to intrusive/unwanted thoughts that though they FEEL valid aren't. Managing OCD means learning to tolerate anxiety and uncertainty while refusing to engage in the compulsions. This is the way you stop the exhausting loop.
I went through something similar to OCD praying for about 3 days. I effectively walked away from Christianity because I thought that was the only way I could get some peace from that voice in my head telling me to pray. I did get peace, but I'm sure there was a better answer than what I did. When I started turning from the unrepentant sin in my life ,that was having a big impact on me at the time of the episode, I started to engage with my faith again. I don't know if this was a satanic attack or cognitive dissonance, I can't make full sense of what happened. It does seem that I couldn't do persistent life consuming unrepentant sin and my faith at the same time though.
Anytime I turn away from sin and toward Christ I credit that turning to the Holy Spirit indwelling in me. I believe this is Scripturally accurate. It also prevents me from becoming prideful of my momentary lessening sinfulness. If I just concentrate on Jesus and allowing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit I will be caught up in the Trinity of unconditional love. I then become a reflection of that love to the souls I interact with on Earth.
I thank and praise Jesus for you Teacher Mike Winger. Your annointing in teaching has helped me increased my faith. You've imparted treasure and wisdom to me and I appreciate you. I give God glory for the gift of you in this generation❤
Hi Mike, i missed the live, its after 9.30 pm in Calif. I LOVE your Q & A I love all the people that help you, I love your cats to 😁 Love your Ministry
I started to believe in God because I've seen his creation. I believe in Jesus because I prayed to him for the truth and he revealed to me a truth that has leveled me. It humbled me and dropped me to my knees begging him for forgiveness from my arrogance. God would have been justified in casting me into the deepest parts of hell for the things I've done but he instead saved me.
Great too see you again Mike. Great teachings. I'm Armenian and the Lord took me to John 15 and he mentions if you ABIDE eight times. We must Abide. Otherwise we're like the branches that are burned in the fire .There are so many other scriptures to prove we can turn away like the disciples in John 6; 66-70 who left Jesus. Let me know your opinion Evangelist Roger Mansour missionary to HAITI
Thank you Mike for this video. Great content which should make us all read the word so we cam be bettwe prepared to answer questions regarding our faith. At the 17:30 mark, Judaism has leaned more towards talmudic/rabbinic beliefs than GOD'S Word. Unfortunately true. My father in-law is Jewish and practiced Judaism until he came home (Praise Jesus). Hes been a devout christian for 30 years now. Ive had many long conversations with him about his early life and transition. He was one of the first to advise me on the heavy Talmudic dependence rather than the Torah. I had no idea. By the way, it was because he began reading the Hebrew scriptures that he came to know our Saviour.
On Q6: There are lots of reasons to not pray to Mary (OK, as the RC and EO would put it, "ask Mary to pray for us"--though that really is misleading), perhaps foremost among them is that we simply aren't told anywhere in scripture to ask dead saints for aid. But another of the more significant reasons is the false picture it paints of Jesus--for it to make any sense at all to pray to Mary, Mary must be more loving, more compassionate, more merciful than Jesus himself (not to mention that she must also be something very close to omniscient). And that's simply a blasphemous assumption.
danbrown586: I was with you all the way until you used the word, "blasphemous." Even if it is true, it's use will offend. And how effective will it be to bring anyone closer to the truth or to God. Sound arguments are persuasive, negative labels of others are not. As a Christian my desire is to persuade others to consider what I am offering. All your very strong arguments will be rejected because of an offensive label. Just a thought.
My personal advice to the person who asked Question No. 11: what safeguards will you maintain? For truthfully, aside from not moving in together, you will need to have external safeguards in place. Example; I was due to marry my wife in May 2020. My wife was tagged it to be a covid nurse in March 2020, and I had a hard choice to make. If I wanted to commit to "in sickness and in health", that would mean being there for my wife, as she effectively is shut off from direct contact with friends and family (bc she was a covid nurse), that would require that I move out of my parents home and move in with her (so we could socially quarantine together). My spirit told me this was the right call. But, not trusting ourselves, we had my wife's current roommate (also a female covid nurse) continue to live with us in this tiny two room apartment. So all things considered, we had the roommate as the "cock block". And then we had my wife's insane covid work schedule. And to top it off... I am an attorney working days; my wife and her roommate worked nights. So we had several checks in place to keep ourselves morally straight. Situation resolved itself when we had a private wedding in May 2020.
❤ ur kitty SO MUCH! I lost my only family my kitty son just asked the pandemic shut down started he was 20 years and 4 months and I miss him every day! Seems like you pet her/him really hard. The only thing that makes me happier than seeing your kitty is your teachings I sew appreciate you
Great questions. People talk like heaven will be run the same as on earth. Heaven will be on earth. But, it will not be the same. No pain, suffering, sadness, hunger, crying, abuse, disease, illnesses, so on. There will be joy, happiness, peace, and much greater than one can imagine. The Bible gives a glimpse into heaven.
By definition, the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness point to God being causal, and if God alone is causal, EVERYONE experiences salvation. The only way hell "exists" is to make man causal. Think it through folks. 🙏
I believe what I do, in every area of life, political, social, religious, etc., because my father challenged me to support all my beliefs with critical thinking.
I think the point about Mary is that prayer is part of worship and you only pray to God and worship only Him. Mary is His “mother” only as a means for His “humanification”. Just because Mary became an intrument for Jesus’ humanhood as privilege doesnt mean she was elevated as a god to be worshipped or prayed to. Even the apostles rebuked some people when they kneeled to them and worship them after they performed miracles.
To the hombre asking about staying in an Airbnb with your girlfriend: talk to the man you respect most in your life. Mike is wise and easy to understand but Not only does this seem like the sort of thing you wouldn't take random internet guy's advice about but it's something you shouldn't take random internet guy's advice about. Pick the guy in your life who you most look up to and about whom you think: "I want my life to look like his." and get his advice. Also, pray God gives him the wisdom to speak wisdom to you.
Lol whatever..... prove your God first.... oh wait you can't. That's why you need faith.... or rather the belief in a thing with zero evidence to support it and in most cases has evidence to disprove the thing you believe in.
@@danielessex2162 i’m actually sad for you. But remember you chose your path and the road to destruction is wide but the road to salvation is narrow. This life is not that great and just think this is the best it will ever be for you. I pray you ask the Lord to reveal himself to you. Make no mistake, if you ask him, He will.
@@danielessex2162Faith is faith in the evidence not blind faith. We look at all the evidence I won't say proof because proof would mean undeniable which it isn't but we look at the evidence and have faith in it.
