Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 - Intro 1. 0:30 {Are Retirement Savings Sinful?} Based off of the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12: 16-21) and the story in Matthew 19: 21, do you think it is sinful to save up for retirement? 2. 14:59 {Communion Elements/Did Jesus Drink Wine?} My family and I attend a church that is in fellowship with an organization that uses water during communion instead of wine or grape juice. They attempt to use John 19: 34 to justify this, and they also believe Jesus never consumed wine. Is this biblical? 3. 21:10 {Does Jesus Live in Us?} Would it be accurate after reading 1 Corinthians 6: 19 & 2 Corinthians 13:5 to state that both the Holy Spirit and Jesus live in the believer? 4. 26:40 {Are “God-Given Rights” Biblical?} Does the Bible say anything about "God Given Rights,” at least the way many Americans use the phrase? 5. 33:20 {When & How to Evangelize} I want everyone to be saved & I feel guilty if I don't share the Gospel with every person I see. How do I know when I should share the Gospel & how do I start the conversation? 6. 38:08 {Is the Curse of the Ground Still Active?} In what way did Noah bring relief from the curse of the ground (Genesis 5: 28-29)? Am I mistaken in thinking the curse still seems active today (Genesis 3: 17-19; 8: 21)? 7. 43:47 {What is a False Teacher?} What do you think is the biblical definition of a false teacher? People's interpretations of this vary widely. I’d just like to have a fresh pair of eyes on it. 8. 47:58 {About Fantasy Entertainment} What is your stance on fantasy entertainment which utilizes pagan/made up religions such as GoT, Lotr, Zelda, Hercules, or Valheim? Isn’t it promoting Idolatry? 9. 52:05 {Safeguarding Ourselves While Witnessing} I have felt God call me to minister to the JWs, and He has opened doors for me to do so. What should I do to make sure my faith is not endangered when I am doing ministry? I meet with them tonight. 10. 56:21 {How does Our Will Intertwine with God’s?} In Genesis 20:4-6, Abimelech seems to think he didn’t touch Sarah out of his own will, but God says HE didn’t allow it. Any insight on the intersection between our will and God’s hand making stuff happen? 11. 1:01:29 {How did Jesus Pay in Advance for our Sin?} I'm not sure about penal substitution. How can it be that my sins, which were not yet committed at the time of the crucifixion, could have been imputed to Christ on the cross? 12. 1:06:43 {Discerning God’s Calling from Our Feelings?} How can I tell the difference between when God is truly calling me to something or if I am just searching for signs? 13. 1:11:44 {Is Being Baptized in a Special Location More “Spiritual”?} Is it wrong to think being baptized in the Jordan River could be special? 14. 1:14:23 {What does it Look Like to “Renounce All” for God?} How should we live out Luke 14: 33? 15. 1:20:26 {Should False Teachers be Shown Less Grace?} I've been told that when witnessing to groups such as the LDS (Mormons), a rebuke is better than a conversation because of Acts 13:8-10. Should false teachers be shown less grace than non-believers? 16. 1:23:56 {Will Sin Send Some Believers to Hell?} Is Matthew 5: 30 referring to believers? How do we reconcile this with "There is no condemnation in Christ"? 17. 1:25:18 {Are the Ceremonial Laws Gone?} Where do we see in Scripture that the old ceremonial laws are gone? 18. 1:26:50 {How Important are Legal Marriage Papers?} Help, Mike. I need a Bible verse to help a Christian couple who are cohabitating and have 4 kids, but don’t want to marry. They say faithfulness is more important than marriage papers. 19. 1:29:07 {Should we Pray for those who Pass Away?} I just lost a friend to an overdose. I don't think she was a believer. Should I pray for her mercy or is there no point after death? 20. 1:30:56 {Does God Tempt?} God tests/tempts Israel and Abraham. But James says God doesn't test/tempt. How can we make sense of this? 21. 1:33:45 {Health/Prayer Update} Pastor Mike, can you give us an update on your personal health and sleep troubles?
Thank you Sarah for the timestamps :) Also, I had a very similar experience with back pain as Pastor Mike. I tagged him on twitter with some suggestions that I hope might help him. In short, physical therapists misdiagnosed me for years and never got to the root of my problem. I had a structural misalignment in my back and only when that was detected and fixed did all the years of pressure, pain and discomfort finally go away. I seriously think Pastor Mike probably has an underlying cause that another kind of treatment would detect. I was fixed in 10 minutes by an OSTEOPATH for £20, after spending hundreds of pounds on physical therapy that never found out what was wrong.
i am going to attend every 20 question session so that hopefully Mr. high and mighty will eventually take notice and help the desperate. FYI im not a fan of "the beat". I want to hear High and mighty thoughts on this and you'll have to ban me to protect your social club from a desperate man seeking guidance from one he's loosing respect for slowly
@@pretbern3943 Thanks for asking! The video has to process on UA-cam’s end after each stream, and sometimes UA-cam has technical difficulties which really slow down that process. Unfortunately, the video is still “stuck” in UA-cam’s system so it can be played but not downloaded just yet. I recommend checking back throughout the day and hopefully the issue will be resolved.
Bruh. This comment is the most bible thinker comment imaginable. He has definitely aided in me being a bible thinker about everything too! I'm very greatful for his faithfulness to scripture and putting his heart and opinions aside so that way God's truth can be the only thing that stands as the standard. Hi Mike!
@@quantumfrost9467 what a strange statement. I consider myself the exact opposite. I go where the evidence takes me . If it’s proven that there is a god it will be the greatest discovery of all time. I’ll celebrate it.
Hey Mike.... God healed me of my back pain! I was diagnosed with stenosis in my L4-L5 fifteen years ago. Due to the chronic pain I was on large amounts of pain killers. I went to all the doctors, chiropractors and therapists. I was crying out to God because I wanted to be off pain killers so I can have a deeper relationship with Christ. One nights about 8 months ago I woke up and it felt like someone was grabbing me by my tailbone and was shaking me violently. It only lasted a few seconnds and it did not hurt. I started crying and praising God in that moment because I knew my back was healed. The next morning..... zero pain. The next week.... zero pain. Eight months later and I have zero pain. God is real... and he hears our prayers. Funny thing is that the stenosis and DDD still shows up in a MRI.
Great story. However, how do you know God healed you, and if he did why did it take him 15 years to do so? Stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal which can put pressure on the spinal nerves. Pain from Stenosis can be reduced through exercise and loss of weight and not just through medication. If you’ve had some kind of spontaneous remission, great. God did it, will have to be demonstrated.
@@joban4963 Maybe if you had a video of God doing anything you would have a point. In biblical times we had a Game of Thrones, Harry Potter world. Snakes and Donkeys spoke, people walked on water, the dead was raised. Today we have , look at the trees , DNA, and things are fine tuned for life. There is a reason why Game of Thrones and Harry Potter are popular, and most of us are scientifically illiterate.
@@horridhenry9920 God is the creator of the body and will use supernatural means to heal or natural means. Even human needs. Either way the Lord healed this guy. Wether supernaturally or not doesn't matter. God still willed it to happen and the guy rightfully gave God the praise.
I’ve been thinking a lot about retirement and this phrase came to mind: “work hard while you can so you can rest when you must”. I want to be able to care for myself and be able to help others when I’m unable to work … so I do believe it’s wise to think of how to care for my 70-year-old self and not be a burden on others.
Mike, I listen to you basically every day, and I can’t thank you enough for your ministry. It has literally changed my life and brought me back to where I belong with God.
@@MikeWinger Liberty in the eyes of the founders meant the freedom to do what you ought to do. This infers that you have a responsibility to do what's right. Our system was designed for a moral and religious people. Liberty today means to do whatever you want which is actually libertinism. Unfortunately it is a perversion of what the founders envisioned.
Shortly after being saved (a couple months) my pastor asked me to be a leader of the youth groups. And my thought was I wasn’t ready nor good enough but I wanted to have faith over fear and trust Jesus so I agreed. I learned a lot during that. And now I’m about to start my second year as a leader and I’m currently doing a Bible study with the boys from youth and plan on doing one every summer. And I couldn’t be happier. Being a youth leader has been the greatest experience of my life. And wanting to be a good leader for these kids has caused me to grow more in the word. They have been such a blessing. Youth ministry is how I hope to serve Christ for the rest of my life.
Today I really needed to hear that it's possible to be distressed and troubled and still be trusting God, Mike. You definitely did not fail us by misreading the reference. It was another "God-incidence" as my dad used to say. ❤️
I deal with over thinking to the point we’re my mind feels like it’s spinning in circles. It’s made my walk with Christ very difficult and my health issues on top of it all makes me go through a lot of anxiety. I forget and lose sight of Gods goodness. I know He is good and during all this mess I’m in I still think I’m the end I trust the Lord. I’m with you fellow brother or sister.
Aemery: So true. We were created with the capacity to fear. Without fear, we would not recognize dangers, and would not survive. Predators would kill us. Part of many distresses are related to survival. We must manage these fears, but it is unreasonable to believe we can eliminate all distress, if we just had enough " faith." We are human, whether a Christian human or an atheist human. We Christians have an advantage in managing distress.
What I love about Mike's question video is that Christians have questions that they don't have an opportunity to ask their pastor. And the other benefit is we can learn from the answers to other people's questions. I would love to find a Bible study group that was designed this way, where we could share questions and challenges, and hear the perspective of other Christians. Sort of a " self help," Christian group. We can learn from each other.
@Prey R I'm aware. Usually easy questions with simple answers work after service. Often there are several people that are waiting to interact with the pastor. This is where a group setting for discussion is better. Just look at the wide variety of questions to Mike. Some answers are short, some answers require more detail, thus more time.
The moment Pastor Mike said "Zacchaeus", I immediately started singing, lol. The full song (or at least the version I grew up with) is Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he He climbed up in a Sycamore tree for the Lord he see Then the Lord passed by and said, "Zacchaeus, you come down from there! For I'm going to your house today. Yes, I'm going to your house today."
LOL--me, too! Our version went: Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he, He climbed up in a Sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see, And as the Saviour passed that way, He looked up in the tree, (spoken--and He said, "Zacchaeus, you come down!) For I'm going to your house today, yes, I'm going to your house today."
I love how you explain and your analogies.... McDonald's burgers 😂😂😂 such a great teacher!! Always a pleasure to watch and learn SO much about being logical about the faith and becoming knowledgeable. Love in Christ from you 🇿🇦
Good to hear that your back and health is better. I had back injections about seven years ago, but working out and movement was really the only thing that fixed it permanently. Now I use physical fitness and healthy eating to correct any other pains etc... Starting a healthy lifestyle really got me thinking about how neglected this is among Christians. Just like the rest of the U.S., Churches have no many overweight, obese, and generally physically unhealthy people. Shouldn't we be setting the example? Our bodies and lives are gifts from God. Christians are often willing to fight to protect themselves and others but won't make healthy choices that also protect their lives. I also consider it a form of selfishness, lack if exercise and unhealthy eating leads to physical problems later in life. Who has to care for unhealthy people when they're older? Their families and maybe even the government. I'm not saying Christians need to look like supermodels, just general care about their bodies and seek to maintain them as stewards of God's gift. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Mike, I am so sorry to hear of your health and sleep problems. I am 76 years old and have a suffered from these things most of my life. I know what it is like to try so many things to try to find some to get through the day. I taught school for forty years and just want to let you know that I think you are approaching it in the right way. I have to take many medicines to deal with my pain. I have had three hip replacements on the same hip and I have hardware in my back. But, for many years I was told they couldn’t see what was wrong, too. Hang in there, eat healthy, do the best you can to stay strong, and I will pray for you. You have been a blessing to me. I listen to you daily and that in itself helps me with my pain. I an fairly handicapped at the time and I stay positive by counting my blessings and I consider your ministry to be one of them. God bless you. Sharon
For those of us who are self employed and don’t have a pension or 401K, we absolutely have to save for the future because we can only work so long, and if we are physically disabled at some point, we don’t want to count on the government to take care of us. We store food for the future and for emergencies, too. If we end up not needing it, then our grown children will have it. I think this is just prudent and wise.
Guard of the Tabernacle i really like that. When i was young in church i wanted someone to ask questions to the older people. When you look to a kid alot older than you are or have grey hair maybe you look wiser. I always love shaking hands with the elderly. We had an old man who always sat at the back of the church, and he wasnt always dressed in the best clothes or clean but it made my day to see this man and shake his hand and i think GOD did it for both of us.
