Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 – Intro
1. 0:14 {Bookshelf Tour!} When can we get a bookshelf tour?
2. 11:48 {Should Churches Keep Records of Giving?} My church requires all employees to give to the church (in general; any amount is fine). They pulled me aside to ask why I haven’t been giving, and when I told them I was, but that I felt better giving anonymously in the offering plate rather than having a record attached to my name, they told me it needed to be tracked. Am I wrong for feeling weird about this, or are they?
3. 17:49 {Is Absolution or Absolving of Sins Biblical?} Does John 20: 23 and Matthew 6: 14 indicate that absolution (the act of forgiving someone for having done something wrong or sinful) is biblical?
4. 23:52 {New Names in Heaven?} Do you have any insight about Revelation 2: 17, specifically about the implication of new names in Heaven?
5. 29:07 {Is Changing our Appearance Sinful?} Would changing our appearance in any way be a sin since God has created us in His image? For example, if we wear makeup, is that covering our natural beauty? And if we shave our body, is that destroying the beauty God has given us?
6. 33:53 {Am I Obedient Enough? Repentant Enough?} I have recently been worrying a lot about whether I am obedient enough, repentant enough, or believing enough to be a real Christian. How can I biblically deal with this struggle?
7. 39:55 {Why Does Jesus Conceal the Meaning of Things?} In Luke 9: 44-45, why would Jesus tell His disciples this, only to have the meaning concealed? Why tell them if it wasn’t meant for them to understand?
8. 43:52 {Raising Dead & Healing for Today?} Raising the Dead: Should we practice Matthew 10:8 today, or has the command to heal, cast out demons, and raise the dead ceased?
9. 47:53 {Why is Abraham Commended for being with Hagar?} Why is Abraham commended for his faith when he tries to conceive a son through his slave, Hagar? Isn’t that an indication that he had a moment where he lacked faith?
10. 50:24 {Can the Deceased Hear/See Us?} Do you think that dead people can hear us and see what’s happening in our world?
11. 55:40 {Discerning God’s Voice} How can I tell when the Holy Spirit is talking to me? Ever since hearing a sermon about a pastor’s conviction to spend more time with God, I think I’m hearing God ask for more time when I close my Bible.
12. 59:56 {Encouragement amid Infertility} My husband and I have struggled to have a baby, and I have had Psalm 127:3 on my mind. It makes me feel like there is something I need to do, and a lack of faith. What is the context of the “reward”?
13. 1:04:18 {Why Can I Be Saved, But Not Judas?} Heartbreakingly, I have betrayed Christ for things worth far less than 30 pieces of silver. What is fundamentally different between Judas and me? Why can I still be saved, but he couldn’t?
14. 1:06:36 {Who are the Called According to His Purpose?} Given the way Romans 8: 28 is worded, I am wondering: are all people called according to His purpose, or only those of us who love Him?
15. 1:09:27 {Hot? Cold? Lukewarm?} What does Jesus mean in Revelation 3: 16 when He says it’s better to be hot or cold than lukewarm?
16. 1:13:50 {Could Cain Still Be Alive?} How do you feel about the Bible conspiracy that Cain is still alive somehow and is wandering the Earth to this day?
17. 1:15:20 {Witnessing to Stubborn Family Members} Does “shaking the dust off your feet” (Matthew 10: 14) ever apply to family? Or are we to always endure in witnessing to family, despite continual rejection?
18. 1:18:15 {Was Jesus’ Analogy Flawed?} Someone’s response to Matthew 5: 13 was “How can salt lose its saltiness? If it wasn’t salty, it wouldn’t be salt.” I understand what Jesus is saying here, but does this mean Jesus’ analogy was flawed?
19. 1:20:43 {Principles for Offering Advice to Others} What are some good steps to giving advice to fellow Christians without coming across as condescending and patronizing?
20. 1:24:06 {How Could Jesus Have Been Tempted?} How can we reconcile James 1 which says God cannot be tempted with evil with the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4?
My video on predestination, election, foreknowledge, etc. in Romans 8:28-29 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UO92L11L9jc
My video on how Jesus could be tempted by Satan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ckvqgPbNZE
source
Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 – Intro
1. 0:14 {Bookshelf Tour!} When can we get a bookshelf tour?
2. 11:48 {Should Churches Keep Records of Giving?} My church requires all employees to give to the church (in general; any amount is fine). They pulled me aside to ask why I haven’t been giving, and when I told them I was, but that I felt better giving anonymously in the offering plate rather than having a record attached to my name, they told me it needed to be tracked. Am I wrong for feeling weird about this, or are they?