@joshuahaddow3194 I don't know what happened to my previous reply. I can't see it. But, evidence isn't proof when it's undenable. Evidence is credible when you can validate it and you can't validate any of your "evidence" because, as you already pointed out, you need faith to believe the evidence is valid. Not how evidence or proof works. Your claims of proof and evidence are not valid because you need to stretch and grasp at straws in order for it to even come close to being anything. If my comment was erased or sometimes comments, just aren't visible. I made a laundry list of supposed evidence/proof christians always point to, and none of it is valid because, you need faith to accept the fantasy. With actual evidence you have the actual evidence. When I see a video of a man committing a crime I don't need faith to accept it. I have the video. There is the forensics. The witnesses. You have a bs bunch of stories you believe because faith makes you think they are credible. You have no evidence for the bible fairy tales. No witnesses. You don't even know the names of any of the authors of the stories. You have stories of outlandish lies telling you to accept everything you read.... and you do
@@danielessex2162 So first you need to fact-check because we know the authors of most of the books Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. - By Moses (with the first 5 chapters written supposedly in the Babylonian exile) Joshua- By Joshua (except for Joshua's death which is perhaps by Phinehas) Judges- Most Likely Samuel Ruth- Maybe Samuel but maybe unknown 1375-1050 BC 1 Samuel- By Samuel with some bits by Nathan and Gad 2 Samuel- Unknown but maybe Zabud son of Nathan with some bits by Nathan and Gad 930 BC 1-2 Kings- Probably Jeremiah 1 -2 Chronicles - By Ezra 430 BC Ezra- Probably Ezra 450BC approximately Nehemiah- By Nehemiah with editing by Ezra 445-432 BC Esther- Unknown but probably either Mordecai, Ezra or Nehemiah approximately 470 BC Job- Possibly either Job, Moses Elihu or Solomon and supposedly written about 2000-1800 BC Ecclesiastes- Solomon 935 BC Song of songs- Solomon Isaiah- By Isaiah (chapters 1-39 written about 700 BC chapters 40-66 written about 681 BC) Jeremiah- By Jeremiah 627-586 BC Lamentations- By Jeremiah 586 BC Ezekiel- By Ezekiel 571 BC Daniel- By Daniel approximately 536 BC Hosea- by Hosea approximately 715 BC Joel- By Joel 835-796 Amos- By Amos 760-750 BC Obadiah- By Obadiah either between 855-841 BC or 627-586 BC Jonah- by Jonah 785-760 BC Micah- By Micah, possibly between 742-687 BC Nahum- By Nahum, probably between 663-612 BC Habbukuk- By Habbukuk 612-588 BC Zephaniah- By Zephaniah 640-621 BC Haggai- By Haggai 520BC Zechariah- By Zechariah (chapters 1-8 approximately 520-518 BC chapters 9-14 about 480 BC) Malachi- By Malachi 430 BC Now here is where it gets good. Matthew- by Matthew 60-65 AD although it's widely suggested that it could have been A LOT earlier Mark- By Mark 55-65 AD but recent discoveries show it MUST have been before 52 AD Luke- By Luke a historian 60 AD possibly earlier John- By John one of Jesus 3 best friends 85-90 AD although recently suggested A LOT earlier Acts- Luke between 63-70 AD Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon- ALL BY PAUL Hebrews- Unknown but Possibly Paul James- By James 49 AD (Jesus' brother who btw didn't believe Jesus to be anyone special in his lifetime but then changed his mind after claiming to see him after his death!!!) 1 (62-64 AD) 2 (67 AD) Peter- By Peter 1 John- by John 85-90 AD 2-3 John- by John 90 AD Jude- Jude Jesus' other brother who also didn't believe Jesus at first 65 AD Revelation- By John 95 AD but recently suggested to be much earlier So don't say we don't know who wrote the Bible
Is there anybody else who is finding this a bit blurry? I am specially struggling to read the Bible passages. But also want to say that I'm so grateful that Mike is back for this Q & A. Your ministry is such a blessing to me, Pastor Mike.
Keep asking God's comforter and teaching Holy Spirit to speak to you. Test the spirit by asking if it testifies to Jesus Christ, Son of God, who lived, died and now resurrected and is seated at the Right Hand of his Father's throne in Heaven. This confession cannot be made by a false spirit. God has provided a teacher in His Word, His Son and by His Holy Spirit.. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Pastor Mike, WOW. Your ministry is such a blessing. Such a gift. Thank you with all my heart for your incredible videos!!! I learn SO MUCH listening to you! Thank You Jesus for Pastor Mike!!!
Amen thank for all that God is using you to share and the prayer. God has used you much in my ministry may God richly bless you and Mrs Winger for understanding your calling.
My parents got me started, but I grew up and no longer believe stuff because my parents told me so. I believe there is good evidence for Christianity, that's why I believe.
@Jason Noble I saw your questions in chat, but I did not watch live, so hopefully you might read this or someone else that has the same questions will be able to learn from what you asked. You are not the only one that thinks there are errors in the Bible. In fact, there are many sites that show hundreds of the supposed contradictions. May I recommend that just as you look at one side, search for someone who gives an answer to that contradiction on the other. You might be surprised at how many have very good answers to the critics, and these answers are very easy to find online for free, though there are many books on the topic as well. Beyond that there are many answers as to how you can trust the Bible with all the transcription errors. It is such a large topic that I am not able to really get into it here, but I will keep this to answering your three questions and pray after you see they are not the errors you thought they were that you will look into it more. To answer the examples you gave: Bat is a bird (Leviticus 11) The first question you have to answer is why you cannot classify a bat as a bird. Your answer would likely be a very scientific one saying "that a bat is a mammal not a bird just as it is not a reptile. It is a different classification of animal." The problem with this answer is you are using a modern classification system. If someone was using a classification system where anything that can fly is a bird, then a bat would be classified as a bird. Essentially, the person saying this is an error, is complaining Moses is using a system to classify animals that was common at the time, and not using a system of classification that would be created thousands of years later. The hare and rock badger chew the cud (Leviticus 11) For this question, you need to remember that the Bible is translated into English and was not written in English. The Hebrew used here for "chew the cud" is "alah gerah". This phrase can be referring to chewing the cud in the modern sense, but it does not have to. In fact, there is some debate as to the exact meaning of these two words together because of "gerah", but the idea is similar to chew the cud, which is why that is used for the English translation, but like with so many translations, it is not quite right. Looking at hares though, they do something similar to what ruminants(those the chew the cud) do, they do something called coprophagy. Like ruminants, they are re-digesting what they ate, just in a different way. This is similar to the previous example, but it also shows you need to be careful of calling the Bible wrong just because of the word chosen by the translators. The mustard seed (Matthew 13) For the answer here, you need to go to the context of the time and remember the Bible is not a scientific book, though it does not get science wrong(Sola Scriptura, the 'a' on the sola being very important there), the purpose is not to teach science. Unlike a science text book, the Bible will often use figures of speech to compare, contrast, or just help explain and teach topics to the reader, or in Jesus' case the listener. Jesus is trying to use something the people around him knew to teach them an important truth. The mustard seed was known enough by the Jewish people that they had a phrase, something like "as small as a mustard seed," to refer to something very small or unnoticeable. At something around 1mm, you are right the mustard seed is not the smallest seed in the world. There are seeds much smaller than a mustard seed, but the people and farmers of the time did not use those smaller seeds, they used the mustard seed. So, with how the Jewish people viewed the mustard seed and it was the smallest seed they used in their farming, why would Jesus not refer to it in this way? He is using the comparison not to teach a scientific lesson, but comparing something they knew and understood to help teach them a spiritual lesson. May God Bless you.
For question #9 (57:36), part of the answer also is realizing God to be the sole source and provider of all wisdom. In Him, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Big mentality difference between "I'm wise" vs "I've been given wisdom that I feel led by God to share"
When I think of heavenly rewards, my hope is that God will reward me with the immediate desired abilities rather than having to learn that skill…for example music, a position in music would be fantastic especially in heaven I can imagine the music will be far greater than man has ever tried.
I do some work with Boy Scouts. A scout may be a member of a group of 20 who work with me on a particular weekend. Then I may go 2 years before I see that particular boy again. He may be 6 inches taller than he was 2 years before. I may not recognize him. So I can understand why Saul probably didn't recognize David some time later.
Yes, in a book published in the 1880s, the pastor-writer mentioned encountering a family-group of dark-red-haired people, I think in northern Israel, where the children were round-eyed, plump cheeked, laughing cherubs. At puberty the males at least took on the lean, stern hawklike aspect, with piercing eyes. In one of the 3 volumes of The Land and the Book by William McClure Thompson. I did not mark the volume or page and haven't had a chance to read through them again.