Thank God you listened to your online calling. As an Australian I love that I get to listen to you. You've me helped so much on my own journey. Thank you. God bless.
Mike, I know where you are with your back issues, so I've been praying. Been through all that you mentioned over 30 years, kept things manageable with "band-aid" treatments (opiods, steroids injections, seizure meds, massage, PT). Finally I was diagnosed with a form of arthritis of the large joints (neck, shoulders, back, hips), ankylosing spondylitis. My doctor put me on hydroxycloroquine, 200 mg, 2 x a day. No adverse effects. It took 3 months to "kick-in," and now I've been pain free for 3 years! God is good.
Tending WISELY to our finances is NEVER a bad idea. We do not Know when that "DAY," is going to arrive; Besides, if we happen to have a little extra cash----there are always people 'in need' who could use a helping hand.
@@danielteberian no im not but its not out of any kind of personal character. Im desperate to get answers from this guy and he's "too important" to answer. All i get are his minions. I mean he rags on Olsteen in a law suit vid then basically has the same distance power structure. People generally citizen that which they hate about them selves i suppose? anyways, i can only guess your question got in because Sarah deemed it would attract more viewers rather than adding questions of the desperate who have much more to loose. Luck you as in congrats. lucky you as in im envious. lucky you as in obviously This guy sets him self above others congrats
@@danielteberian i know it sounds childish but i look up to this young man winger. I am so impressed with his insight. All I'm asking is for Zeus to climb off mount Olympus for 30 min or less and answer my concerns i have about what's going on. His opinion holds weight to me. Its not like everyone doesn't but he has a presence and commands scripture authority better than anyone i've seen. He does it with love and i just wish the dude would get off his high horse for a bit is all. i mean i guess i gotta get into every live stream and harp on it for every single one till they ban me for effn sake.
First, you never talk too much! Your videos are always a blessing, no matter the length. Second, people (myself included) are praying for you and your ministry all the time. So having an occasional brief update on your personal well-being is helpful to us to have something specific to pray for aside from your study time, family healthiness, wisdom and discernment, which are regular components of our prayers for you. So glad to hear your back issues are improving at least. Glory to God for His healing!! God bless you and your ministry, Pastor Mike! ✝️❤️🙏🏼
Happy to hear your health is improving! As a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist, so happy to hear you have changed your diet and lost weight and that you've shared this info with all of us. Those two things alone ( healthy eating and weight loss) will make a huge difference in back pain! Stay the course! God bless you!
I’m 65 and still help With youth group when they are short and lead Sunday school once a month. I love being with the young people, but have always felt that they need and deserve younger leaders. I certainly intend to encourage younger leaders and am happy to step back but I feel encouraged that I’m not necessarily selling our young people short ! Xx
Mike, that is fantastic. The idea of 'GUARDING 2:59 the tabernacle' is so applicable to my situation in retirement. (Numbers 9:26-26) Very few old people ATTEND church even though they go to to many other events they prioritize in family and community. I would miss my Christian duty as a witness to God, Christ, and the gospel. JUST SHOWING UP is a witness to others ESPECIALLY children. THAT is not emphasized enough in church life. There is a SUBTLE and POSITIVE pressure exerted upon the fellowship of the body of Christ that puts using the physical PLACE that we can be disciples or taught the word of God.(Hebrews 10:25) Also we are protected from false cults that change the meanings of the Bible like disconnected TV evangelism. The LOCAL church is endemic to the new testament. The church in Jerusalem did not command the other churches in any disciplinary sense. I'm going to use your answer as a springboard to teach the importance of older Christians to be mentors to others by attending church and encouraging others INSTEAD of sitting home alone expecting others to minister to you. Thank you for your help, God bless.
I am an awful sleeper, as well, Mike, so your comments resonated with me. I have been trying to live a more healthy lifestyle, as well. Your comments at the end of the video were encouraging not only for my situation, but it is also so wonderful to hear how prayers and your more healthy lifestyle have been working for you. Praise be to God!
I have fell in love with your videos!! I happened to click on one of your videos because I went to school with a Mike Winger!😉😁 You teaching is awesome!
Thanks for the update. I will pray about the pressure you are under. I cannot imagine the pressure you feel from all sides, and I pray for stasis and space. A bit of space between the pressure and you, or it's pressing. Knowing the pressure is there, but knowing also the strength that is in you pressing the other direction. I know folks work better under pressure, at times.
Emotional stress is self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Men like Mike Winger cause me to praise God who gave them their gift and is doing the workto sanctify them. I want to be a person that causes others to praise God! Thank you for all you have done for the Lord!
Dear Pastor MIke, thank you for your commitment to the Lord and to teaching His Word and making your teaching freely available! My life is forever changed because of God's goodness, Mercy, and Grace, and because of the work He has done through you. Several months ago as I was binge-watching your videos, I fell under deep conviction of a sin that I had not been able to overcome before when I finally saw the real sinfulness of that sin in contrast with the real love of God. Your teachings are clear yet filled with compassion, and I could hear your love for Jesus in every video in a way that moved me profoundly. The Lord has set me free; my heart is filled with love for Him, for His church, and for the lost in a way that it never has been before now. I give Him the Praise, but I do thank you for your service to the Lord! May God richly bless you and your family, and may He continue to reach hearts through your ministry. Love in Christ, Your Sister, Betty
Personally, I do pray for deceased people that I'm not sure are saved. I do this because, knowing that God is eternal - outside of time, I picture Him taking my prayer today and plunking it in the appropriate place along the timeline. This may not be scriptural but I don't think it hurts and just makes me feel better
My church has many retirees that volunteer and it’s such a wonderful blessing. I’m looking forward to my retirement to yes travel more but mainly to serve more in my church.
See the Spirit is "God's Action" which allows us the "Listen" where we hear the words, then the words are "In" us. And those words we "Think". The Action, the Word, and the Thought.
SO grateful to hear your back's getting better! Praise God for that. You've made GREAT lifestyle changes 🙌. I know you said NOT to give advice, but I just GOTTA 😂I've got scoliosis and also have back pain. Also tried pretty much everything without much relief. BUT the last 2 months I've been seeing a biokineticist (I'd only been to physiotherapists all my life) and they've done a great job of identifying which of my muscles aren't functioning correctly and then causing muscles in my back to compensate and do jobs they shouldn't be doing. Just thought it might help to get their opinion too? They don't treat the pain, they make you exercise VERY precisely and strategically so your pain naturally disappears over time as your muscles start functioning correctly.
I pray for you as well Pastor. I’m sure many of us had no idea you were/are going through this pain and nonsleep issue. May the Almighty God bless and give you great health. You are most certainly a beautiful light in this dark world, and we ALL need you with us for as long as Our Lord will allow. Please feel better. Much blessings and love to you and yours, including the kitties. 😌🌹🙏🏽😺
Maybe it’s because I’ve always been drawn to older people (I mean, I worked exclusively with adult and geriatric patients for well over a decade), but I agree that older people have much to give. I think our society idolizes youth, not just physically, and it is easy for people who are older to feel that their value has diminished. Not so! There is so much wisdom and knowledge that you can offer as you get older. Please don’t let your age or retirement keep you from sharing your gifts, knowledge, wisdom and heart with others!
Yes to the evening walks! I have been doing the same. An additional thing that has helped my sleep has been a short early morning walk. My sleep difficulties are not due to pain and a doctor suggested a short early morning walk without sunglasses and before I apply sunscreen may help regulate my circadian rhythm. It seems to help.
My brother and sister in law introduced me to your online ministry. I did not realize how much of an impact that listening to you break the Bible down would have made in my life. There are many questions I never would have thought of asking and the answers have helped me with personal struggles. Thank you for what you do Pastor Mike.
The other concern with saving for retirement is trusting in your savings rather than trusting in God for His provision. It’s important to remember where that savings came from. Trust God to provide for you, not your money. Meaning, remember that even that savings belongs to God and if He tells you to give it all away, be willing.
This reminds me, I really should be working on my retirement plan. The other day someone told me I was too old to even start. I said "I can buy a scratch ticket anywhere." ICMU But, yes, good post Brian.
oh Mike, we're here for you, like you're here for us, Pastor..brother.thank you for your faithfulness, and I pray our God for healing, and other blessings abound! we love you.😊🙏
Hey Mike! I was fascinated that an organization would use water for communion, so I just had to look it up. Turns out it's Mormons who do this. Thanks for all the insight into scripture. God bless!
To the question of retirement saving being sinful - I believe it can become (and often becomes) sinful very easily when it is driven by fear and one effectively puts faith in savings. And that perspective is visible right in following verses of the Luke 12 (22 - 31). That IMO does not mean it is always sinful. Saving is obviously wise, but can become sin if we don't keep trusting our Father in first place.
My wife and I are new viewers to your videos - we have so much enjoyed them. Thank you for all you are doing and we pray for complete healing for your back.
Mike, I am so grateful for your ministry. Thank you for listening to the Lord and walking in obedience. You're are an excellent example to my entire family, myself included.
This is not really advice, but encouragement to keep doing what your doing health-wise, Mike. I am still quite young, barely 20, don't really have many chronic issues, thank God. However I've been in front of a computer my whole life basically, and that has really affected my posture and, late at night, my sleep. For the last year or so, I've been deliberately taking steps to steward this body God gave me, and not letting it go until it's too late! Since I started doing moderately intense full body workouts, my posture has improved significantly. I'm pretty much standing all day at work, and I experience less discomfort at the end of the day than I used to. Posture was not even a primary goal to my exercise, I started mainly just to be generally stronger, cuz I'm kind of a weenie, haha. But I've found that when ALL your muscles are stronger, they naturally pull your body into a better position, and the overactive ones actually settle down(similar to what you've been experiencing all ready.) Sleep-wise, I do my best to leave all screens AT LEAST one hour before bed, and I bought a light that I can set to a dim, deep sunset red color for my room so that I can read a book without the blue light found in most lights and screens disturbing my sleep schedule. Sounds like you've been doing a lot of similar things already, and I just want to encourage you that I'm counting on you to experience further improvement in the future! Good health isn't complicated, it just takes a little discipline.
wow! that's amazing! I think it's a great idea for people (over 60 like me) to spend time in the youth ministry! I tried taking my grandchildren to youth ministry and they forbid adults/parents/grandparents from being present. My granddaughter was shy, and when the youth leader asked me to leave, she refused to stay there alone...
About rights, as Americans our "rights" are biblical as governed human beings. However, as Christians, we give up interpersonal rights to be angry, be offended, or vengeance. We in turn get the right to have access to Jesus and His righteousness and everything He is. We get this by laying down our lives having been crucified with Christ. In a word, surrender. If a Christian says they have a right to be angry they are wrong unless Jesus isn't Lord of their life.
Mike you look healthy and I pray for your back issue. Thank you for your time and explaining how you answer these questions from a Bibical perspective.
Hey Mike, absolutely love the ministry God has given to you. Changed my life a couple of years ago. Gave me answers and a biblical perspective along with tools to help me study the Bible. I use to be a false teacher/pastor in a mega church. I have studied question 7 for a couple of years now. I come from the inside of being a part of a false church and being a false teacher. Here are some verses and thoughts to help us think biblically about how to spot a false teacher: (Warning it’s kind of long) -Matthew 7:15-20 ESV “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their FRUITS. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. -In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit. If someone is living a life that is contrary to these fruits than we can mark and avoid them as a false teacher. And if someone is teaching disciples to go in a way that leads them to live a life contrary to the fruit of the Spirit we should mark and avoid them. -Example: “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.” -2 Timothy 2:16-18 ESV -Matthew 7:21-23ESV “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ -So even the false teacher/false prophets are doing these mighty works in Jesus Christ Name. They aren’t even denying him in words or in ministry work, but they are denying Him in Deeds. They are workers of lawlessness which Jesus will describe in the next part of this chapter. -Matthew 7:24-27 ESV “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”” -This reminds me of what James says when he’s describing False Faith. -James 2:14-16 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (This is kind of what going to a false teacher/church is like, they tell you all these encouraging good things about this life here and now, but don’t meet the needs of any noticeably poor Christians in their community, but will reserve seats and give special treatment to rich famous people. At least in my personal experience) -James 2:17-19 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder!” -You can have right theological statements about God just like the demons do, but it doesn’t mean you have or preach real faith. Most pastors have the correct statement of faith on their websites but it doesn’t mean they preach the gospel correctly. Their practice of faith can be false even with a correct statement of faith. -James 2:20-26 “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”-and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.” I could be off in this area, but this is what came to mind after hearing question 7.