3. 17:49 {Is Absolution or Absolving of Sins Biblical?} Does John 20: 23 and Matthew 6: 14 indicate that absolution (the act of forgiving someone for having done something wrong or sinful) is biblical?
4. 23:52 {New Names in Heaven?} Do you have any insight about Revelation 2: 17, specifically about the implication of new names in Heaven?
5. 29:07 {Is Changing our Appearance Sinful?} Would changing our appearance in any way be a sin since God has created us in His image? For example, if we wear makeup, is that covering our natural beauty? And if we shave our body, is that destroying the beauty God has given us?
6. 33:53 {Am I Obedient Enough? Repentant Enough?} I have recently been worrying a lot about whether I am obedient enough, repentant enough, or believing enough to be a real Christian. How can I biblically deal with this struggle?
7. 39:55 {Why Does Jesus Conceal the Meaning of Things?} In Luke 9: 44-45, why would Jesus tell His disciples this, only to have the meaning concealed? Why tell them if it wasn’t meant for them to understand?
8. 43:52 {Raising Dead & Healing for Today?} Raising the Dead: Should we practice Matthew 10:8 today, or has the command to heal, cast out demons, and raise the dead ceased?
9. 47:53 {Why is Abraham Commended for being with Hagar?} Why is Abraham commended for his faith when he tries to conceive a son through his slave, Hagar? Isn't that an indication that he had a moment where he lacked faith?
10. 50:24 {Can the Deceased Hear/See Us?} Do you think that dead people can hear us and see what’s happening in our world?
11. 55:40 {Discerning God’s Voice} How can I tell when the Holy Spirit is talking to me? Ever since hearing a sermon about a pastor's conviction to spend more time with God, I think I’m hearing God ask for more time when I close my Bible.
12. 59:56 {Encouragement amid Infertility} My husband and I have struggled to have a baby, and I have had Psalm 127:3 on my mind. It makes me feel like there is something I need to do, and a lack of faith. What is the context of the “reward”?
13. 1:04:18 {Why Can I Be Saved, But Not Judas?} Heartbreakingly, I have betrayed Christ for things worth far less than 30 pieces of silver. What is fundamentally different between Judas and me? Why can I still be saved, but he couldn’t?
14. 1:06:36 {Who are the Called According to His Purpose?} Given the way Romans 8: 28 is worded, I am wondering: are all people called according to His purpose, or only those of us who love Him?
15. 1:09:27 {Hot? Cold? Lukewarm?} What does Jesus mean in Revelation 3: 16 when He says it’s better to be hot or cold than lukewarm?
16. 1:13:50 {Could Cain Still Be Alive?} How do you feel about the Bible conspiracy that Cain is still alive somehow and is wandering the Earth to this day?
17. 1:15:20 {Witnessing to Stubborn Family Members} Does “shaking the dust off your feet” (Matthew 10: 14) ever apply to family? Or are we to always endure in witnessing to family, despite continual rejection?
18. 1:18:15 {Was Jesus’ Analogy Flawed?} Someone's response to Matthew 5: 13 was “How can salt lose its saltiness? If it wasn’t salty, it wouldn't be salt.” I understand what Jesus is saying here, but does this mean Jesus’ analogy was flawed?
19. 1:20:43 {Principles for Offering Advice to Others} What are some good steps to giving advice to fellow Christians without coming across as condescending and patronizing?
20. 1:24:06 {How Could Jesus Have Been Tempted?} How can we reconcile James 1 which says God cannot be tempted with evil with the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4?
I often wonder if adding chapters and verse notes was a good thing. While it helps us find things it also makes it much easier to take things out of context because you can just refer to a specific verse instead of a passage of scripture.
Do you just like, trim your beard and cut your hair before every video? Because it seems like it’s exactly the same length for years now. It hasn’t grown or been cut shorter even a little bit. It seems that your going for the “aloof, slightly messy and unshaven” look but the evidence points to you being absolutely meticulous about your grooming.
I’m going to submit this question for your next live steam. I need answers.