God is Sovereign. Trust Him completely...pray but remember He is Soveregn. I don't know if we have the power to control all things on earth...actually I am convinced we don't. I still pray but in my walk I have also surrendered to completely trust Him and love Him through every situation and circumstance. I believe this is essential in my walk especially when trials come my way. I hope this helps to answer for the person who asked question #17.
My reward in Heaven would be to see Jesus, my loved ones and my dogs. I figure if God can speak the universe into existence, resurrecting my dogs would be pretty easy.
I think the answer to #10 is no, God will never give up on the repetitive sinner. We are the ones that give up on God, God doesn't give up on us. God may give us over to satan and allow us to give into our sin and destroy ourselves. But He will always leave the door open to repentance and be there to guide us back to Him. It's up to us to follow the path, up to us to answer His knock at the door. But never will He give up on us, grace will be there until our death or His return.
Excellent answer on Mary and contacting the dead. I can feel some people just being so offended by the statement “she doesn’t have special influence”-but your case is solid. People should take the clear direction not to contact the dead seriously. It’s important. Definitely we don’t want to disrespect Mary, but ultimately I believe that’s what is happening when she’s used to disregard the Scripture the way she is. I think it would pain her that she’s used the way she is.
I enjoy and learn from your videos. Thank you. I’m not comfortable using the word god out of reverent context but I don’t think it’s His name so I am not convinced it is using it in vain.
Q2 think about rewards, I remember also Paul talking about those who are saved, but as through fire, and that makes me think that some may be left with just what you’re standing up in, so to speak, because you made poor judgements about how to live your faith? This is a reminders fire which burns away the dross and leaves the pure gold
Mike, your analogy about the ketchup in the fridge is interesting from a biological perspective. Women have more of the cell type in their retinas that allows them to focus on texture and color better, while men have more of the cell type in their retinas that catch movement. It's why men can see a deer at 300 yards but struggle to see the ketchup bottle in front of them.
Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 - Intro
1. 0:43 {Faith = Just a Family Tradition?} My husband believes that faith comes about by family tradition, and that someone's faith is just an expression of what their family has taught them rather than actual faith in God. What does the bible say about this?
2. 20:34 {Wealth & Poverty in Heaven} If we all get different wealth in Heaven based on our deeds on Earth, won’t that create a situation where some people are poor and some are rich? And what happens once we spend it all?
3. 25:28 {Was Paul Married? Widowed?} Acts 26:9-10: "...cast my vote" has implications that Paul was in the Sanhedrin (also residing over Stephen's trial in 8:1), which would have required him to be married (even though that requirement wasn't recorded until later; I'm guessing it was still implemented). Could Paul have been married? Perhaps widowed?
4. 30:04 {Did Saul Know who David Was?} Why at the end of 1 Samuel 16 did the author emphasize David's service to and recognition by Saul, but in 1 Samuel 17, Saul didn't seem to even know who David was (no one seemed to know him for that matter)?
5. 35:40 {Is Doubting OK?} I love Mark 9: 24 - “I believe, help my unbelief.” But how do we understand that along with James 1:6-8 which says to ask in faith with no doubting, as the one who doubts will not receive anything from the Lord?
6. 41:10 {Should We Pray to Mary?} How can I respond with Scripture to a Catholic friend who says, “Mary is the mother of Jesus, so why wouldn’t you seek help from her? Jesus wouldn’t like you disrespecting His mom in any way”?
7. 48:25 {Are Our Souls Truly Immortal?} I was raised in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, and they say that the belief in an immortal/immaterial soul is Pagan in origin and has no basis in the Bible. Is this true?
8. 52:30 {The Fruit of False Prophets} In Matthew 7: 15-20, what are the fruits of the false prophets? The teaching? The followers? The acts? Or something else?
9. 57:36 {Leading with Proper Wisdom} In light of 1 Corinthians 3: 18, how can I lead others spiritually with wisdom without considering myself to be wise?
10. 1:01:35 {Will God Give Up on Repetitive Sinners?} I suffer from same-sex attraction. I fight it, but sometimes I give in. Will God give up on me at some point if I give in?
11. 1:07:35 {Premarital Cohabitation Without Sex?} Is it OK for me and my long-distance girlfriend to stay in an Air BnB for a couple of months if we do not fall into sexual sin, but are not married?
12. 1:10:31 {Must Christians Attend Church?} Do you have to attend church to be a Christian?
13. 1:14:18 {When Other Faiths Pray for Us} When people of other religions pray for us and we see these prayers answered, how do we reconcile that with Christianity? Does that mean all faiths are good?
14. 1:18:32 {Why did Jesus Die if Humans Still Die?} If the payment for sin is death, and both believers and non-believers will die anyways, then why did Jesus have to die for us? Was it for a chance at us entering Heaven?
15. 1:21:53 {Did Augustine Consider the Apocrypha Canon?} How would you respond to those who point out that Augustine considered the Apocrypha as canon?
16. 1:24:40 {Satan’s Fall in Luke 10} Could you shed some light on what Jesus meant in Luke 10: 18? Is Jesus talking about Satan's initial fall here, and what purpose does it serve in the passage?
17. 1:28:58 {OCD-Like Prayers} Any thoughts on struggles with OCD-like prayers? Ex: feeling the need to pray for protection over family members every day in fear that something bad will happen to them if I don’t.
18. 1:33:55 {God Didn’t Reveal Himself?} What do you tell an atheist who says he looked for God and God didn't reveal Himself to him? And in general, what do you make of the argument of nonresistant non-believers?
19. 1:40:16 {How to Hear God’s Voice} What does it mean to hear God's voice? Many teachings say to listen to your thoughts and discern God's voice. Is this even Biblical, or is it a cliche? Reminds me of imagination (visions/prophecy).
20. 1:45:13 {Why did God Change OT Names?} Why does God change the name of Abram to Abraham, Saul to Paul, and Sarai to Sarah? Is there a meaning behind this?
14) Amen, as humans we also have a spirit we’re not just a body. When we die we will receive a new glorified body like Jesus, pure where as unbelievers are impure.
(The wages of sin is death), as believers our sin debt to God, is paid in full through Jesus’s death and resurrection, Jesus took our sin, and we now possess the Holy Spirit in our body.
Believers are now justified, (we’re now holy) before a holy God. We’re no longer spiritually dead we’re now spiritually alive In Christ, We’re living in a fallen world and in fallen bodies, until The return of Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:4-5
“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),”
Romans 8:30
“And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Also, an organized religion is called a faith...the Catholic faith, for example
Thank you for doing the Lord’s work
There’s nothing really you can tell an atheist about the absence of any god. It’s like anything else that isn’t there…we have no good reason to believe it exists
@@iyaskelu7173 we always have them turned on but UA-cam sometimes takes several hours to process them in the background and make them available. I recommend checking back in a few hours and they should be there. God bless.
I’m struggling overcoming addiction and homelessness. Can anyone reading this please pray for my deliverance in the name of Jesus
Prayed for you! May the Lord bless you and indeed deliver you from your sin and difficult circumstances.
You'll get through it bro, push forward and God will build the rode you need to walk to get it done 👍
🙏🏼❤️
Praying for you!