Thank you Mike, and God bless you. I really appreciated your answer about penal substitution. Also, I feel for you with your sleep issues. I have always been a light sleeper, and have struggled for a good schedule since I broke my arm nearly two years ago. About baptism location, as accounted in Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip to baptize him in a ditch or pool or stream by the road they were traveling on. Yes, if there is a special place, like the river your grandmother was baptized in, the church where you first heard the gospel, or even the Jordan River, if you believe, be baptized there. Just don't make it such a requirement that it causes you to put it off. As the Ethiopian said, "“See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36
Physical and emotional pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice and sin. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Paul often expounded upon the suffering he experienced as a virtue. If you believe the same, so will you. I don't have that need. My need is to forgive everyone I have grudges against. I know that works to end my guilt, fear, anger and self-sacrifice.
@@robertdouglas8895 Forgiveness is hard sometimes. I have been there, and had to pray, "And help me to forgive those who trespass against me." Oh, to be one who is slow to anger or take offense and quick to forgive. God knows our heart and if the desire to forgive is there, he is faithful to help us get all the way through it. Bless you, brother.
@@Bigfoottehchipmunk That's right. We are so focused on projecting out our errors with blame that we need Spirit to show us what we have been ignoring.
Mike, so glad I stumbled across your UA-cam channel. It has become a regular source for me to many biblical questions that I’ve sought answers for, for years and never had answered. I introduced my wife to you and now she listens too. I admire your biblical knowledge, your willingness to study the Bible diligently and to impart that knowledge in a very relatable and non condescending fashion. In fact, your humbleness and your ability to admit when you are unsure about a particular answer are some of your best qualities. That and your sense of humor. You seem like the kind of guy I’d love to share a meal with. God Bless you and keep up the good work. I will be praying for you as the Lord places you on my heart.
@SarahW on fantasy: I had a very similar question about the magic-based systems of fantasy (Harry Potter and Brandon Sanderson) so was thrilled to hear a similar question asked and answered. I loved having Mike's wisdom in this area. I personally have given up Game of Thrones, not for the magic or religious systems but for the celebration of debauchery in perhaps what has been the most graphic sexual and violent content ever aired in mainstream television. Much of GoT's religions appeared to be making fun of Christianity, in my opinion, but that was a lesser concern than the constant overt sex.
Im glad to see your comment! Ive been uncertain about this for a while, I used to love fantasy but now mostly steer clear from it at least until Im certain about what’s acceptable and whats not. I totally agree about the GoT TV series, I started reading the books before I was saved, took a pause once I was saved and never continued reading it, I honestly don’t remember if the books were as blatantly depraved as the show. I was hoping to get insight if, hypothetically, the books were cleaner, if it would be unfit for a christian to read about how so-and-so prays to this pagan god and so-and-so worships this made up god. But I think so far my view is not necessarily whether something is “imitatable” or not, but whether it is putting into peoples minds the idea of other gods existing, desensitizing both christians and non-christians to it, portraying it as something cool or admirable- I dont want to show the world that I condone the worship of false gods, you know what I mean? Mike’s view on this is interesting though! I just wish he got more into it haha
@@sarahw4956 I almost wonder if Mike wasn't speaking more to the magic systems than the religious systems in his answer regarding imitation. We aren't going to go out and ride dragons or become wolves, for instance, although Nebuchadnezer believed he was a cow. But he may have been speaking to both. We aren't likely to start following these fantasy gods. The ASoIaF (GoT) books didn't have a visual element to them and not quite as much sex as the show, but there was still a tremendous amount of graphic sex and violence, more than anything I've ever read. Tolkien and CS Lewis are about the only noteworthy Christian fantasy writers. My favorite fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson is Mormon, but I just treat how he deals with the soul and gods as fiction. I love Sanderson because he keeps it clean and because he does such a phenomenal job of building the story so that there are massive payoffs. Robin Hobb, Patrick Rothfuss, and some YA fantasy authors like Tamora Pierce, Pierce Brown, and Jeanne DuPrau are authors I'd recommend that are pretty clean. I've always been a Christian, just not a very good one! I started my journey to getting right with God about 4 years ago. I am thrilled about what Mike said about magic systems, which means I can keep up with Sanderson without feeling guilty, but I will probably also try to minimize my time in worldly literature and television. I want my daily focus to be not on the things of this world or even the things of madeup worlds but the things of His kingdom. God bless you, Sarah! I hope and pray that your journey brings you closer to God.
Based on the thumbnail my first thought is about how we are called to care for widows and children but to prioritize older widows before young widows in the epistles and the many recommendations to work if people are able, to be generous to fellow Christians but to not take advantage of those who accept traveling Christian’s in their home as a Christian, so this indicates to me that the intent and motivation of working people thinking of retirement should be to work and save as much as they can so they can support themselves and not burden others provided they are physically and mentally able to do so, even in excess and to be free and generous with using the riches they have stored to edify the church, their family, etc in a reasonable manner that balances frugalnesses and generosity. Not so generous one ends up being a burden on others but not being so frugal that you don’t help out people you could easily or with experiencing a tiny amount of discomfort.
Had no idea there was someone else out there with a similar back pain situation as me. Though the cause of mine is (mostly) known, I've ran the gambit over the past 20 years of treatments and drugs and as with you, nothing has made a difference, yet I'm always having people, I'm sure well-intentioned, constantly giving me advice on the thing to try that will "surely help". Nothing helps. I've pretty much given up and am slowly getting more and more worried that soon I won't be able to even do the work or activities I'm still able to. My fiance can't work as she has worse medical issues than I do that still remain undiagnosed, so I'm very concerned if I'll be able to continue to provide for us. I pray for healing for both of us but it never comes. Just felt like I'd share this as I feel a kindredness with you over it. God bless and praise the LORD you are getting some relief!
Hey bro Mike, You are a mouthpiece to the wisdom of God. I am 37 and stuck with my responsibilities. Always thought of serving the Lord in greater ways but sometimes missed, sometimes too stuck or may be it was not my time. But its like you spoke my heart out. I will wait to stand guard to be of service one day for sure. I am preparing for that day and I believe the Lord's with me. Dios te bendiga!
Glad to hear your health has improved. After a stroke in 2018 I too began to look at my food nutrition choices and eat 98% whole food. A dessert or treat is for a time of significance . Fixing the cell to get well, reduce chronic inflammation and live my God numbered days to live my healthiest seeking his will for my life. I believe your health journey and how open you are about it is another way you demonstrate the grace of and hope in the Lord.
Thank you for your ministry Mike, I cannot begin to say how much I’ve learnt and how thankful I am to you and the Lord for it. I’ve been praying that the Lord keeps giving you the wisdom to bless us and now I’ll add your health to my prayers. I’ve been fighting chronic pain for years now myself and I’ve found no cure or explanation for it so far. It gets very dark and discouraging at times, but take heart, the Lord is with you. He knows best what we need and won’t allow us to fall. May the Lord bless you, your family and the whole Bible Thinker team immensely. Thanks again and see you in your next video.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Where are you experiencing pain? I had a back injury for 3 years and visited physical therapists and doctor who never understood what the problem was and none of their suggestions ever helps. Out of desperation I visited an OSTEOPATH and I told him my story and within 5 minutes he pinpointed the problems with my back and fixed them - I found out one of my lumbar vertebrae was rotated! He gave me a few exercises to do at home to get things to settle, and after about 5-7 days, all the pain and discomfort I experienced for 3 years was gone. If I were you I would check out an osteopath as you have a structural problem that no amount of physical therapy would identify or fix. Unlike other types of treatments, these osteopaths don’t just give suggestions to manage your pain, they find the cause of the pain and really fix it.
@@Anteater23 I've been diagnosed with Myofascial pain syndrome (not sure it´s the right diagnosis) - I have pain mainly in my jaw area, face muscles (severe bruxism that I haven't been able to reduce despipte trying different options), neck and shoulders.. but I also have it in my legs and feet quite often. Pain is constant and if I don´t take painkillers regularly I get severe headaches. Anyway.. thanks for sharing, I´ll look into it -who knows, maybe there's something in it for me as well. Thanks and stay strong! God bless you🙏
Really happy to hear about your health update, Mike! We'll continue keeping you in our prayers and God willing your health will be fully restored. God Bless!
Physical and emotional pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice. and sin. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Figuring out that message in the names was time well spent! I could do Bible study for days! It was the craziest thing, That just made my whole week! You have no idea how pumped I am from that little adventure. I love it! My grandma has been studding the Bible her whole life and I don't think she knew that, so I called her right away to tell her all about it! lol
#8 is such an interesting question...something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Especially with regards to Dark Souls, one of my favorite games and fictional worlds. For me, a fictional cosmology can prompt useful questions about real cosmology. A world like that of Dark Souls which is cursed and doomed but doesn't appear to have any true mechanism of salvation presents a really interesting contrast to the gospel...like thank God our world has a savior, otherwise how bleak would it be? Dark Souls is a good example of the kind of hellscape you might experience in a universe without a good sovereign God. I might even go so far as to say exploring some of these themes and concepts has deepened my appreciation for God. Is that pagan? Is it idolatry? For me I think the answer is solidly no, but I couldn't say it would affect everyone the same. For others it might entice them to embrace pagan or Eastern spiritual philosophy. I doubt there's a clear answer.
Hi thanks for your comment on my question! This is an interesting insight! I guess my understanding on this is, Is it right for us to derive entertainment from, or even expose ourselves to, these dark themes, or a world without God/ a world with a pagan god. Everything we see and watch, read, or consider and think about, really impacts the way we think, what we dream about, and what we are desensitized to vs what we are sensitive to. This verse comes to mind, “Abstain from every form of evil.” 1 Thessalonians 5:22 ESV “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.” 1 Corinthians 10:21-23 ESV I dont think it is really right to purposefully entertain ourselves with a fantasy world explicitly without God, or with extreme darkness. But it is great how Dark Souls helped you to appreciate the awesome goodness of God. My only question is do you still continue to play it? If you do, why spend your free time in such a dark world? Our time is so precious! It reminds me of this verse: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” Romans 6:1 ESV What I mean with this verse is not that playing this game is objectively a sin or not, but, just as our sin may glorify Gods grace- this game might glorify Gods goodness as well, but that doesn’t mean we should spend time in it. The good things God has provided for us to spend time in, as well as the good works He has prepared for us, glorifies God even more. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Philippians 4:8 ESV “Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” Colossians 3:2 ESV In my honest opinion, I think exposing ourselves to, and entertaining ourselves with, truly good and pure things, is so much better than the alternative- I think it glorifies God even more, and it helps us to get even closer and appreciate His goodness. But, also, just so you know, I have never played Dark souls, so i don’t really know how dark it is exactly, If you think it is acceptable and even beneficial then that is good. I would say just think about it more and exercise discernment! just my thoughts and opinions, i hope you consider them!