There's quite a difference between shaving and putting on make up. The former is exposing something that you naturally have, while the latter is covering that up and showing off something that is fundamentally fake. Nothing about make up is sincere, either you wear it to trick others into thinking you're better looking than you actually are; or, you wear it to trick yourself in an attempt to boost your confidence. Confidence based on something that's not real is just self deception. Make up is never praised in Bible as far as I know. Comparing perfume to make up is also not apt, as the typical cause of body odor is not the body itself, but the accumulation of spent bodily fluid on the skin combined with bacteria and other stuff, all of which (in this context) I would argue are something naturally external to the body, and therefore not naturally a part of it. When you shower, you get rid of something that is not actually a living part of your body, but dead cells and other aforementioned stuff. Showering exposes the truth underneath. Perfume attempts to counteract the unpleasant results of external things covering up the truth. Of course, proper hygiene is always preferable to perfume. In the past, however, people didn't always have access to enough clean water and soap to clean themselves. Perfume was an attempt to neutralize the unpleasant smells that as I have argued, are not naturally part of the body. Thus, the motivation for wearing perfume was more out of consideration for other people than oneself. Nevertheless, I would argue that today, some perfume wearing enters the whole dishonest make up sphere.
I can't believe I got to hear Mike Winger say my name! I'm honored and humbled. But if I can get excited about one of my favorite teachers saying my name, and answering one of my questions- how much greater is it that Jesus knows me and has called me by name 🙂
Hey Pastor Mike, I’ve noticed that your videos are harder to find lately. Your recent QnA’s are not showing up on your page for some reason. I can only access them through my notifications. Just though I’d let you know incase it’s a YouTube problem.
(the act of forgiving someone for having done something wrong or sinful) is biblical?
Mike says that believing in Jesus is forgiveness, but getting absolution from a priest is not. It doesn't work either way. You forgive by realizing that someone never did anything to hurt you, that you got the experience you needed at that time and asked for it and received it. Mike has clearly never been in a situation where he had to do the forgiving in order to find peace in his life. That comes through asking God to help you, not by finding verses in the Bible and Catholic practices.
We must be inspired to give by the Holy Spirit NOT by others. Biblical Obedience to honor God in all areas can not be legislated by church leadership but should be taught in order to make Biblical disciples.
I believe the rule about not shaving your sideburns was given because that was the Egyptian style, and the Israelites probably had the Sam style. Therefore, in order to look different from the Egyptians, God gave them this instruction.
Thanks Mike, you saved the best for last ( of the year ) and knocked it out of the park. You touched on several subjects I've been studying. I appreciate your ministry. Awesome job!
I recently spoke with a J. W. at my door, and when he couldn’t answer me anymore, he said he was shaking the dust off his feet on my stoop.
Okay. I gotta ask. What is that rattling sound in the background? I especially notice when he's quiet.
I am here for the bookshelf tour!!
And you mentioned Hebrews?! Is that going to be on your Youtube channel? Off and on I have been trying to learn more about Hebrews
I'm just starting building a personal library, and it's easy to get overwhelmed. My fear is becoming a book hoarder.
“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.””
Matthew 20:28 NLT
Follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ. Let us not see others as people to serve us but see ourselves as people to serve others. There is no greater story than the story of God coming to earth to be beaten and killed in a horrible way though He did not deserve it but because we did. And then rising on the third day out of the grave and bringing salvation from sins to the whole earth. And why did Jesus do this? Because He loves us so greatly. His love surpasses understanding. Let us also live generously as Jesus did when He gave His life for us. Continue to live in thankfulness and being reminded of all He has done for us, is doing, and will do. Hopefully this helped and blessed you today. God bless you!
You never come across as patronising or condescending and that why I love to listen to you just seem to keep it real thank you for that ❤️🏴
To piggyback off question #2, about churches keeping track of giving, is it okay to use your financial giving (in church and elsewhere) as tax deductions? If so, that would require that there must be records of your giving. Just wondering…
Nice crocodile dundee shirt
I went to a church and went to a class to be a member. They said that they wanted to see my paystubs, to make sure I was giving my 10%. They made it clear that if I wasn’t giving 10% I’d be hearing from them. That was the last time I set foot in the door.
Be ye followers of Paul!
I take it you have purged your apologetics section of ravi zacharias books? If so why? If you can live with young earth vs old earth books side by side (law of noncontradiction kicks in here, as RV would have pointed out) surely you can keep them on your bookshelves.
As someone who was raised JW and spent hundreds of hours as a child going door to door with my mother and grandmother (fathers side) I never "shook the dust off my feet" lol I think when someone rejected us we would just mark their house as a no go home and move on down the road. Of course when people bring shotguns to your face on their doorstep, you don't exactly wanna stick around to brush your shoes on the "welcome" mat.