Praying for the LORD to deliver you Matthew of every addiction and of every fear! and that you will have not just a roof over your head, but a HOME. If you are in Christ, if you have repented from your sins and made Jesus LORD as well as accepted Him as you Saviour, you are in our family, the family of God and Heaven is your forever home. This life is a blip on a screen compared to eternity. I pray your life here will reflect the truth, grace and beauty of the LORD Jesus and that He will pour out His favor upon you for a good Bible believing, Christ centered, Holy Spirit-filled church, for work/income, relationships & friendships. I pray healing and deliverance in the mighty name of Jesus over you MatthewPyke! He is able! He loves you. Keep listening to Pastor Mike and other solid Bible teachers. Be in the word daily. Pray often. Listen much. Obey the LORD always. Be humble like Jesus. Have a pure heart. "Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." Mt 5:8. If you want to hear God's voice, purpose to have a pure heart. Take in only those things that you know, according to Scripture, are pleasing to God the Father. May you be able to fully receive His grace and be a new creation in Christ Jesus. 2 Cor 5:17.
I rarely comment but you forced my hand this day Mike. Keep the cat on screen! How can I think biblically about anything if I don’t have a cat to admire?!
LOLOLOLOL
No cats please 😂😂😂
Straight facts
😂😂😂
Agreed. Seeing the loving animals in the midst of all the violence, thievery and general degeneracy of the society around me reminds me of God's love and power.
I'm the only christian in my family. Has been for 40 years. I seeked God on my own in my teens and God met me and I gave my life to Jesus. I am now 58 and it has been very lonely that my family does not belive in Jesus at all. I have a very close and strong relationship with the Lord and ofcourse I have had so many friends that are christians and I go to church. But it is so sad when your bio family does not understand. God bless you.
I’m in the same situation. 😢
You're not alone
My advice is to KEEP praying! It works if you believe
@@joyceburns2613 Not always. It depends on if your unsaved family members choose to be saved. God will not force them to. I have been praying for my family day and night for years, and I’m not going to stop, but God has given us all the free will to accept or reject the Gospel. I’m hoping that one day all of my family members will be saved, before it’s too late, but the choice is theirs to make.
You're so right, I've got 7 siblings that basically cut off communication with me 53 yrs ago when I married up north and moved south. I thought after some time surely they'd reconsider, since we'd been a close knit family before. Didn't happen, but I've prayed daily for the most part of 53 yrs for them to walk with the Lord and be safe.
My ex Mormon wife said thank you for your clear explanation. She has been born again for a year and appreciates your videos
I wanted to be born again , but my insurance didn't cover it. I'm not payin' outa pocket just ta go ta heaven. I'll sit in hell forever before I pay outta pocket.
@@sammyquinn1salvation through Christ it's a free gift of God it's by face not my payment good luck and God bless don't Harden your heart hell's not going to be a party with friends
That's wonderful! Tell you wife I said welcome to the family! I was raised Roman Catholic but got born again at near 21 years old.
@@sammyquinn1
You should get smart and dump your lousy policy. I have Blessed Assurance through Jesus Christ Mutual Life!
@1:27:27 your wife made a mistake.
There are only 2 times in my life where obeying the whisper of the Holy Spirit truly ended in a clear result. One was a "turn left" situation that ended in me taking a homeless couple home with me, feeding them supper, and them saying they were praying for food, and started coming to my church, getting saved, getting married, completely changing their whole lives. The other was the night of a home invasion. I all of a sudden had a very loud thought telling me to break our shoe tree, take the rod that broke off, and use it as a lock for the sliding window in our home that didn't lock. That night two men came and tried every door and every window (including that one) to try and get in our house. I was home alone with 6 kids under 8. Only God knows what would have happened if I hadn't been obedient.
All right, Mike, I won’t say that you are the best Bible teacher in the world 😉 but will say that I am very thankful to Jesus for gifting you with much needed discernment to teach His word.
Keep on going strong!
Blessings, brother!
✝️🔥❤
Be honest => you believe as does Mike => that even though Jesus paid for all sin => that only 3% are going to heaven (and of course you and Mike are part of the 3%ers…..).
Keep patting each other on the back and spew encouragement and blessings on each other while 97% are going to Hell for all eternity.
Ask yourself why you don’t care about others and why God => who knew EVERYTHING FROM BEFORE CREATION => settled on a plan to only save a few….. and how Satan doesn’t really win if he gets 97%……
And ask yourself => if you really have any discernment at all….
greatest teacher in my life
@@HagerVids
It’s beyond sad that he’s even in the your top 4. Your life and spiritual experience are totally lacking.
If you don’t have Paul at number 2 or number 4 and understand WHY => it’s likely you’ll never see it on this side of death.
SMH at the overwhelming majority of Christendom.
@@13kimosabi13 ill never have it all together like you do. i feel like a stupid head now☹️
@@HagerVidsThat was a good reply.
Jesus is our biblical intercessor. I don't need Mary for that. Christ is taking my prayers to Father God, and that process is holy and complete.
Yes indeed! The intercessor was abolished with the destruction of the church my man! That ability to talk directly to Jesus feels so much more special you know?
Christ is our intercessor indeed, we pray “In Jesus name” but I would say our prayers are directly addressed to and heard by God the father. Christ taught this when he showed us how to pray. “Our father who art in heaven,…” Like you said, the curtain was broken by Christs death and we are reconciled in relationship back to God. :-)
Is it important to any of you that Jesus Christ was not his actual name?
@jaqua7732 there are many things that are named differently across languages, people and places included. We say God, the israelites said Adonai, Elohim, YHWH, whatever else. Why should it bother anyone? If we are correctly and clearly talking about the same person is it wholly relevant that we're using a different name?
@@jaqua7732 He is the Christ. Christ is a title, not a name.
Protestant ‘soft’ Calvinist almost-sorta cessationist here- when God speaks specifically, YOU KNOW IT. It’s crystal clear, not ambiguous, and in my case, very convicting.
Small story: Was going to a local church, kept forgetting to bring food for an ongoing children’s ministry (that apparently lots of people kept forgetting but I had resolved to bring food).
After about 3 months of forgetting , early Saturday morning, getting cereal and outta nowhere, this very clear question: “Your children eat well, but what of the others?”
Here I was, a person extremely hesitant to believe God speaks to us like that (and still am very careful to believe testimony), and yet it had just happened.
It was firm, loving, but also extremely convicting. I stopped right there and repented, then got on my knees and prayed for clarity and forgiveness.
Then, for the next 6 months or so (until I left that church ), I was extremely diligent to buy food and deliver it to the church-where I learned the bin was mostly empty except when I would bring food.
Maybe God used me as a witness against that church’s lack of love or care or maybe God just wanted me to get on with a good work, but either way, this staunch Reformed theology Protestant is firmly convinced it was of the Lord.
Honestly I’m not sure I want to hear from Him like that again- it wasn’t fearful, but so convicting. Amen.
Love this story
Love the kitty visit. I have one who sits in front of my monitor and stares at me while I'm in meetings. I wonder if he thinks I'm talking to him. lol Thank you Mike for being here.
😂
My dog does the same thing.
Don't treat your prayers like magical spells. God's got this.😊
Always excited for Mike Winger 20 questions. Thank you so much!
About the Holy Spirit. Ones I was leaving my daughter’s house late evening… I was already at the door when I got an urge to get on my knees to pray or something bad will happen. At first, I wanted to ignore it thinking that “what could happen?”, but then I got up stairs and got on my knees for a short prayer. On the way back home I saw an accident right on the road where I drove that had happened just few min before my arrival to that spot. The car from the opposite direction lost control and hit the car ahead of me… Conclusion: if you feel like praying, don’t ignore it. It might be helpful to other people also.