@@sarahw4956 Hello! I’m glad you asked this. This’ll be an insanely long winded essay… Never really got to put my thoughts about this into words before, I want to for myself atleast. Consider this a diary entry. Skip to the last paragraph for my main point if you don’t want to hear me ramble! As someone who’s intensely familiar with these games I’d like to give my take on why I believe they are healthier forms of entertainment than most books movies tv and other games despite their dark themes and focus on combat. For me, at least, because I don’t think anyone can properly appreciate any form of art or story without knowledge of Christ. For context: Dark Souls is a game produced by the Japanese game development company FromSoftware. Demons Souls, Dark Souls 1-3, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring are all different but mechanically and thematically similar games produced by them. Commonly regarded as the best games ever produced. Way more context: They are characterized by their exceptionally challenging but fair and high user-control combat and worlds-end apocalyptic scenarios, a kind of infection corrupting the fabric of reality brought on by the inherent corruption of the powers that be (false gods, cosmic entities, unseen forces). You play as a nobody with the impossible task of slaying all kinds of crazy looking monsters, giant behemoths, weird insects and vermin, undefeated warriors, madmen and lovecraftian.. things, all so you can work your way to face the crux of what’s causing the world to fall apart at the seams. Only you, a nobody, can grasp the reigns and decide the fate of the world because the powers which were guiding it before were always incompetent, part of the system which caused this total eruption. Most games have you resolving problems and your goal is to save the world. In these games your goal is usually to put an end to it. There is nothing to save, your work is thankless, all you can do is tear away the power from what held it before and allow the world to pass away so that it might regenerate into something new in the ages to come. First of all, the games themselves are about exploring and combat. You are in the ruins of a world which reached a pinnacle of human achievement. Towers tower atop towers, and even more towers, incredible architecture and structures which seem impossible. Despite the state of the world it inspires more beauty and artistry than most pieces of visual media that try to be nice and pretty. I have endless appreciation for the director Hidetaka Miyazaki and the art designers of FromSoftware, as images of God they are reflecting that through art. The musical scores are profound. It might seem strange for me to say this knowing the themes are “dark” are but I’ll explain more later. Secondly, the combat. You use weaponry, spells and incantations to attack, and your only method of defense is to dodge and heal at the right time. I cannot explain to you how rewarding this is compared to other games which hold your hand and offer all kinds of advantages to make your work easier. All you can do is face your opponent in a duel. To lead into my last point, even though the only thing you can really do in these games is kill and die, the fighting is not overly dramatized to glorify what you’re doing. There are so many games out there, like skyrim, you’ll press the attack button behind someone and then you get to watch a weird animation of you cutting off a guys head… because that’s supposed to be cool? It’s not, that’s just gross and boring. In these games a stick person can kill you easily, you just try to end their life quickly, no weird animations glorifying violence, basically everything is a mercy kill and self defense. No random murder. Last point, bringing it all together. PARADOXICAL is the word I would use to describe what makes these games a fantastic example of media christians can learn from. Yes, these games are “dark”, but they are dark in a way which is completely sober and does not champion that darkness whatsoever. In a way they reflect our world except nothing bad is disguised by beauty, as it is in our world. Essence is reflected by appearance. Although the games are awe inspiring they do not glorify evil. Although it can be scary it pushes you to make the world fear you. On Earth there is child sacrifice, gore, satanic spiritualism, all kinds of terrible horrors, and we should not shy away from facing these things. We must shed light on it and destroy it to the best of our ability. So, in essence, Dark Souls is the story of a random nameless person who finds themselves in a world of horror and intense beauty, a world which is obscure, unfathomable and leaves you with more questions than answers, all you can do is press through it, and along your journey you discover what it means to overcome, psychologically at least. Perhaps if you played it you’d totally disagree with me, but I am someone who used to be atheist, used to be extremely depressed and self destructive. I would not trade that experience for growing up in a christian household because God allowed me to go through that so I would discover and know Him in a way many people don’t get to. I was tempted directly by Satan, but once I understood that evil was very real, so too must be good. There is a reason we’re here suffering the consequences of evil and not just perfect in heaven from the beginning. Similarly, these games show us that all the power in the world is a garbage illusion if it’s not in the hands of the one and true God of love. I’ve just written an essay explaining what Monthc summed up in a sentence, “Dark Souls is a good example of the kind of hellscape you might experience in a universe without a good and sovereign God”. The game is so self aware, it knows this is true and portrays it properly. So, I totally get what you meant by asking this question, and I can say for sure that Dark Souls is one of the only fantasy stories I know of which does not explicitly glorify paganism, sorcery or godlessness, it definitely utilizes it and puts it on display, but it doesn’t portray it as a cool/good thing. It doesn’t push any kind of ideology or philosophy. If you go into it armed with the knowledge of Christ it can teach you so much about the nature of our own world. If you read all this… thanks lol. I had fun writing.
I agree with you Mike it’s so annoying when everybody tries to give medical advise....but I think you should go to a Quiropractor, that will fix your sleep your back, EVERYTHING
One thing that's been helping me lately with my health/pain is going to the gym and working out every single muscle group, e.g. abs, hip flexors, knee extensors, dorsiflexors, plantarflexors, knee flexors, hip extensors, upper and lower back, neck muscles, internal and external leg rotators, internal and external hip rotators, hip adductors and abductors, biceps and triceps, both sides of the forearms, shoulder muscles, scapula stabilizers, etc, etc. You don't realize how weak some of these muscles get especially when you sit all the time. Especially muscles like the glutes, psoas, upper back and neck. Not to mention sitting all the time causes your hip flexors and knee extensors to get chronically tight, especially the TFLs and hamstrings. Releasing the tension in those muscles will make you feel a million times better. Also, when it comes to sleep if muscular tightness exaggerates anterior pelvic tilt then you can develop pressure points when sleeping on your back which compresses nerves and makes you wake up feeling groggy in the morning. So yeah, highly recommend studying some anatomy and working on your physical health. It will make all the difference.
Physical and emotional pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice and sin. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Thank you for your ministry and the way you challenge the listener to really think about things. I have a chronic pain condition so I can relate to some degree on what you go through. Anyway, we'll be praying for you Mike. God bless!
I’m praying for you Pastor Mike. I’m so sorry you have to experience chronic pain. I don’t know if you have been checked for any autoimmune diseases or inflammatory disorders because some can cause back pain. If not it maybe helpful to look into with your doctor or seeing if you could be referred to a rheumatologist. Thank your for all that you do!
Pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
I suffer from chronic pain, but I don’t have an autoimmune disease. I have osteoarthritis in my lower spine, legs, knees & feet. I have sought medical help & now have the proper diagnosis & medication to manage the pain. It’s not right for us to think we know why someone has chronic pain, as there are several things that can cause it.
@@RUT812 I don’t think I know why, or are assuming that I do. I was just asking in case an autoimmune disorder hasn’t been looked into because there are several that can cause back pain and you don’t have to look sickly to have an autoimmune disorder. It was a thought because it could be beneficial for someone suffering in pain if it has not been checked. It was only a thought coming from a place of wanting to help, not assume I have know the reason. I just wanted to help in case that avenue had not been taken because often times they get over looked.
So glad to hear that you are taking care of your heath. I heard you talk before one time about cutting out sugar and that you do not really beleave in that. I encourage you to try it out. Not to do it permanently, but to kind of reset your body. It had done that for me. Also look into inflamation related to eating sugar. It can really really cure alot. And above all this, we will keep praying for you.
The former campus director guy at our college ministry still hangs around, and even just his presence and company is so cherished by any student member I've ever talked to. Plus, we all know he was there in the crowd at Christ's crucifixion, so he's full of great advice! 😅
Mike I have degenerative disk disease in my neck. I am at a level 6-7 everyday all day. I will not take pain meds and I have tried 7 different things including acupuncture and physical therapy. Nothing helps. My treatment is I push myself to complete exhaustion and it allows me to sleep in 3 hour blocks before the pain wakes me. I sleep 6-7 hours a day. I am 57. God bless you and may you find felief.
During the Colonial era, "Pursuit of Happiness" meant possessions. John Locke wrote about it in his "Second Treatise Concerning Civil Government" where he went on about how a government is morally obliged to serve the people. He ties this into Natural Law, namely the tradition going back to the Old Testament where rulers cannot legitimately do anything they wished because all men are under God's sovereignty (remember that David, Israel's greatest king before Christ, was a common shepherd and as the events concerning Bathsheba show, liable under the Law for his actions). Locke wrote, "Reason, which is that Law, teaches all Mankind, who would but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions." Furthermore, Locke wrote, "Every Man has a Property in his own Person. This no Body has any Right to but himself. The Labour of his Body, and the Work of his Hands, we may say, are properly his...The great and chief end therefore, of Mens {sic} uniting into Commonwealths, and putting themselves under Government, is the Preservation of their Property." Locke of course inspired Jefferson, Madison, Paine, and others during the foundation of the United States of America. The second amendment: in English common law dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, it was the responsibility of all free men to serve as needed in the militia, and to such responsibility must keep and bear arms as required under law. This was done in service of their lord, who in turn gave that service to their king. This was to ensure that the king, who represented the nation, could defend that nation against invasion. Of course as the centuries went by, the English kings were unwilling just to stop at preventing invasion, but the original reason remained the same. During the foundation of this country, it was contrived that the state (being the body politic of the People of the United States of America) replaces a king or hereditary lord. It was also abhorrent to the Founding Fathers that we would have a standing army, as the British had kept a standing army quartered in private homes, eating out the colonists' sustenance and acting evilly toward the womenfolk. It was the intention of the Framers to rely on the militia to stand against invasion until such time as an army could be raised and paid for by Congress (which is why Congress has the authority to declare War, not the President). As far as type of arms, it was essential that any arms owned by each free man should be the greater or equal of those whom they might face on the battlefield. During the American Revolution, the militia often used the Pennsylvania Rifle, which was a superior weapon as compared to the British Brown Bess musket. In modern times, this would mean that if we might face an enemy carrying modern military weapons, then we would need the same or better. There are some who will think that this is an obsolete idea, that we have an army and police, yet it was the very fact that there was a "rifle behind every tree" that kept the Japanese forces during WWII from attacking California. The police are not equipped to stave off an invasion and our army, which is deployed in numerous places across the planet, is even now undermanned compared to DOD requirements. If an invasion were to occur, our army would be hard pressed to man the borders of our country such to repel those invaders, but a well regulated (meaning well armed and trained) militia consisting of every man ages 17 to 45 (as called out in the Militia Act of 1792) would certainly be large enough to do so. The fact that our nation has allowed the militia to devolve into what it is now is not the fault of the Framers, but the fault of our current failure in our responsibility as free men.
Another good example regarding payment for sin before the sin; when I was driving truck years ago I stopped at a truck stop and got a coffee. When I went to the cashier, he said it was already paid for because earlier in the day a man came and gave them $100 saying to use it to pay for any truck driver's coffee.
Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 - Intro
1. 0:30 {Are Retirement Savings Sinful?} Based off of the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12: 16-21) and the story in Matthew 19: 21, do you think it is sinful to save up for retirement?
2. 14:59 {Communion Elements/Did Jesus Drink Wine?} My family and I attend a church that is in fellowship with an organization that uses water during communion instead of wine or grape juice. They attempt to use John 19: 34 to justify this, and they also believe Jesus never consumed wine. Is this biblical?
3. 21:10 {Does Jesus Live in Us?} Would it be accurate after reading 1 Corinthians 6: 19 & 2 Corinthians 13:5 to state that both the Holy Spirit and Jesus live in the believer?
4. 26:40 {Are “God-Given Rights” Biblical?} Does the Bible say anything about "God Given Rights,” at least the way many Americans use the phrase?
5. 33:20 {When & How to Evangelize} I want everyone to be saved & I feel guilty if I don't share the Gospel with every person I see. How do I know when I should share the Gospel & how do I start the conversation?
6. 38:08 {Is the Curse of the Ground Still Active?} In what way did Noah bring relief from the curse of the ground (Genesis 5: 28-29)? Am I mistaken in thinking the curse still seems active today (Genesis 3: 17-19; 8: 21)?
7. 43:47 {What is a False Teacher?} What do you think is the biblical definition of a false teacher? People's interpretations of this vary widely. I’d just like to have a fresh pair of eyes on it.
8. 47:58 {About Fantasy Entertainment} What is your stance on fantasy entertainment which utilizes pagan/made up religions such as GoT, Lotr, Zelda, Hercules, or Valheim? Isn’t it promoting Idolatry?
9. 52:05 {Safeguarding Ourselves While Witnessing} I have felt God call me to minister to the JWs, and He has opened doors for me to do so. What should I do to make sure my faith is not endangered when I am doing ministry? I meet with them tonight.
10. 56:21 {How does Our Will Intertwine with God’s?} In Genesis 20:4-6, Abimelech seems to think he didn’t touch Sarah out of his own will, but God says HE didn’t allow it. Any insight on the intersection between our will and God’s hand making stuff happen?
11. 1:01:29 {How did Jesus Pay in Advance for our Sin?} I'm not sure about penal substitution. How can it be that my sins, which were not yet committed at the time of the crucifixion, could have been imputed to Christ on the cross?
12. 1:06:43 {Discerning God’s Calling from Our Feelings?} How can I tell the difference between when God is truly calling me to something or if I am just searching for signs?
13. 1:11:44 {Is Being Baptized in a Special Location More “Spiritual”?} Is it wrong to think being baptized in the Jordan River could be special?
14. 1:14:23 {What does it Look Like to “Renounce All” for God?} How should we live out Luke 14: 33?
15. 1:20:26 {Should False Teachers be Shown Less Grace?} I've been told that when witnessing to groups such as the LDS (Mormons), a rebuke is better than a conversation because of Acts 13:8-10. Should false teachers be shown less grace than non-believers?
16. 1:23:56 {Will Sin Send Some Believers to Hell?} Is Matthew 5: 30 referring to believers? How do we reconcile this with "There is no condemnation in Christ"?
17. 1:25:18 {Are the Ceremonial Laws Gone?} Where do we see in Scripture that the old ceremonial laws are gone?