I also believe that we have a human spirit that animals don’t have. That can be connected with God in a special way. I actually think that God’s plan is directly related with our spirit being indwelled with His Spirit. Not the main point here, but… well.
I recently was tasked with organizing and re-shelving our pastor’s books and it was quite an undertaking. 😅 I spent weeks going anytime I had a spare few hours to work on it. I definitely walked away with a much deeper appreciation for how well studied and thoughtful he is about not only what he teaches & preaches on Sunday but also why our church functions so well overall. There were shelves upon shelves of books on leadership & church life. Plus of course rows and rows of commentaries and books so old they’re probably no longer in print.
Hmmm… didn't see this video on mikes site. Mistake or by design.
I enjoy bookshelf tours. One thing I learned from Paul Washer is that it's all so individual. But ya kindle.
My wife consumes books like breathing air…I have never been ‘a reader’, I wish I had that ‘gene’ Lol, but I’m a ‘hands on’ technical guy that enjoys learning by doing, working with my hands, and visual learning. And, actual reading makes my very sleepy. I get somewhat envious and a bit self-deprecating when I see people with these large book libraries.
Some really relevant questions pertaining to my life in this episode🙏
Loved the bookshelf tour! I feel a little like I did when I was a kid and Mr. Rodgers turned the camera around and showed us the studio 😂
Loved that you wrote “bad translation” on the sketchy Bible translation!
Thanks for your ministry!! It’s a huge blessing 😊u
Brother, I just received a spam message from you. Someone has hacked or cloned your stuff.
I think someone else mentioned this but John 17:12 appears to imply that Judas could not be saved, both because Jesus had not 'kept' him (Cf. John 6:39), and his destruction was a fulfilment of Scripture. Even though Judas was ultimately responsible for his own sin, he could not have turned back to Christ because this would have violated Scripture (and those who turn to the Father are those kept by Jesus). He is also described as 'the son of perdition', which could relate to his character but is more likely a Semitic way of saying he was, 'destined for destruction.'
A lady I know couldn't have a baby for years..doctors treated her with hormones and it gave her cancer. It turns out it wasn't even her. Her husband took zink and she got pregnant right away. The doctor's wanted her to have an abortion and she refused. They only stopped chemo for 3 months and then they kept treating her for cancer while she was pregnant. Unbelievable!!
Funny that a Joel Osteen ad popped up under this video for me 😂
Question 9: it seems that maybe the Question was misunderstood. I think they meant why was he commended for his faith when he was not trusting God to bear him a son through Sarah, so he did his own thing with hagar.
Thanks for answering #8 for us! Appreciate you more than you know.
Hmm very rare few occasions I disagree with Mike but id say warm here represents Christians that are playing both sides of the field they are sitting at both tables they are mocking God and trampling under foot the blood of the son of God, using his sacrifice as a way to continue to live in willful sin whilst feeling they will still be safe.
Sooo…..Beckwith. Frank Beckwith?
Hey, great teaching Mike. I can't do the live stream Q&A on Friday, so I'll ask here. I just watched your answer to the question about the deceased hearing us. So my dad has been gone for a bout 3 years now. When he died, believe it or not, some really funny things happened as the EMS arrived. I've often wondered if he could see what was happening and if so, that he probably laughed hilariously. I also inherited some of his wood working tools. Occasionally, when I use one of his tools and it enhances my work, I kind of glance up and mutter (to myself more than anything) "thanks Dad". Now, I don't really consider that to be a communication with the dead in a seance kind of way. I'm not trying to conjure him up. I'd just like to hear what you think about these things.
On question #2, you work for an organization that requires you to donate part of your salary back to them. Not only that, they want you to donate in such a way that your donations can be tracked. Setting aside that this is a church, these facts alone do not raise red flags? The church I attend goes out of the way each Sunday to say that you are not under any obligation to give, but if you consider it one of your church homes and feel led to give you can. They don't have a problem with people not giving enough.
Pastor Mikeee!! Waiting for your hebrews verse by verse study!! 🙋🏻♀️ Blessings! Keep safe!
1:18:15 (salt)
The salt used then was a mix of minerals, rock salt found along the Dead Sea. If it was exposed to moisture and degraded, then the salt minerals would be leached out and the other nonsoluble minerals would be left behind, essentially grit and not good for seasoning.
Why don’t you have classics (The summa, against heresies, city of God, confession) efc?
Since the glare from the books is an issue, it would be a good idea to remove the dust jackets. Makes them look better on the shelf anyway ☺️
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