1:29:18 I have a friend who is a believer and has OCD. I mention this because he's talked about his compulsive need to pray. However, as is typical with most people who have OCD, many of their actions aren't contingent on "if I don't do X often/consistent enough, bad thing Y will happen"; rather, many people with OCD (and my friend has told me his internal rationale for this/how he can express his condition with this) do things because the initial action does not "feel right" in their head. For example, the need to turn a light on and off constantly: the compulsion to do this stems from a misfiring in their head that tells them "that light was not turned off/on properly, we have to do it again to correct it" (even though it's a light switch, and there is only 2 directions it can be moved, they feel compelled to repeat these actions over and over again, in the hope the next time they do it, it will feel correct). My friend has identified that his need to pray, as it persists with his OCD, comes from the thought/feeling that the prayer he did "didn't feel right", and because he wants to do right in the eyes of God, he has to do that prayer over, and over, and over again until it feels right. He has ascribed his OCD episodes like it's a bug on the windshield that only he can see.
I elaborate on all of this because my friend has shown me that this "OCD" term often gets mischaracterized, there is very much a mental/physical/chemical issue going on when a person typically experiences a repeating episode.
This makes perfect sense to me and I can relate very much. I trained myself years ago to deliberately do the opposite of what my compulsion was urging me to do, or to consciously ignore it until the urge subsided. Not easy as it's like having an itch you're choosing not to scratch. But for me it created new patterns and behaviors that weren't so compulsive. Although I do still experience it with regard to prayer to some degree.
@angelagrootenboer8286 I used this technique (among others) to overcome an eating disorder. It's an exercise in self-control.
Excellent insight, greyknight. I appreciate that input. It gels with what I can remember from my childhood. A couple of my siblings had brief struggles with OCD-type behaviors, though thankfully they "outgrew" them (though outgrew is probably not the right word for it). In addition to the compulsion to do a thing over to make it right, I remember my sister had to make things "even". Like if she accidentally hit one arm on the side of the table while walking past, she would intentionally smack the other arm on the table, too, to make them even.
Try ask him to reflect deep the reason he prayed, is not because of responding to God but he just didn't feel it right (right according to his own eyes and feelings). Reply to him in these both verses.
1. Judges 21:25 (the context of this is that everyone acts according to what they think is right, but this is in a hapless and desperate tone, because all these people are against God).
2. Matthew 15:7 - he is acting exactly just like the Pharisees, prioritizing what they consider right, technicalities and customs but failed to address the main priority that sprouted all those actions and laws - to worship God with their whole heart, soul and mind in each of their action.
Edited: oh yeah forgot to add, in case your friend still would not believe, Psalms 81 is a very interesting chapter. The writer is asking people to rejoice and sing about God's salvation, but then he heard God's voice. God is not happy. He rebukes them in verse 8! This should make one reflect. Singing, praying cannot be treated as simplistic worship formula that by doing so, they will definitely get good things. Old Testament addressed mankind's corruptions and evil are rooted deep in their hearts and mind. This sickens God, and no amount of prayer, worship and animal sacrifices in Old Testament will make them acceptable to God. Thus now, as a Christian, one needs to recognize his own sinful position before this Holy God (Isaiah 6:5), recognize what has made possible that we can approach God now AND be taught the expectations to live as Christian (Paul's letters on churches, I think Ephesian is a brilliant start for reading and studying). Remember, acceptable worship to God or being a holy righteous person can never come from our efforts, it is a privilege given by God.
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Im in the same exact boat as question 17, it intensified years ago when I forgot to pray for protection and I was robbed that night, but then sometimes I look back and think God did actually protect me because I wasn't physically harmed when I definitely could've been
1:01:25 "Nothing arrogant about knowing you are wise, as long as you also know where you are a fool." This is such a great line from Mike! This is where so many people mess up. They either are too prideful of their own wisdom or have too low self-esteem about their foolishness. Neither are reflective of reality. We are all wise in some areas and foolish in others. The important part is having a correct and honest view of which is which.
No do not send your cat away. She is beautiful.🐱🐱
Your logic breakdown of the first question lit up every nerd center in my brain... sound logic is so satisfying.
How about this logic...
Any evidence for any god?
I posted a comment on this but it seems to have been deleted. I think Mike's critique of the first question (or questioner's husband at least) is flawed, in that the husband's position is only fallacious if we attribute to him an argument that he didn't actually make.
"Faith is a poor epistemology" is not fallacious
"Faith is a poor epistemology, therefore Christianity is false" is
Husband only makes the first point. I don't think Mike did this on purpose but it's a shame regardless imo
@meatloafgodxer You're over complicating it for some reason. The husband said that his wife's faith comes solely from her family upbringing, which is a clear genetic fallacy. Mike went way into the weeds on this question, so maybe you're conflating one of the hypothetical points he made with his point about the husband
@killerrabbit2693 It's very poor... I just ask you what evidence that there's not, and it keeps going in a circle. As to the question expansively, Mike has videos on that, which you can check out. He mentions one in question 1
@@alohi79
That is poor. Almost like you tried shifting the burden of proof.
Or were you being silly?
Cause falsifying an unfalsifiable claim is..... Impossible. And theists hide behind it.
Im really struggling to quit smoking. Its ridiculous how this addiction controls me, i say "this is my last one" but then i just do it. Im reaching our to mike and the community for prayer (specifically for dicipline and strengthened convictions)
If you read this and need prayer for something leave a reply and i will pray for you aswell.
I pray that the Lord will strengthen you and help you! God bless you!
I really got to quit too, brother
I'm right there with ya
Praying for you
@brandondriver99 let's strengthen ourselves and run this race to win. I'll pray for your progress, brother.
God is good
Thank you, pastor Miguel. I love how biblical and centered your ministry is. God keep you well.
God Bless you all to live the life of Christ.
In question 17 I had the opposite happen. Leaving college for winter break I felt Holy Spirit tell me to “spin the car” I’m like hmm no. But I felt it again. In an open parking lot I sped up turned the wheel hard and on snow my car spun into a circle. “Do it again”. I did
On our ride home, we hit black ice and my car spun the exact way it did there. I still cried Jesus but my obedience was preparation. Don’t become hyped focused but rather ask the lord to lead you so that you can accomplish his will for your life. Helps me but I also value your advice 😊
Question 6: Communicating with the dead is a sin and explicitly stated as so in the Old Testament
True
I became a Christian at age 20, the only one who was saved at the time. My parents didn't teach me about God at all. I've sure told them alot over the years.
I’m sure they’re thrilled to hear your thinky thoughts about jebus.
@@rogerandjoan4329go away you Antichrist
My family were very anti Christian. We went to church some, but more to make connections. It was drilled into my head that teachings in church has no place in real life. God found me even still!
My mother was very much a believer in the protestant Christian faith, my father was brought up roman catholic who later turned to Jehover witness.. i was brought up with 2 parents who absolutely believed in God but how they got there was different and I was very much an agnostic/atheist until very recently when I found my faith in Jesus Christ and his divinity.
On Q11: There are probably circumstances under which it might not be a sin to live under the same roof with your girlfriend, but I really don't believe this is one of them. We're told over and over again to flee temptation (see, e.g., 1 Cor 6:18, Matt 26:41, 2 Tim 2:22, 1 Tim 6:11, Prov. 4:14-15), and this is exactly the opposite of fleeing temptation--I speak from experience here. Even if that isn't a sin in itself, it's extremely unwise, and given the biblical injunctions on wisdom, there's certainly a point where foolishness is itself sinful.
If there's a reason you must live together, and you're already engaged, then go ahead and get married. If you're delaying because you can't yet afford the wedding she wants, do it civilly (though I'd still encourage you to involve your church) and have the big party later. If you aren't yet engaged, why are you proposing living with your girlfriend for months?