18. 1:26:50 {How Important are Legal Marriage Papers?} Help, Mike. I need a Bible verse to help a Christian couple who are cohabitating and have 4 kids, but don’t want to marry. They say faithfulness is more important than marriage papers.
19. 1:29:07 {Should we Pray for those who Pass Away?} I just lost a friend to an overdose. I don't think she was a believer. Should I pray for her mercy or is there no point after death?
20. 1:30:56 {Does God Tempt?} God tests/tempts Israel and Abraham. But James says God doesn't test/tempt. How can we make sense of this?
21. 1:33:45 {Health/Prayer Update} Pastor Mike, can you give us an update on your personal health and sleep troubles?
Thank you Sarah for the timestamps :)
Also, I had a very similar experience with back pain as Pastor Mike. I tagged him on twitter with some suggestions that I hope might help him. In short, physical therapists misdiagnosed me for years and never got to the root of my problem. I had a structural misalignment in my back and only when that was detected and fixed did all the years of pressure, pain and discomfort finally go away. I seriously think Pastor Mike probably has an underlying cause that another kind of treatment would detect. I was fixed in 10 minutes by an OSTEOPATH for £20, after spending hundreds of pounds on physical therapy that never found out what was wrong.
i am going to attend every 20 question session so that hopefully Mr. high and mighty will eventually take notice and help the desperate. FYI im not a fan of "the beat". I want to hear High and mighty thoughts on this and you'll have to ban me to protect your social club from a desperate man seeking guidance from one he's loosing respect for slowly
Thank you for what you do! Can you please tell me how to submit the first question.
Hi, Sarah! Why is there no download option for this video? I usually download Mike's videos and listen while working.
@@pretbern3943 Thanks for asking! The video has to process on UA-cam’s end after each stream, and sometimes UA-cam has technical difficulties which really slow down that process. Unfortunately, the video is still “stuck” in UA-cam’s system so it can be played but not downloaded just yet. I recommend checking back throughout the day and hopefully the issue will be resolved.
Mike has made a bible thinker out of me.
Bruh. This comment is the most bible thinker comment imaginable. He has definitely aided in me being a bible thinker about everything too! I'm very greatful for his faithfulness to scripture and putting his heart and opinions aside so that way God's truth can be the only thing that stands as the standard. Hi Mike!
Right?! Totally for me too!
Yes but has he made you a Bible “thumper”?
@@davidfayfield6594 troubled atheist, don't be so closed minded
@@quantumfrost9467 what a strange statement. I consider myself the exact opposite. I go where the evidence takes me . If it’s proven that there is a god it will be the greatest discovery of all time. I’ll celebrate it.
Hey Mike.... God healed me of my back pain! I was diagnosed with stenosis in my L4-L5 fifteen years ago. Due to the chronic pain I was on large amounts of pain killers. I went to all the doctors, chiropractors and therapists. I was crying out to God because I wanted to be off pain killers so I can have a deeper relationship with Christ. One nights about 8 months ago I woke up and it felt like someone was grabbing me by my tailbone and was shaking me violently. It only lasted a few seconnds and it did not hurt. I started crying and praising God in that moment because I knew my back was healed. The next morning..... zero pain. The next week.... zero pain. Eight months later and I have zero pain. God is real... and he hears our prayers. Funny thing is that the stenosis and DDD still shows up in a MRI.
Great story. However, how do you know God healed you, and if he did why did it take him 15 years to do so? Stenosis is the narrowing of the spinal canal which can put pressure on the spinal nerves. Pain from Stenosis can be reduced through exercise and loss of weight and not just through medication. If you’ve had some kind of spontaneous remission, great. God did it, will have to be demonstrated.
@@horridhenry9920 Watch a video of the molecular micromachines that are running each living cell. That's the paradigm line you're asking for.
@@joban4963 Maybe if you had a video of God doing anything you would have a point. In biblical times we had a Game of Thrones, Harry Potter world. Snakes and Donkeys spoke, people walked on water, the dead was raised. Today we have , look at the trees , DNA, and things are fine tuned for life. There is a reason why Game of Thrones and Harry Potter are popular, and most of us are scientifically illiterate.
@@horridhenry9920 This is a meme, it's not a serious attempt at communication.
@@horridhenry9920 God is the creator of the body and will use supernatural means to heal or natural means. Even human needs. Either way the Lord healed this guy. Wether supernaturally or not doesn't matter. God still willed it to happen and the guy rightfully gave God the praise.
I’ve been thinking a lot about retirement and this phrase came to mind: “work hard while you can so you can rest when you must”. I want to be able to care for myself and be able to help others when I’m unable to work … so I do believe it’s wise to think of how to care for my 70-year-old self and not be a burden on others.
This Q&A series changed my life.
YAY!!
@My name is Marko Yes. After seeking God I eventually found the answers I was looking for.
Mike, I listen to you basically every day, and I can’t thank you enough for your ministry. It has literally changed my life and brought me back to where I belong with God.
Praise God!!
@@MikeWinger Liberty in the eyes of the founders meant the freedom to do what you ought to do. This infers that you have a responsibility to do what's right. Our system was designed for a moral and religious people. Liberty today means to do whatever you want which is actually libertinism. Unfortunately it is a perversion of what the founders envisioned.
That's beautiful ❤
@filthycasual1595 Spot on!⁉️
Shortly after being saved (a couple months) my pastor asked me to be a leader of the youth groups. And my thought was I wasn’t ready nor good enough but I wanted to have faith over fear and trust Jesus so I agreed. I learned a lot during that. And now I’m about to start my second year as a leader and I’m currently doing a Bible study with the boys from youth and plan on doing one every summer. And I couldn’t be happier. Being a youth leader has been the greatest experience of my life. And wanting to be a good leader for these kids has caused me to grow more in the word. They have been such a blessing. Youth ministry is how I hope to serve Christ for the rest of my life.
Today I really needed to hear that it's possible to be distressed and troubled and still be trusting God, Mike. You definitely did not fail us by misreading the reference. It was another "God-incidence" as my dad used to say. ❤️
I deal with over thinking to the point we’re my mind feels like it’s spinning in circles. It’s made my walk with Christ very difficult and my health issues on top of it all makes me go through a lot of anxiety. I forget and lose sight of Gods goodness. I know He is good and during all this mess I’m in I still think I’m the end I trust the Lord.
I’m with you fellow brother or sister.
Amen!! I said to myself, “I bet that wasn’t an accident - someone needed to hear that”!!
@@sarahfaith316 I did need to hear that. Was so happy about his "mistake" 😅
Aemery: So true. We were created with the capacity to fear. Without fear, we would not recognize dangers, and would not survive. Predators would kill us.
Part of many distresses are related to survival. We must manage these fears, but it is unreasonable to believe we can eliminate all distress, if we just had enough " faith."
We are human, whether a Christian human or an atheist human.
We Christians have an advantage in managing distress.
Worry is the absence of faith. Why worry when you can pray? Trust Jesus.
What I love about Mike's question video is that Christians have questions that they don't have an opportunity to ask their pastor. And the other benefit is we can learn from the answers to other people's questions.
I would love to find a Bible study group that was designed this way, where we could share questions and challenges, and hear the perspective of other Christians. Sort of a " self help," Christian group.
We can learn from each other.
If we could only ask questions at church. That’s not usually possible.
@@RUT812 Wouldn't be something? A question and answer session after every sermon.
@Prey R I'm aware. Usually easy questions with simple answers work after service. Often there are several people that are waiting to interact with the pastor.
This is where a group setting for discussion is better.
Just look at the wide variety of questions to Mike. Some answers are short, some answers require more detail, thus more time.
The moment Pastor Mike said "Zacchaeus", I immediately started singing, lol. The full song (or at least the version I grew up with) is
Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he
He climbed up in a Sycamore tree for the Lord he see
Then the Lord passed by and said, "Zacchaeus, you come down from there!
For I'm going to your house today. Yes, I'm going to your house today."
LOL--me, too!
Our version went: Zacchaeus was a wee little man, and a wee little man was he,
He climbed up in a Sycamore tree, for the Lord he wanted to see,
And as the Saviour passed that way, He looked up in the tree,
(spoken--and He said, "Zacchaeus, you come down!)
For I'm going to your house today, yes, I'm going to your house today."
My 3 year old daughter sings that song all the time! We read the story and sang the song a couple weeks ago, and since then she hasn't stopped!
Yes, I love that song 🎵 even at 23.
Amen! I am all for elderly people spending time with the youth because there is so much to learn from them.
I love how you explain and your analogies.... McDonald's burgers 😂😂😂 such a great teacher!! Always a pleasure to watch and learn SO much about being logical about the faith and becoming knowledgeable. Love in Christ from you 🇿🇦
Literally out pastor today was using McDonald's burgers as an analogy to prove a point 😂😂
Good to hear that your back and health is better. I had back injections about seven years ago, but working out and movement was really the only thing that fixed it permanently. Now I use physical fitness and healthy eating to correct any other pains etc... Starting a healthy lifestyle really got me thinking about how neglected this is among Christians. Just like the rest of the U.S., Churches have no many overweight, obese, and generally physically unhealthy people. Shouldn't we be setting the example? Our bodies and lives are gifts from God. Christians are often willing to fight to protect themselves and others but won't make healthy choices that also protect their lives. I also consider it a form of selfishness, lack if exercise and unhealthy eating leads to physical problems later in life. Who has to care for unhealthy people when they're older? Their families and maybe even the government. I'm not saying Christians need to look like supermodels, just general care about their bodies and seek to maintain them as stewards of God's gift. Would love to hear your thoughts.
Mike, I am so sorry to hear of your health and sleep problems. I am 76 years old and have a suffered from these things most of my life. I know what it is like to try so many things to try to find some to get through the day. I taught school for forty years and just want to let you know that I think you are approaching it in the right way. I have to take many medicines to deal with my pain. I have had three hip replacements on the same hip and I have hardware in my back. But, for many years I was told they couldn’t see what was wrong, too. Hang in there, eat healthy, do the best you can to stay strong, and I will pray for you. You have been a blessing to me. I listen to you daily and that in itself helps me with my pain. I an fairly handicapped at the time and I stay positive by counting my blessings and I consider your ministry to be one of them. God bless you. Sharon
This is one of the best 20 questions you've done yet.
The best thing about this series is that it makes us think.
Brandon, thinking in general, seems to have gone by the wayside. We have become far too emotional. Balance between the 2 is necessary.
@TEXT±①⑨②⑨④④⑤④③⓪② Go away!
You do NOT belong here.
For those of us who are self employed and don’t have a pension or 401K, we absolutely have to save for the future because we can only work so long, and if we are physically disabled at some point, we don’t want to count on the government to take care of us. We store food for the future and for emergencies, too. If we end up not needing it, then our grown children will have it. I think this is just prudent and wise.
I agree. Plus, the direction the government is leading us to is not great. The new inflation "reduction" act is not good at all.
Proverbs 13:22
"A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children, but a sinner’s wealth is stored up for the righteous."
Hey Mike, we will be praying for you! I'd definitely say that active health and clean nutrition is always the best solution.
Guard of the Tabernacle i really like that. When i was young in church i wanted someone to ask questions to the older people. When you look to a kid alot older than you are or have grey hair maybe you look wiser. I always love shaking hands with the elderly. We had an old man who always sat at the back of the church, and he wasnt always dressed in the best clothes or clean but it made my day to see this man and shake his hand and i think GOD did it for both of us.
God is amazing how he leads you, Mike. Thank you for your faithfulness ever through your pain.💛
Thank God you listened to your online calling.
As an Australian I love that I get to listen to you. You've me helped so much on my own journey.
Thank you. God bless.
I’m so thankful for these 20 question videos, surely the Lord is using you to make wise Bible thinkers ❤️
Lolol
Mike, I know where you are with your back issues, so I've been praying. Been through all that you mentioned over 30 years, kept things manageable with "band-aid" treatments (opiods, steroids injections, seizure meds, massage, PT). Finally I was diagnosed with a form of arthritis of the large joints (neck, shoulders, back, hips), ankylosing spondylitis. My doctor put me on hydroxycloroquine, 200 mg, 2 x a day. No adverse effects. It took 3 months to "kick-in," and now I've been pain free for 3 years! God is good.
Tending WISELY to our finances is NEVER a bad idea. We do not
Know when that "DAY," is going to arrive; Besides, if we happen to
have a little extra cash----there are always people 'in need' who could
use a helping hand.