Good advice
I once had a deep conversation with a friend of mine who is an agnostic. He said that if there is a God, then he has to have been created by someone, and that entity would have had to be created by someone, and so on. So his conclusion was that there is an infinate dynasti, that in and of itself is without a cause, consisting of entities that is caused by other entities. I was like; ¨If that is possible, why cant the uncaused cause simply be one person?¨
Thank you Pastor Mike for your faithful service to the Lord. May He strengthen you in your faith, give you wisdom, and bless you in your walk with Him. Amen
Thanks Mike for you honest and humble unpacking the Bible for all of us who have questions.
Pastor Mike, thank you for your exhortation/encouragement and prayer at the end. It was like water on dry ground for my soul. Thank you Jesus!
For question 17 about OCD praying, the counsel that Pastor Mike offered to not act upon that compelling fear response of OCD to pray for your family is spot on.
This is because although the fear feels compelling it's not valid and is caused by the disorder. When you pray in response to the anxiety, you are engaging in a compulsion which in turn gives weight and validity to the fearful obsession. That likely being, that if you don't pray repeatedly, something bad will happen to your family. The praying may temporarily alleviate the anxiety but because this is OCD the praying will feed the disorder. The anxiety will come right back and you will get caught up in the cycle of the disorder. As to the "spirit of fear" I think the application was different for Timothy because he faced real/valid danger in preaching the Gospel. He had to learn to rely on God's Spirit rather than his own for the task. He had to choose to step out in faith trusting God in a very real and dangerous situation even while he felt trepidation. OCD is different in that the doubts and fears it presents are due to intrusive/unwanted thoughts that though they FEEL valid aren't. Managing OCD means learning to tolerate anxiety and uncertainty while refusing to engage in the compulsions. This is the way you stop the exhausting loop.
I went through something similar to OCD praying for about 3 days. I effectively walked away from Christianity because I thought that was the only way I could get some peace from that voice in my head telling me to pray.
I did get peace, but I'm sure there was a better answer than what I did.
When I started turning from the unrepentant sin in my life ,that was having a big impact on me at the time of the episode, I started to engage with my faith again.
I don't know if this was a satanic attack or cognitive dissonance, I can't make full sense of what happened. It does seem that I couldn't do persistent life consuming unrepentant sin and my faith at the same time though.
Anytime I turn away from sin and toward Christ I credit that turning to the Holy Spirit indwelling in me. I believe this is Scripturally accurate. It also prevents me from becoming prideful of my momentary lessening sinfulness. If I just concentrate on Jesus and allowing the indwelling of the Holy Spirit I will be caught up in the Trinity of unconditional love. I then become a reflection of that love to the souls I interact with on Earth.
I thank and praise Jesus for you Teacher Mike Winger. Your annointing in teaching has helped me increased my faith. You've imparted treasure and wisdom to me and I appreciate you. I give God glory for the gift of you in this generation❤
Thank you for your ministry Pastor Mike! You are such a blessing ❤
Also great shirt 😊
Hi Mike, i missed the live, its after 9.30 pm in Calif. I LOVE your Q & A I love all the people that help you, I love your cats to 😁 Love your Ministry
I pray for you Pastor Mike❤ you are a blessing to me
I started to believe in God because I've seen his creation. I believe in Jesus because I prayed to him for the truth and he revealed to me a truth that has leveled me. It humbled me and dropped me to my knees begging him for forgiveness from my arrogance. God would have been justified in casting me into the deepest parts of hell for the things I've done but he instead saved me.
People: “I don’t believe the Bible because it was written by man.”
Me: “Everything written has been written by man.”
So believe nothing?
Those same people say they believe in science. Science was written by man😮
@@JeanMAllen exactly
My Husband would say yes to your last question because he thinks most of written history is a lie.
@@esth8175 people do nothing but lie. The motivation for lying is not all nefarious, but everyone lies for various reasons all the time .
@@nancybaumgartner6774everyone lies, but “people do nothing but lie?” A little bit overstated I think.
Great too see you again Mike. Great teachings. I'm Armenian and the Lord took me to John 15 and he mentions if you ABIDE eight times. We must Abide. Otherwise we're like the branches that are burned in the fire .There are so many other scriptures to prove we can turn away like the disciples in John 6; 66-70 who left Jesus. Let me know your opinion
Evangelist Roger Mansour missionary to HAITI
Thank you Mike for this video. Great content which should make us all read the word so we cam be bettwe prepared to answer questions regarding our faith. At the 17:30 mark, Judaism has leaned more towards talmudic/rabbinic beliefs than GOD'S Word. Unfortunately true.
My father in-law is Jewish and practiced Judaism until he came home (Praise Jesus). Hes been a devout christian for 30 years now. Ive had many long conversations with him about his early life and transition. He was one of the first to advise me on the heavy Talmudic dependence rather than the Torah. I had no idea.
By the way, it was because he began reading the Hebrew scriptures that he came to know our Saviour.
🙏🏼❤️
You always get me with the mid-prayer cut out 😅
Also shoulda kept the kitty on screen, just sayin' 😹
On Q6: There are lots of reasons to not pray to Mary (OK, as the RC and EO would put it, "ask Mary to pray for us"--though that really is misleading), perhaps foremost among them is that we simply aren't told anywhere in scripture to ask dead saints for aid. But another of the more significant reasons is the false picture it paints of Jesus--for it to make any sense at all to pray to Mary, Mary must be more loving, more compassionate, more merciful than Jesus himself (not to mention that she must also be something very close to omniscient). And that's simply a blasphemous assumption.
"For there is one God, and one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"
1 Timothy 2:5
danbrown586: I was with you all the way until you used the word, "blasphemous."
Even if it is true, it's use will offend. And how effective will it be to bring anyone closer to the truth or to God.
Sound arguments are persuasive, negative labels of others are not.
As a Christian my desire is to persuade others to consider what I am offering.
All your very strong arguments will be rejected because of an offensive label.
Just a thought.
It’s the “alright” and your laugh in the beginning of each stream that get me 😂🎉
Another great video. Thank you for your dedication and yielding to His purpose for you.
Your calm humility is refreshing. I really appreciate your perspective on a lot of these questions. Thank you for not shying away from the hard stuff.
Oh my gosh there’s a kitty on screen! Just made my whole week.
😂
My personal advice to the person who asked Question No. 11: what safeguards will you maintain? For truthfully, aside from not moving in together, you will need to have external safeguards in place.
Example; I was due to marry my wife in May 2020. My wife was tagged it to be a covid nurse in March 2020, and I had a hard choice to make. If I wanted to commit to "in sickness and in health", that would mean being there for my wife, as she effectively is shut off from direct contact with friends and family (bc she was a covid nurse), that would require that I move out of my parents home and move in with her (so we could socially quarantine together). My spirit told me this was the right call. But, not trusting ourselves, we had my wife's current roommate (also a female covid nurse) continue to live with us in this tiny two room apartment. So all things considered, we had the roommate as the "cock block". And then we had my wife's insane covid work schedule. And to top it off... I am an attorney working days; my wife and her roommate worked nights. So we had several checks in place to keep ourselves morally straight.
Situation resolved itself when we had a private wedding in May 2020.
Congratulations, bless you🙏🏼❤️
This is so GOODT! Teaching on praying to dead people. Praying that this free people that have been taught this.