He pronounced my name correctly, and the answer he gave was so helpful! Pastor Mike FTW!
lucky you.
@@bobbyrice2858 You're not a very kind person. I hope whatever you are dealing with is resolved. I'll pray for you.
@@danielteberian no im not but its not out of any kind of personal character. Im desperate to get answers from this guy and he's "too important" to answer. All i get are his minions. I mean he rags on Olsteen in a law suit vid then basically has the same distance power structure. People generally citizen that which they hate about them selves i suppose?
anyways, i can only guess your question got in because Sarah deemed it would attract more viewers rather than adding questions of the desperate who have much more to loose.
Luck you as in congrats.
lucky you as in im envious.
lucky you as in obviously This guy sets him self above others congrats
@@bobbyrice2858 Is there something I could give you some advice on? I would love to speak to you about what you are dealing with.
@@danielteberian i know it sounds childish but i look up to this young man winger. I am so impressed with his insight. All I'm asking is for Zeus to climb off mount Olympus for 30 min or less and answer my concerns i have about what's going on. His opinion holds weight to me. Its not like everyone doesn't but he has a presence and commands scripture authority better than anyone i've seen. He does it with love and i just wish the dude would get off his high horse for a bit is all. i mean i guess i gotta get into every live stream and harp on it for every single one till they ban me for effn sake.
First, you never talk too much! Your videos are always a blessing, no matter the length. Second, people (myself included) are praying for you and your ministry all the time. So having an occasional brief update on your personal well-being is helpful to us to have something specific to pray for aside from your study time, family healthiness, wisdom and discernment, which are regular components of our prayers for you. So glad to hear your back issues are improving at least. Glory to God for His healing!! God bless you and your ministry, Pastor Mike! ✝️❤️🙏🏼
Happy to hear your health is improving! As a Registered Dietitian and Licensed Nutritionist, so happy to hear you have changed your diet and lost weight and that you've shared this info with all of us. Those two things alone ( healthy eating and weight loss) will make a huge difference in back pain! Stay the course! God bless you!
I’m 65 and still help
With youth group when they are short and lead Sunday school once a month. I love being with the young people, but have always felt that they need and deserve younger leaders. I certainly intend to encourage younger leaders and am happy to step back but I feel encouraged that I’m not necessarily selling our young people short ! Xx
Mike, that is fantastic. The idea of 'GUARDING 2:59 the tabernacle' is so applicable to my situation in retirement. (Numbers 9:26-26) Very few old people ATTEND church even though they go to to many other events they prioritize in family and community. I would miss my Christian duty as a witness to God, Christ, and the gospel. JUST SHOWING UP is a witness to others ESPECIALLY children. THAT is not emphasized enough in church life. There is a SUBTLE and POSITIVE pressure exerted upon the fellowship of the body of Christ that puts using the physical PLACE that we can be disciples or taught the word of God.(Hebrews 10:25) Also we are protected from false cults that change the meanings of the Bible like disconnected TV evangelism. The LOCAL church is endemic to the new testament. The church in Jerusalem did not command the other churches in any disciplinary sense. I'm going to use your answer as a springboard to teach the importance of older Christians to be mentors to others by attending church and encouraging others INSTEAD of sitting home alone expecting others to minister to you. Thank you for your help, God bless.
I am an awful sleeper, as well, Mike, so your comments resonated with me. I have been trying to live a more healthy lifestyle, as well. Your comments at the end of the video were encouraging not only for my situation, but it is also so wonderful to hear how prayers and your more healthy lifestyle have been working for you. Praise be to God!
God isn't bound in space and time as we are...❤
I have fell in love with your videos!!
I happened to click on one of your videos because I went to school with a Mike Winger!😉😁 You teaching is awesome!
Thanks for the update. I will pray about the pressure you are under. I cannot imagine the pressure you feel from all sides, and I pray for stasis and space. A bit of space between the pressure and you, or it's pressing. Knowing the pressure is there, but knowing also the strength that is in you pressing the other direction. I know folks work better under pressure, at times.
Emotional stress is self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Men like Mike Winger cause me to praise God who gave them their gift and is doing the workto sanctify them. I want to be a person that causes others to praise God! Thank you for all you have done for the Lord!
Dear Pastor MIke, thank you for your commitment to the Lord and to teaching His Word and making your teaching freely available! My life is forever changed because of God's goodness, Mercy, and Grace, and because of the work He has done through you. Several months ago as I was binge-watching your videos, I fell under deep conviction of a sin that I had not been able to overcome before when I finally saw the real sinfulness of that sin in contrast with the real love of God. Your teachings are clear yet filled with compassion, and I could hear your love for Jesus in every video in a way that moved me profoundly. The Lord has set me free; my heart is filled with love for Him, for His church, and for the lost in a way that it never has been before now. I give Him the Praise, but I do thank you for your service to the Lord! May God richly bless you and your family, and may He continue to reach hearts through your ministry. Love in Christ, Your Sister, Betty
Personally, I do pray for deceased people that I'm not sure are saved. I do this because, knowing that God is eternal - outside of time, I picture Him taking my prayer today and plunking it in the appropriate place along the timeline. This may not be scriptural but I don't think it hurts and just makes me feel better
I have so much respect for Mike. Knowledgeable and humble. What a combination.
My church has many retirees that volunteer and it’s such a wonderful blessing. I’m looking forward to my retirement to yes travel more but mainly to serve more in my church.
See the Spirit is "God's Action" which allows us the "Listen" where we hear the words, then the words are "In" us. And those words we "Think".
The Action, the Word, and the Thought.
SO grateful to hear your back's getting better! Praise God for that. You've made GREAT lifestyle changes 🙌. I know you said NOT to give advice, but I just GOTTA 😂I've got scoliosis and also have back pain. Also tried pretty much everything without much relief. BUT the last 2 months I've been seeing a biokineticist (I'd only been to physiotherapists all my life) and they've done a great job of identifying which of my muscles aren't functioning correctly and then causing muscles in my back to compensate and do jobs they shouldn't be doing. Just thought it might help to get their opinion too? They don't treat the pain, they make you exercise VERY precisely and strategically so your pain naturally disappears over time as your muscles start functioning correctly.
I pray for you as well Pastor. I’m sure many of us had no idea you were/are going through this pain and nonsleep issue. May the Almighty God bless and give you great health. You are most certainly a beautiful light in this dark world, and we ALL need you with us for as long as Our Lord will allow. Please feel better. Much blessings and love to you and yours, including the kitties. 😌🌹🙏🏽😺
Maybe it’s because I’ve always been drawn to older people (I mean, I worked exclusively with adult and geriatric patients for well over a decade), but I agree that older people have much to give. I think our society idolizes youth, not just physically, and it is easy for people who are older to feel that their value has diminished. Not so! There is so much wisdom and knowledge that you can offer as you get older. Please don’t let your age or retirement keep you from sharing your gifts, knowledge, wisdom and heart with others!
Yes to the evening walks! I have been doing the same. An additional thing that has helped my sleep has been a short early morning walk. My sleep difficulties are not due to pain and a doctor suggested a short early morning walk without sunglasses and before I apply sunscreen may help regulate my circadian rhythm. It seems to help.
I walk every day after dinner with my husband, even though I suffer from chronic pain from osteoarthritis. We average 2.8 miles per evening.
Andrew Huberman has a podcast on this.
My brother and sister in law introduced me to your online ministry. I did not realize how much of an impact that listening to you break the Bible down would have made in my life. There are many questions I never would have thought of asking and the answers have helped me with personal struggles. Thank you for what you do Pastor Mike.
I really enjoy watching you. You are so knowledgable in the Bible and you explain things so well. Thank you!
The other concern with saving for retirement is trusting in your savings rather than trusting in God for His provision. It’s important to remember where that savings came from. Trust God to provide for you, not your money. Meaning, remember that even that savings belongs to God and if He tells you to give it all away, be willing.
This reminds me, I really should be working on my
retirement plan. The other day someone told me I
was too old to even start. I said "I can buy a scratch
ticket anywhere." ICMU
But, yes, good post Brian.
Thanks for your ministry!
Praying for your sleep and back, Brother Mike!
oh Mike, we're here for you, like you're here for us, Pastor..brother.thank you for your faithfulness, and I pray our God for healing, and other blessings abound! we love you.😊🙏
Hey Mike! I was fascinated that an organization would use water for communion, so I just had to look it up. Turns out it's Mormons who do this. Thanks for all the insight into scripture. God bless!
I pictured you as 5'4" tall and 140lbs. Now I question everything.... Thanks a lot Pastor Mike!
Will continue to pray for your back pain. May God give you wisdom.
To the question of retirement saving being sinful - I believe it can become (and often becomes) sinful very easily when it is driven by fear and one effectively puts faith in savings. And that perspective is visible right in following verses of the Luke 12 (22 - 31). That IMO does not mean it is always sinful. Saving is obviously wise, but can become sin if we don't keep trusting our Father in first place.
This is a good point, but it's really only putting retirement in the same category as almost anything in life.
My wife and I are new viewers to your videos - we have so much enjoyed them. Thank you for all you are doing and we pray for complete healing for your back.
Mike, I am so grateful for your ministry. Thank you for listening to the Lord and walking in obedience. You're are an excellent example to my entire family, myself included.
This is not really advice, but encouragement to keep doing what your doing health-wise, Mike. I am still quite young, barely 20, don't really have many chronic issues, thank God. However I've been in front of a computer my whole life basically, and that has really affected my posture and, late at night, my sleep.
For the last year or so, I've been deliberately taking steps to steward this body God gave me, and not letting it go until it's too late! Since I started doing moderately intense full body workouts, my posture has improved significantly. I'm pretty much standing all day at work, and I experience less discomfort at the end of the day than I used to. Posture was not even a primary goal to my exercise, I started mainly just to be generally stronger, cuz I'm kind of a weenie, haha. But I've found that when ALL your muscles are stronger, they naturally pull your body into a better position, and the overactive ones actually settle down(similar to what you've been experiencing all ready.)
Sleep-wise, I do my best to leave all screens AT LEAST one hour before bed, and I bought a light that I can set to a dim, deep sunset red color for my room so that I can read a book without the blue light found in most lights and screens disturbing my sleep schedule.
Sounds like you've been doing a lot of similar things already, and I just want to encourage you that I'm counting on you to experience further improvement in the future! Good health isn't complicated, it just takes a little discipline.
Great Q and A. Glad you are feeling better. Continued prayers for your healing. God bless you.
been listening to you for over a month every day/ for my bedtime sermon. Thanks for making videos - Much needed for so many of us
wow! that's amazing! I think it's a great idea for people (over 60 like me) to spend time in the youth ministry! I tried taking my grandchildren to youth ministry and they forbid adults/parents/grandparents from being present. My granddaughter was shy, and when the youth leader asked me to leave, she refused to stay there alone...
Ouch. Is the church otherwise biblical? I would speak with the elders in your church.
About rights, as Americans our "rights" are biblical as governed human beings. However, as Christians, we give up interpersonal rights to be angry, be offended, or vengeance. We in turn get the right to have access to Jesus and His righteousness and everything He is. We get this by laying down our lives having been crucified with Christ. In a word, surrender. If a Christian says they have a right to be angry they are wrong unless Jesus isn't Lord of their life.
Glad your back is doing better Mike! I have back pain to, but it's a reminder everyday to take care of the body God gave me.
Mike you look healthy and I pray for your back issue. Thank you for your time and explaining how you answer these questions from a Bibical perspective.
It's great to hear that you're doing better Mike! Will keep praying for you 🙏 Thank you Lord 🙂
I love you Mike! Keep doing the good work!
That burger example is gold, I'll have to remember that.
Hey Mike, absolutely love the ministry God has given to you. Changed my life a couple of years ago. Gave me answers and a biblical perspective along with tools to help me study the Bible. I use to be a false teacher/pastor in a mega church. I have studied question 7 for a couple of years now. I come from the inside of being a part of a false church and being a false teacher. Here are some verses and thoughts to help us think biblically about how to spot a false teacher: (Warning it’s kind of long)
-Matthew 7:15-20 ESV “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their FRUITS. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
-In Galatians 5:22-23 Paul describes the fruit of the Spirit. If someone is living a life that is contrary to these fruits than we can mark and avoid them as a false teacher. And if someone is teaching disciples to go in a way that leads them to live a life contrary to the fruit of the Spirit we should mark and avoid them.
-Example: “But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some.”
-2 Timothy 2:16-18 ESV
-Matthew 7:21-23ESV “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
-So even the false teacher/false prophets are doing these mighty works in Jesus Christ Name. They aren’t even denying him in words or in ministry work, but they are denying Him in Deeds. They are workers of lawlessness which Jesus will describe in the next part of this chapter.
-Matthew 7:24-27 ESV “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.””
-This reminds me of what James says when he’s describing False Faith.
-James 2:14-16 “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?”
(This is kind of what going to a false teacher/church is like, they tell you all these encouraging good things about this life here and now, but don’t meet the needs of any noticeably poor Christians in their community, but will reserve seats and give special treatment to rich famous people. At least in my personal experience)
-James 2:17-19 “So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe-and shudder!”
-You can have right theological statements about God just like the demons do, but it doesn’t mean you have or preach real faith. Most pastors have the correct statement of faith on their websites but it doesn’t mean they preach the gospel correctly. Their practice of faith can be false even with a correct statement of faith.
-James 2:20-26 “Do you want to be shown, you foolish person, that faith apart from works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up his son Isaac on the altar? You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works; and the Scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”-and he was called a friend of God. You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so also faith apart from works is dead.”
I could be off in this area, but this is what came to mind after hearing question 7.
Thank you Mike, and God bless you. I really appreciated your answer about penal substitution.
Also, I feel for you with your sleep issues. I have always been a light sleeper, and have struggled for a good schedule since I broke my arm nearly two years ago.
About baptism location, as accounted in Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch asked Philip to baptize him in a ditch or pool or stream by the road they were traveling on. Yes, if there is a special place, like the river your grandmother was baptized in, the church where you first heard the gospel, or even the Jordan River, if you believe, be baptized there. Just don't make it such a requirement that it causes you to put it off. As the Ethiopian said, "“See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” Acts 8:36
Physical and emotional pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice and sin. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
@@robertdouglas8895 2 Corinthians 1:3-7 comes to mind.
Paul often expounded upon the suffering he experienced as a virtue. If you believe the same, so will you. I don't have that need. My need is to forgive everyone I have grudges against. I know that works to end my guilt, fear, anger and self-sacrifice.
@@robertdouglas8895 Forgiveness is hard sometimes. I have been there, and had to pray, "And help me to forgive those who trespass against me." Oh, to be one who is slow to anger or take offense and quick to forgive. God knows our heart and if the desire to forgive is there, he is faithful to help us get all the way through it.
Bless you, brother.
@@Bigfoottehchipmunk That's right. We are so focused on projecting out our errors with blame that we need Spirit to show us what we have been ignoring.
Mike, so glad I stumbled across your UA-cam channel. It has become a regular source for me to many biblical questions that I’ve sought answers for, for years and never had answered.
I introduced my wife to you and now she listens too.
I admire your biblical knowledge, your willingness to study the Bible diligently and to impart that knowledge in a very relatable and non condescending fashion. In fact, your humbleness and your ability to admit when you are unsure about a particular answer are some of your best qualities. That and your sense of humor. You seem like the kind of guy I’d love to share a meal with.
God Bless you and keep up the good work. I will be praying for you as the Lord places you on my heart.
Thanks to God,!!!Makie, you are on the right path bout your health. You are a good example for others! Blessing for complete healing!!!
@SarahW on fantasy: I had a very similar question about the magic-based systems of fantasy (Harry Potter and Brandon Sanderson) so was thrilled to hear a similar question asked and answered. I loved having Mike's wisdom in this area.
I personally have given up Game of Thrones, not for the magic or religious systems but for the celebration of debauchery in perhaps what has been the most graphic sexual and violent content ever aired in mainstream television. Much of GoT's religions appeared to be making fun of Christianity, in my opinion, but that was a lesser concern than the constant overt sex.
Im glad to see your comment! Ive been uncertain about this for a while, I used to love fantasy but now mostly steer clear from it at least until Im certain about what’s acceptable and whats not. I totally agree about the GoT TV series, I started reading the books before I was saved, took a pause once I was saved and never continued reading it, I honestly don’t remember if the books were as blatantly depraved as the show. I was hoping to get insight if, hypothetically, the books were cleaner, if it would be unfit for a christian to read about how so-and-so prays to this pagan god and so-and-so worships this made up god. But I think so far my view is not necessarily whether something is “imitatable” or not, but whether it is putting into peoples minds the idea of other gods existing, desensitizing both christians and non-christians to it, portraying it as something cool or admirable- I dont want to show the world that I condone the worship of false gods, you know what I mean? Mike’s view on this is interesting though! I just wish he got more into it haha
@@sarahw4956 I almost wonder if Mike wasn't speaking more to the magic systems than the religious systems in his answer regarding imitation. We aren't going to go out and ride dragons or become wolves, for instance, although Nebuchadnezer believed he was a cow. But he may have been speaking to both. We aren't likely to start following these fantasy gods.
The ASoIaF (GoT) books didn't have a visual element to them and not quite as much sex as the show, but there was still a tremendous amount of graphic sex and violence, more than anything I've ever read.
Tolkien and CS Lewis are about the only noteworthy Christian fantasy writers. My favorite fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson is Mormon, but I just treat how he deals with the soul and gods as fiction. I love Sanderson because he keeps it clean and because he does such a phenomenal job of building the story so that there are massive payoffs.
Robin Hobb, Patrick Rothfuss, and some YA fantasy authors like Tamora Pierce, Pierce Brown, and Jeanne DuPrau are authors I'd recommend that are pretty clean.
I've always been a Christian, just not a very good one! I started my journey to getting right with God about 4 years ago. I am thrilled about what Mike said about magic systems, which means I can keep up with Sanderson without feeling guilty, but I will probably also try to minimize my time in worldly literature and television. I want my daily focus to be not on the things of this world or even the things of madeup worlds but the things of His kingdom.
God bless you, Sarah! I hope and pray that your journey brings you closer to God.
Love your ministry. Thank you. Hope you will receive a miracle from God and He takes your pain away.
Based on the thumbnail my first thought is about how we are called to care for widows and children but to prioritize older widows before young widows in the epistles and the many recommendations to work if people are able, to be generous to fellow Christians but to not take advantage of those who accept traveling Christian’s in their home as a Christian, so this indicates to me that the intent and motivation of working people thinking of retirement should be to work and save as much as they can so they can support themselves and not burden others provided they are physically and mentally able to do so, even in excess and to be free and generous with using the riches they have stored to edify the church, their family, etc in a reasonable manner that balances frugalnesses and generosity. Not so generous one ends up being a burden on others but not being so frugal that you don’t help out people you could easily or with experiencing a tiny amount of discomfort.
Had no idea there was someone else out there with a similar back pain situation as me. Though the cause of mine is (mostly) known, I've ran the gambit over the past 20 years of treatments and drugs and as with you, nothing has made a difference, yet I'm always having people, I'm sure well-intentioned, constantly giving me advice on the thing to try that will "surely help". Nothing helps. I've pretty much given up and am slowly getting more and more worried that soon I won't be able to even do the work or activities I'm still able to. My fiance can't work as she has worse medical issues than I do that still remain undiagnosed, so I'm very concerned if I'll be able to continue to provide for us. I pray for healing for both of us but it never comes. Just felt like I'd share this as I feel a kindredness with you over it. God bless and praise the LORD you are getting some relief!
Hey bro Mike,
You are a mouthpiece to the wisdom of God. I am 37 and stuck with my responsibilities. Always thought of serving the Lord in greater ways but sometimes missed, sometimes too stuck or may be it was not my time. But its like you spoke my heart out. I will wait to stand guard to be of service one day for sure. I am preparing for that day and I believe the Lord's with me. Dios te bendiga!
Your answer on #11 was insightful and beautiful. Gave me a fuller understanding and appreciation of Jesus’ forgiveness. Thank you. 🙏
Glad to hear your health has improved. After a stroke in 2018 I too began to look at my food nutrition choices and eat 98% whole food. A dessert or treat is for a time of significance . Fixing the cell to get well, reduce chronic inflammation and live my God numbered days to live my healthiest seeking his will for my life. I believe your health journey and how open you are about it is another way you demonstrate the grace of and hope in the Lord.
I have been pondering the retirement question for awhile and so to see this in my feed is a blessing! Thank you for helping me see this biblically.
Thank you for your ministry Mike, I cannot begin to say how much I’ve learnt and how thankful I am to you and the Lord for it.
I’ve been praying that the Lord keeps giving you the wisdom to bless us and now I’ll add your health to my prayers.
I’ve been fighting chronic pain for years now myself and I’ve found no cure or explanation for it so far. It gets very dark and discouraging at times, but take heart, the Lord is with you. He knows best what we need and won’t allow us to fall.
May the Lord bless you, your family and the whole Bible Thinker team immensely.
Thanks again and see you in your next video.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
🙏 🙏 🙏 I suffer from chronic pain, too. I have osteoarthritis, & there is no cure for it. I will keep you in my prayers.
Where are you experiencing pain? I had a back injury for 3 years and visited physical therapists and doctor who never understood what the problem was and none of their suggestions ever helps. Out of desperation I visited an OSTEOPATH and I told him my story and within 5 minutes he pinpointed the problems with my back and fixed them - I found out one of my lumbar vertebrae was rotated! He gave me a few exercises to do at home to get things to settle, and after about 5-7 days, all the pain and discomfort I experienced for 3 years was gone.
If I were you I would check out an osteopath as you have a structural problem that no amount of physical therapy would identify or fix. Unlike other types of treatments, these osteopaths don’t just give suggestions to manage your pain, they find the cause of the pain and really fix it.
@@RUT812 Thank you, I pray the Lord gives you strength🙏
@@Anteater23 I've been diagnosed with Myofascial pain syndrome (not sure it´s the right diagnosis) - I have pain mainly in my jaw area, face muscles (severe bruxism that I haven't been able to reduce despipte trying different options), neck and shoulders.. but I also have it in my legs and feet quite often. Pain is constant and if I don´t take painkillers regularly I get severe headaches.
Anyway.. thanks for sharing, I´ll look into it -who knows, maybe there's something in it for me as well. Thanks and stay strong! God bless you🙏
Really happy to hear about your health update, Mike! We'll continue keeping you in our prayers and God willing your health will be fully restored. God Bless!
Physical and emotional pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice. and sin. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Someone somewhere needed to hear about great distress. And like Abimolech, Gods will directed circumstances and had you speak to them in that need.
God bless you for this online ministry, you’ve made my Christian walk much better.
Figuring out that message in the names was time well spent! I could do Bible study for days! It was the craziest thing, That just made my whole week! You have no idea how pumped I am from that little adventure. I love it! My grandma has been studding the Bible her whole life and I don't think she knew that, so I called her right away to tell her all about it! lol
#8 is such an interesting question...something I've been thinking about a lot lately. Especially with regards to Dark Souls, one of my favorite games and fictional worlds. For me, a fictional cosmology can prompt useful questions about real cosmology. A world like that of Dark Souls which is cursed and doomed but doesn't appear to have any true mechanism of salvation presents a really interesting contrast to the gospel...like thank God our world has a savior, otherwise how bleak would it be? Dark Souls is a good example of the kind of hellscape you might experience in a universe without a good sovereign God. I might even go so far as to say exploring some of these themes and concepts has deepened my appreciation for God. Is that pagan? Is it idolatry? For me I think the answer is solidly no, but I couldn't say it would affect everyone the same. For others it might entice them to embrace pagan or Eastern spiritual philosophy. I doubt there's a clear answer.
Hi thanks for your comment on my question! This is an interesting insight! I guess my understanding on this is, Is it right for us to derive entertainment from, or even expose ourselves to, these dark themes, or a world without God/ a world with a pagan god. Everything we see and watch, read, or consider and think about, really impacts the way we think, what we dream about, and what we are desensitized to vs what we are sensitive to. This verse comes to mind,
“Abstain from every form of evil.”
1 Thessalonians 5:22 ESV
“You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he? “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up.”
1 Corinthians 10:21-23 ESV
I dont think it is really right to purposefully entertain ourselves with a fantasy world explicitly without God, or with extreme darkness. But it is great how Dark Souls helped you to appreciate the awesome goodness of God. My only question is do you still continue to play it? If you do, why spend your free time in such a dark world? Our time is so precious! It reminds me of this verse:
“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”
Romans 6:1 ESV
What I mean with this verse is not that playing this game is objectively a sin or not, but, just as our sin may glorify Gods grace- this game might glorify Gods goodness as well, but that doesn’t mean we should spend time in it. The good things God has provided for us to spend time in, as well as the good works He has prepared for us, glorifies God even more.