I LIKE YOUR CAT. MAY GOD BLESS YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING FOR HIM. STAY ON THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW PATH, WHICH WILL LEAD YOU HOME. ✝️💟🛐😃
you actually answered my question lol. Thanks for the response. Never thought of that but it helped so much. Thank you! :)
Bring back the cat
😂
❤ ur kitty SO MUCH! I lost my only family my kitty son just asked the pandemic shut down started he was 20 years and 4 months and I miss him every day! Seems like you pet her/him really hard. The only thing that makes me happier than seeing your kitty is your teachings I sew appreciate you
It really can be as simple as Jesus is in my heart because my mom told me to be a sunbeam for Him. Sounds corny maybe but why not? Worked for me.
That's a great truth. Jesus said "come as a child". God bless your mom. And mine 💕❤️
But we never get to see Meeka!! Lol.
I don't comment as often anymore, but I'm always grateful for your wise counsel. Thank you 🙏❤
Great questions. People talk like heaven will be run the same as on earth.
Heaven will be on earth. But, it will not be the same.
No pain, suffering, sadness, hunger, crying, abuse, disease, illnesses, so on.
There will be joy, happiness, peace, and much greater than one can imagine. The Bible gives a glimpse into heaven.
By definition, the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness point to God being causal, and if God alone is causal, EVERYONE experiences salvation. The only way hell "exists" is to make man causal. Think it through folks. 🙏
Glad your back
I love that you love your cat.
I believe what I do, in every area of life, political, social, religious, etc., because my father challenged me to support all my beliefs with critical thinking.
You're a blessing, Pastor Mike. So glad I found you.
Haven't seen pastor Mike for a while.... thought you were off UA-cam! Always enjoy the q&a 🇿🇦🙏🏻
Aw I just lost my cat. She's beautiful.
I’m sorry❤️
I'm sorry for your loss. That's always so painful
God bless you, Mike Winger!
I think the point about Mary is that prayer is part of worship and you only pray to God and worship only Him. Mary is His “mother” only as a means for His “humanification”. Just because Mary became an intrument for Jesus’ humanhood as privilege doesnt mean she was elevated as a god to be worshipped or prayed to. Even the apostles rebuked some people when they kneeled to them and worship them after they performed miracles.
To the hombre asking about staying in an Airbnb with your girlfriend: talk to the man you respect most in your life. Mike is wise and easy to understand but Not only does this seem like the sort of thing you wouldn't take random internet guy's advice about but it's something you shouldn't take random internet guy's advice about. Pick the guy in your life who you most look up to and about whom you think: "I want my life to look like his." and get his advice. Also, pray God gives him the wisdom to speak wisdom to you.
Not my question, but just wanted to add agreement. Great advice. 👍🏼
Not sure if you have noticed or not but every argument against the True Living God is a bad argument…
Lol whatever..... prove your God first.... oh wait you can't. That's why you need faith.... or rather the belief in a thing with zero evidence to support it and in most cases has evidence to disprove the thing you believe in.
@@danielessex2162 i’m actually sad for you. But remember you chose your path and the road to destruction is wide but the road to salvation is narrow. This life is not that great and just think this is the best it will ever be for you. I pray you ask the Lord to reveal himself to you. Make no mistake, if you ask him, He will.
@@danielessex2162Faith is faith in the evidence not blind faith. We look at all the evidence I won't say proof because proof would mean undeniable which it isn't but we look at the evidence and have faith in it.
@joshuahaddow3194 I don't know what happened to my previous reply. I can't see it. But, evidence isn't proof when it's undenable. Evidence is credible when you can validate it and you can't validate any of your "evidence" because, as you already pointed out, you need faith to believe the evidence is valid. Not how evidence or proof works. Your claims of proof and evidence are not valid because you need to stretch and grasp at straws in order for it to even come close to being anything.
If my comment was erased or sometimes comments, just aren't visible. I made a laundry list of supposed evidence/proof christians always point to, and none of it is valid because, you need faith to accept the fantasy. With actual evidence you have the actual evidence. When I see a video of a man committing a crime I don't need faith to accept it. I have the video. There is the forensics. The witnesses. You have a bs bunch of stories you believe because faith makes you think they are credible. You have no evidence for the bible fairy tales. No witnesses. You don't even know the names of any of the authors of the stories. You have stories of outlandish lies telling you to accept everything you read.... and you do
@@danielessex2162 So first you need to fact-check because we know the authors of most of the books
Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. - By Moses (with the first 5 chapters written supposedly in the Babylonian exile)
Joshua- By Joshua (except for Joshua's death which is perhaps by Phinehas)
Judges- Most Likely Samuel
Ruth- Maybe Samuel but maybe unknown 1375-1050 BC
1 Samuel- By Samuel with some bits by Nathan and Gad
2 Samuel- Unknown but maybe Zabud son of Nathan with some bits by Nathan and Gad 930 BC
1-2 Kings- Probably Jeremiah
1 -2 Chronicles - By Ezra 430 BC
Ezra- Probably Ezra 450BC approximately
Nehemiah- By Nehemiah with editing by Ezra 445-432 BC
Esther- Unknown but probably either Mordecai, Ezra or Nehemiah approximately 470 BC
Job- Possibly either Job, Moses Elihu or Solomon and supposedly written about 2000-1800 BC
Ecclesiastes- Solomon 935 BC
Song of songs- Solomon
Isaiah- By Isaiah (chapters 1-39 written about 700 BC chapters 40-66 written about 681 BC)
Jeremiah- By Jeremiah 627-586 BC
Lamentations- By Jeremiah 586 BC
Ezekiel- By Ezekiel 571 BC
Daniel- By Daniel approximately 536 BC
Hosea- by Hosea approximately 715 BC
Joel- By Joel 835-796
Amos- By Amos 760-750 BC
Obadiah- By Obadiah either between 855-841 BC or 627-586 BC
Jonah- by Jonah 785-760 BC
Micah- By Micah, possibly between 742-687 BC
Nahum- By Nahum, probably between 663-612 BC
Habbukuk- By Habbukuk 612-588 BC
Zephaniah- By Zephaniah 640-621 BC
Haggai- By Haggai 520BC
Zechariah- By Zechariah (chapters 1-8 approximately 520-518 BC chapters 9-14 about 480 BC)
Malachi- By Malachi 430 BC
Now here is where it gets good.
Matthew- by Matthew 60-65 AD although it's widely suggested that it could have been A LOT earlier
Mark- By Mark 55-65 AD but recent discoveries show it MUST have been before 52 AD
Luke- By Luke a historian 60 AD possibly earlier
John- By John one of Jesus 3 best friends 85-90 AD although recently suggested A LOT earlier
Acts- Luke between 63-70 AD
Romans, 1-2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon- ALL BY PAUL
Hebrews- Unknown but Possibly Paul
James- By James 49 AD (Jesus' brother who btw didn't believe Jesus to be anyone special in his lifetime but then changed his mind after claiming to see him after his death!!!)
1 (62-64 AD) 2 (67 AD) Peter- By Peter
1 John- by John 85-90 AD
2-3 John- by John 90 AD
Jude- Jude Jesus' other brother who also didn't believe Jesus at first 65 AD
Revelation- By John 95 AD but recently suggested to be much earlier
So don't say we don't know who wrote the Bible
Is there anybody else who is finding this a bit blurry? I am specially struggling to read the Bible passages.
But also want to say that I'm so grateful that Mike is back for this Q & A. Your ministry is such a blessing to me, Pastor Mike.
Keep asking God's comforter and teaching Holy Spirit to speak to you. Test the spirit by asking if it testifies to Jesus Christ, Son of God, who lived, died and now resurrected and is seated at the Right Hand of his Father's throne in Heaven. This confession cannot be made by a false spirit.