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.”
Philippians 4:8 ESV
“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Colossians 3:2 ESV
In my honest opinion, I think exposing ourselves to, and entertaining ourselves with, truly good and pure things, is so much better than the alternative- I think it glorifies God even more, and it helps us to get even closer and appreciate His goodness. But, also, just so you know, I have never played Dark souls, so i don’t really know how dark it is exactly, If you think it is acceptable and even beneficial then that is good. I would say just think about it more and exercise discernment! just my thoughts and opinions, i hope you consider them!
@@sarahw4956 Hello! I’m glad you asked this. This’ll be an insanely long winded essay… Never really got to put my thoughts about this into words before, I want to for myself atleast. Consider this a diary entry. Skip to the last paragraph for my main point if you don’t want to hear me ramble!
As someone who’s intensely familiar with these games I’d like to give my take on why I believe they are healthier forms of entertainment than most books movies tv and other games despite their dark themes and focus on combat. For me, at least, because I don’t think anyone can properly appreciate any form of art or story without knowledge of Christ.
For context: Dark Souls is a game produced by the Japanese game development company FromSoftware. Demons Souls, Dark Souls 1-3, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring are all different but mechanically and thematically similar games produced by them. Commonly regarded as the best games ever produced.
Way more context: They are characterized by their exceptionally challenging but fair and high user-control combat and worlds-end apocalyptic scenarios, a kind of infection corrupting the fabric of reality brought on by the inherent corruption of the powers that be (false gods, cosmic entities, unseen forces). You play as a nobody with the impossible task of slaying all kinds of crazy looking monsters, giant behemoths, weird insects and vermin, undefeated warriors, madmen and lovecraftian.. things, all so you can work your way to face the crux of what’s causing the world to fall apart at the seams. Only you, a nobody, can grasp the reigns and decide the fate of the world because the powers which were guiding it before were always incompetent, part of the system which caused this total eruption. Most games have you resolving problems and your goal is to save the world. In these games your goal is usually to put an end to it. There is nothing to save, your work is thankless, all you can do is tear away the power from what held it before and allow the world to pass away so that it might regenerate into something new in the ages to come.
First of all, the games themselves are about exploring and combat. You are in the ruins of a world which reached a pinnacle of human achievement. Towers tower atop towers, and even more towers, incredible architecture and structures which seem impossible. Despite the state of the world it inspires more beauty and artistry than most pieces of visual media that try to be nice and pretty. I have endless appreciation for the director Hidetaka Miyazaki and the art designers of FromSoftware, as images of God they are reflecting that through art. The musical scores are profound. It might seem strange for me to say this knowing the themes are “dark” are but I’ll explain more later.
Secondly, the combat. You use weaponry, spells and incantations to attack, and your only method of defense is to dodge and heal at the right time. I cannot explain to you how rewarding this is compared to other games which hold your hand and offer all kinds of advantages to make your work easier. All you can do is face your opponent in a duel. To lead into my last point, even though the only thing you can really do in these games is kill and die, the fighting is not overly dramatized to glorify what you’re doing. There are so many games out there, like skyrim, you’ll press the attack button behind someone and then you get to watch a weird animation of you cutting off a guys head… because that’s supposed to be cool? It’s not, that’s just gross and boring. In these games a stick person can kill you easily, you just try to end their life quickly, no weird animations glorifying violence, basically everything is a mercy kill and self defense. No random murder.
Last point, bringing it all together. PARADOXICAL is the word I would use to describe what makes these games a fantastic example of media christians can learn from. Yes, these games are “dark”, but they are dark in a way which is completely sober and does not champion that darkness whatsoever. In a way they reflect our world except nothing bad is disguised by beauty, as it is in our world. Essence is reflected by appearance. Although the games are awe inspiring they do not glorify evil. Although it can be scary it pushes you to make the world fear you. On Earth there is child sacrifice, gore, satanic spiritualism, all kinds of terrible horrors, and we should not shy away from facing these things. We must shed light on it and destroy it to the best of our ability. So, in essence, Dark Souls is the story of a random nameless person who finds themselves in a world of horror and intense beauty, a world which is obscure, unfathomable and leaves you with more questions than answers, all you can do is press through it, and along your journey you discover what it means to overcome, psychologically at least. Perhaps if you played it you’d totally disagree with me, but I am someone who used to be atheist, used to be extremely depressed and self destructive. I would not trade that experience for growing up in a christian household because God allowed me to go through that so I would discover and know Him in a way many people don’t get to. I was tempted directly by Satan, but once I understood that evil was very real, so too must be good. There is a reason we’re here suffering the consequences of evil and not just perfect in heaven from the beginning. Similarly, these games show us that all the power in the world is a garbage illusion if it’s not in the hands of the one and true God of love. I’ve just written an essay explaining what Monthc summed up in a sentence, “Dark Souls is a good example of the kind of hellscape you might experience in a universe without a good and sovereign God”. The game is so self aware, it knows this is true and portrays it properly. So, I totally get what you meant by asking this question, and I can say for sure that Dark Souls is one of the only fantasy stories I know of which does not explicitly glorify paganism, sorcery or godlessness, it definitely utilizes it and puts it on display, but it doesn’t portray it as a cool/good thing. It doesn’t push any kind of ideology or philosophy. If you go into it armed with the knowledge of Christ it can teach you so much about the nature of our own world.
If you read all this… thanks lol. I had fun writing.
I agree with you Mike it’s so annoying when everybody tries to give medical advise....but I think you should go to a Quiropractor, that will fix your sleep your back, EVERYTHING
I needed question 18. Been struggling with this question for a while. Much needed analysis. Thank you God for my marriage
One thing that's been helping me lately with my health/pain is going to the gym and working out every single muscle group, e.g. abs, hip flexors, knee extensors, dorsiflexors, plantarflexors, knee flexors, hip extensors, upper and lower back, neck muscles, internal and external leg rotators, internal and external hip rotators, hip adductors and abductors, biceps and triceps, both sides of the forearms, shoulder muscles, scapula stabilizers, etc, etc.
You don't realize how weak some of these muscles get especially when you sit all the time. Especially muscles like the glutes, psoas, upper back and neck. Not to mention sitting all the time causes your hip flexors and knee extensors to get chronically tight, especially the TFLs and hamstrings. Releasing the tension in those muscles will make you feel a million times better. Also, when it comes to sleep if muscular tightness exaggerates anterior pelvic tilt then you can develop pressure points when sleeping on your back which compresses nerves and makes you wake up feeling groggy in the morning.
So yeah, highly recommend studying some anatomy and working on your physical health. It will make all the difference.
Physical and emotional pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice and sin. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
Thank you for your ministry and the way you challenge the listener to really think about things. I have a chronic pain condition so I can relate to some degree on what you go through. Anyway, we'll be praying for you Mike. God bless!
Bible = truth
I’m praying for you Pastor Mike. I’m so sorry you have to experience chronic pain. I don’t know if you have been checked for any autoimmune diseases or inflammatory disorders because some can cause back pain. If not it maybe helpful to look into with your doctor or seeing if you could be referred to a rheumatologist. Thank your for all that you do!
Pain and disease are self-sacrifice. When people believe that Jesus suffered pain to alleviate their sins, then they will do the same to follow in the Way. Even if they don't believe in Christ, they do the same thing because they believe in sacrifice. Jesus gave us the way out of this. Matt 12.7 If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.
I suffer from chronic pain, but I don’t have an autoimmune disease. I have osteoarthritis in my lower spine, legs, knees & feet. I have sought medical help & now have the proper diagnosis & medication to manage the pain. It’s not right for us to think we know why someone has chronic pain, as there are several things that can cause it.
@@RUT812 I don’t think I know why, or are assuming that I do. I was just asking in case an autoimmune disorder hasn’t been looked into because there are several that can cause back pain and you don’t have to look sickly to have an autoimmune disorder. It was a thought because it could be beneficial for someone suffering in pain if it has not been checked. It was only a thought coming from a place of wanting to help, not assume I have know the reason. I just wanted to help in case that avenue had not been taken because often times they get over looked.
God bless and keep you Mike Winger and God bless the work you do till HE comes .
Gilly wife of Mark in Norfolk UK
I have trouble sleeping and I find that if I put on headband earphones and play a Mike Winger video that puts me to sleep quickly.
The power of flesh and blood keeps you without knowing who you are.
So glad to hear that you are taking care of your heath. I heard you talk before one time about cutting out sugar and that you do not really beleave in that. I encourage you to try it out. Not to do it permanently, but to kind of reset your body. It had done that for me. Also look into inflamation related to eating sugar. It can really really cure alot. And above all this, we will keep praying for you.
The former campus director guy at our college ministry still hangs around, and even just his presence and company is so cherished by any student member I've ever talked to. Plus, we all know he was there in the crowd at Christ's crucifixion, so he's full of great advice! 😅
Mike I have degenerative disk disease in my neck. I am at a level 6-7 everyday all day. I will not take pain meds and I have tried 7 different things including acupuncture and physical therapy. Nothing helps. My treatment is I push myself to complete exhaustion and it allows me to sleep in 3 hour blocks before the pain wakes me. I sleep 6-7 hours a day. I am 57. God bless you and may you find felief.
During the Colonial era, "Pursuit of Happiness" meant possessions. John Locke wrote about it in his "Second Treatise Concerning Civil Government" where he went on about how a government is morally obliged to serve the people. He ties this into Natural Law, namely the tradition going back to the Old Testament where rulers cannot legitimately do anything they wished because all men are under God's sovereignty (remember that David, Israel's greatest king before Christ, was a common shepherd and as the events concerning Bathsheba show, liable under the Law for his actions). Locke wrote, "Reason, which is that Law, teaches all Mankind, who would but consult it, that being all equal and independent, no one ought to harm another in his Life, Health, Liberty, or Possessions." Furthermore, Locke wrote, "Every Man has a Property in his own Person. This no Body has any Right to but himself. The Labour of his Body, and the Work of his Hands, we may say, are properly his...The great and chief end therefore, of Mens {sic} uniting into Commonwealths, and putting themselves under Government, is the Preservation of their Property." Locke of course inspired Jefferson, Madison, Paine, and others during the foundation of the United States of America.
The second amendment: in English common law dating back to Anglo-Saxon times, it was the responsibility of all free men to serve as needed in the militia, and to such responsibility must keep and bear arms as required under law. This was done in service of their lord, who in turn gave that service to their king. This was to ensure that the king, who represented the nation, could defend that nation against invasion. Of course as the centuries went by, the English kings were unwilling just to stop at preventing invasion, but the original reason remained the same. During the foundation of this country, it was contrived that the state (being the body politic of the People of the United States of America) replaces a king or hereditary lord. It was also abhorrent to the Founding Fathers that we would have a standing army, as the British had kept a standing army quartered in private homes, eating out the colonists' sustenance and acting evilly toward the womenfolk. It was the intention of the Framers to rely on the militia to stand against invasion until such time as an army could be raised and paid for by Congress (which is why Congress has the authority to declare War, not the President). As far as type of arms, it was essential that any arms owned by each free man should be the greater or equal of those whom they might face on the battlefield. During the American Revolution, the militia often used the Pennsylvania Rifle, which was a superior weapon as compared to the British Brown Bess musket. In modern times, this would mean that if we might face an enemy carrying modern military weapons, then we would need the same or better. There are some who will think that this is an obsolete idea, that we have an army and police, yet it was the very fact that there was a "rifle behind every tree" that kept the Japanese forces during WWII from attacking California. The police are not equipped to stave off an invasion and our army, which is deployed in numerous places across the planet, is even now undermanned compared to DOD requirements. If an invasion were to occur, our army would be hard pressed to man the borders of our country such to repel those invaders, but a well regulated (meaning well armed and trained) militia consisting of every man ages 17 to 45 (as called out in the Militia Act of 1792) would certainly be large enough to do so. The fact that our nation has allowed the militia to devolve into what it is now is not the fault of the Framers, but the fault of our current failure in our responsibility as free men.
Another good example regarding payment for sin before the sin; when I was driving truck years ago I stopped at a truck stop and got a coffee. When I went to the cashier, he said it was already paid for because earlier in the day a man came and gave them $100 saying to use it to pay for any truck driver's coffee.
Glad to hear you’re doing better, Mike! Keep up that walking and exercise!
Mike you are so encouraging thank you for not having sponsors lmao no ads at all 💜
1:00:15 I like this idea on how we can resolve the will of God vs our freedom of choice