God has provided a teacher in His Word, His Son and by His Holy Spirit.. 1 Thessalonians 5:21
Pastor Mike, WOW. Your ministry is such a blessing. Such a gift. Thank you with all my heart for your incredible videos!!! I learn SO MUCH listening to you! Thank You Jesus for Pastor Mike!!!
That shirt.. Love it
Love the cat!!
Amen thank for all that God is using you to share and the prayer. God has used you much in my ministry may God richly bless you and Mrs Winger for understanding your calling.
My parents got me started, but I grew up and no longer believe stuff because my parents told me so. I believe there is good evidence for Christianity, that's why I believe.
@Jason Noble I saw your questions in chat, but I did not watch live, so hopefully you might read this or someone else that has the same questions will be able to learn from what you asked. You are not the only one that thinks there are errors in the Bible. In fact, there are many sites that show hundreds of the supposed contradictions. May I recommend that just as you look at one side, search for someone who gives an answer to that contradiction on the other. You might be surprised at how many have very good answers to the critics, and these answers are very easy to find online for free, though there are many books on the topic as well. Beyond that there are many answers as to how you can trust the Bible with all the transcription errors. It is such a large topic that I am not able to really get into it here, but I will keep this to answering your three questions and pray after you see they are not the errors you thought they were that you will look into it more.
To answer the examples you gave:
Bat is a bird (Leviticus 11)
The first question you have to answer is why you cannot classify a bat as a bird. Your answer would likely be a very scientific one saying "that a bat is a mammal not a bird just as it is not a reptile. It is a different classification of animal." The problem with this answer is you are using a modern classification system. If someone was using a classification system where anything that can fly is a bird, then a bat would be classified as a bird.
Essentially, the person saying this is an error, is complaining Moses is using a system to classify animals that was common at the time, and not using a system of classification that would be created thousands of years later.
The hare and rock badger chew the cud (Leviticus 11)
For this question, you need to remember that the Bible is translated into English and was not written in English. The Hebrew used here for "chew the cud" is "alah gerah". This phrase can be referring to chewing the cud in the modern sense, but it does not have to. In fact, there is some debate as to the exact meaning of these two words together because of "gerah", but the idea is similar to chew the cud, which is why that is used for the English translation, but like with so many translations, it is not quite right.
Looking at hares though, they do something similar to what ruminants(those the chew the cud) do, they do something called coprophagy. Like ruminants, they are re-digesting what they ate, just in a different way. This is similar to the previous example, but it also shows you need to be careful of calling the Bible wrong just because of the word chosen by the translators.
The mustard seed (Matthew 13)
For the answer here, you need to go to the context of the time and remember the Bible is not a scientific book, though it does not get science wrong(Sola Scriptura, the 'a' on the sola being very important there), the purpose is not to teach science. Unlike a science text book, the Bible will often use figures of speech to compare, contrast, or just help explain and teach topics to the reader, or in Jesus' case the listener. Jesus is trying to use something the people around him knew to teach them an important truth.
The mustard seed was known enough by the Jewish people that they had a phrase, something like "as small as a mustard seed," to refer to something very small or unnoticeable. At something around 1mm, you are right the mustard seed is not the smallest seed in the world. There are seeds much smaller than a mustard seed, but the people and farmers of the time did not use those smaller seeds, they used the mustard seed. So, with how the Jewish people viewed the mustard seed and it was the smallest seed they used in their farming, why would Jesus not refer to it in this way? He is using the comparison not to teach a scientific lesson, but comparing something they knew and understood to help teach them a spiritual lesson.
May God Bless you.
Well done
Dude. Amazing shirt. Also love the globe.
Thank you Pastor Mike! These are great answers to great questions!!! Thank you. You help me to bring clarity to some of mine. Liz
Thank you for question 5 on doubt and choosing to trust. Thank you so much.
People have argued similarly for every god for all of human history.
God bless you pastor 🙏
For question #9 (57:36), part of the answer also is realizing God to be the sole source and provider of all wisdom. In Him, are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Big mentality difference between "I'm wise" vs "I've been given wisdom that I feel led by God to share"
When I think of heavenly rewards, my hope is that God will reward me with the immediate desired abilities rather than having to learn that skill…for example music, a position in music would be fantastic especially in heaven I can imagine the music will be far greater than man has ever tried.
I do some work with Boy Scouts. A scout may be a member of a group of 20 who work with me on a particular weekend. Then I may go 2 years before I see that particular boy again. He may be 6 inches taller than he was 2 years before. I may not recognize him. So I can understand why Saul probably didn't recognize David some time later.
Yes, in a book published in the 1880s, the pastor-writer mentioned encountering a family-group of dark-red-haired people, I think in northern Israel, where the children were round-eyed, plump cheeked, laughing cherubs. At puberty the males at least took on the lean, stern hawklike aspect, with piercing eyes. In one of the 3 volumes of The Land and the Book by William McClure Thompson. I did not mark the volume or page and haven't had a chance to read through them again.
Okay, where can I get that shirt 😮
God is Sovereign. Trust Him completely...pray but remember He is Soveregn. I don't know if we have the power to control all things on earth...actually I am convinced we don't. I still pray but in my walk I have also surrendered to completely trust Him and love Him through every situation and circumstance. I believe this is essential in my walk especially when trials come my way. I hope this helps to answer for the person who asked question #17.
Mike, I am thankful to Jesus for your wisdom, critical thinking ability, and your faithfulness to Scripture.
For the algorithm
I enjoy learning from you. Love the cat too.
My reward in Heaven would be to see Jesus, my loved ones and my dogs. I figure if God can speak the universe into existence, resurrecting my dogs would be pretty easy.
Love your shirt Mike.
This content was so helpful to me, thank you for your ministry!
I had a very similar question as question #6.. this was very very helpful; thank you Pator Mike ; and also GREAT shirt !!
Love these Q&A's and love you pastor Mike!
I think the answer to #10 is no, God will never give up on the repetitive sinner. We are the ones that give up on God, God doesn't give up on us. God may give us over to satan and allow us to give into our sin and destroy ourselves. But He will always leave the door open to repentance and be there to guide us back to Him. It's up to us to follow the path, up to us to answer His knock at the door. But never will He give up on us, grace will be there until our death or His return.
Thank you so much for these! I love listening during my commute to seminary. God bless you, brother!
there are so many people on my life that I wish would listen to JUST question #19, lol. one of my biggest pet peeves in Christianity.
Excellent answer on Mary and contacting the dead. I can feel some people just being so offended by the statement “she doesn’t have special influence”-but your case is solid. People should take the clear direction not to contact the dead seriously. It’s important. Definitely we don’t want to disrespect Mary, but ultimately I believe that’s what is happening when she’s used to disregard the Scripture the way she is. I think it would pain her that she’s used the way she is.
I enjoy and learn from your videos. Thank you. I’m not comfortable using the word god out of reverent context but I don’t think it’s His name so I am not convinced it is using it in vain.
Q2 think about rewards, I remember also Paul talking about those who are saved, but as through fire, and that makes me think that some may be left with just what you’re standing up in, so to speak, because you made poor judgements about how to live your faith? This is a reminders fire which burns away the dross and leaves the pure gold
Thanks for the answer Pastor Winger!
49:35 For anyone wondering, he meant when Samuel is called up by Saul.
Mike, your analogy about the ketchup in the fridge is interesting from a biological perspective. Women have more of the cell type in their retinas that allows them to focus on texture and color better, while men have more of the cell type in their retinas that catch movement. It's why men can see a deer at 300 yards but struggle to see the ketchup bottle in front of them.
That is interesting. Thanks for sharing.