Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 - Introduction 1. 0:34 {What does it mean that God IS Love?} What does it mean that God IS love, rather than just saying that He is loving or that He loves us? 2. 9:37 {Is it Wrong to have Vaxxed & Non-Vaxxed Services?} My church has decided to have 2 different services: one for those who have gotten the vaccine, and one for those who have not. I love my pastors, but I disagree with this approach, and I see it as divisive. Is this something I should leave the church over? I wouldn’t think Jesus would ever be for this option. 3. 14:38 {Should we Worship the Holy Spirit?} Why isn't the Holy Spirit mentioned in any of the instances in Revelation when praise is being given to the Father and the lamb if He is to be worshiped as separate? For example: Revelation 5: 13. 4. 19:48 {About Jannes & Jambres} Why does Paul mention Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy as being part of the Exodus story when they weren’t? Did he have a different exodus? Is he referring to an extra-biblical book so authoritatively? 5. 26:55 {Is Being Poor a Godly Virtue?} In Luke 16: 19-31 we read the story of Lazarus and the rich man and it seems that the only thing Lazarus did to deserve Paradise was being a sick beggar. Does this story teach virtue in being poor? 6. 35:36 {How to Respond to Friends’ Ungodly Behavior} How should I respond when hanging out with friends who cuss / curse or play foul music celebrating sinful behavior, some of them being believers? 7. 39:12 {About “Twilight” relating to Passover} What does “twilight” mean when the Passover lamb is sacrificed? Is it the start of the 14th, or the end leading into the 15th (first day of unleavened bread)? 8. 40:28 {How to Forgive the Abuse of a Loved One} My disabled daughter w/ MS was abused by her ex (hit, pushed her head through a wall, broke her jaw twice requiring three surgeries, told her he’s going to have her killed, & more). I know I should forgive him, but how? 9. 45:10 {When to Lovingly tell Someone they’re Deceived} If you spend years lovingly bringing scripture to someone in a religion that corrupts it, hoping to open their eyes but fail, is it wrong to finally say directly they've been deceived, and that the religion is a lie? 10. 47:46 {About “Dynamic Omniscience} Could you please explain and give your take on the Open Theist position called " dynamic omniscience" and how biblical or unbiblical the position is? 11. 50:18 {Called to be Single? How to Know} How do you know if God has called you to be single? 12. 1:01:39 {Did Jesus Not Know Who Touched Him?} In Luke 8: 45, Jesus asks who touched His garment while in a crowd. Did Jesus really not know who had touched Him, nor that this miracle would take place? 13. 1:06:23 {About Jews & the Great Tribulation} I heard a pastor claim that 2/3 of Jews will die during the Great Tribulation, and the ones who survive will become Christians. Is this what Paul was referring to with “all Israel will be saved”? 14. 1:13:26 {Can Mental Issues Sometimes be Demonic?} Could my Generalized Anxiety Disorder and OCD be a demonic issue rather than a mental health issue? I'm a believer, but I suffer from both of these issues and I feel trapped. 15. 1:17:02 {Was Creation an Incarnation of God?} What do you think of Richard Rohr's claim that "creation was the first incarnation of God"? 16. 1:19:51 {About “Boot Camp” Churches} What is your opinion on "Boot Camp" Churches such as Elevation and Newspring that say that their church is for unbelievers and is not a permanent space for believers to remain? 17. 1:22:26 {About the Virgin Birth} Is the virgin birth an invention by Matthew to buff up the Gospel narrative? The "double-fulfillment" of Isaiah's prophecy sounds like a convenience interpretation. Does the virgin birth matter? 18. 1:25:20 {Overcoming Fear while Witnessing} I am currently attending a public school, and I’m wondering how I am supposed to speak the Word and truth of God when I fear that I will be shut down if I let my true beliefs be heard. Any advice? 19. 1:28:00 {Are Some Worship Songs Selfish?} Is it selfish or unbiblical for us to sing the song “How He Loves”? Sometimes I feel it's selfish that we're singing about ourselves when it's supposed to be a worship song. Shouldn't God get the glory? 20. 1:31:37 {Should we Hate the Devil?} Is it OK to Hate Satan?
@1:06:23 Thanks for picking my question. I want to add that some dispensationalists have told me that the fullness of the gentiles refers to the rapture of the Church, and afterwards there will be a purge of unbelieving Jews, leaving only the remnant who will accept Christ (Zechariah 13:8-9).
6) Be set apart not yoked with unbelievers. Psalms 4:3 "But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."
I am a Christian with OCD, and I am open to messages if anyone needs encouragement. One example of comfort I've found...OCD can have a lot of religious themes and sometimes compulsive prayers vs prayers with genuine intentions behind them. I found comfort by learning that we don't need to be repetitious like the Pharisees (though we are to pray without ceasing) but it gave me permission not to compulse, but have genuine relationship. I still have OCD, but I've learned how to allow God to help me heal it, rather than allow it to be a reason I can't come to God until I fix it.
@@markhaszoe-life6337 Lol. Didn’t mean for it to be odd. No specific question other than what I asked; just figured you have been reading the Bible for a long time, and was simply planing to read the chapter you mentioned.
@Musket Merve to be honest, brother, I love the whole Bible. In the New Testament, Ephesians is very good at teaching who we are in Christ. Hebrews is also very good; it explains the covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ. Romans, as it explains our salvation. Key takeaways, know why you have become in Christ. Know who you are now, the New life that started the day you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord. 2 cor. 5:17, we have become a whole new creation in Christ. Renewing our mind to think like this new man that is now to be grounded in the beloved. These are some things to consider in your walk with the Lord. I hope this helps you some. May Yahweh bless you in the name of Yeahua
Our church has a room with audio of service for anyone who wants to NOT be in congregation. Others freely wear masks or don’t wear masks in the congregation. It works. All are loved, worship together, and hear the word.
Considering that God is love, I think it's awesome to read these verses with that in mind: "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a Blessings.
To the person who asked about anxiety and OCD - I want to echo Mike's words, it's often unhealthy to too quickly attribute our mental problems to demonic influence, even though it can in principle be a source. My experience is that attributing my own struggles to demons would usually produce MORE anxiety and lead into a feedback loop (is it because of sin in my life that I don't know about? am I not praying hard enough? etc.) (obviously do pray and do be self-aware about repentance, but OCD tends to inflate our sense of guilt). There's freedom in acknowledging that even if there is something supernatural going on, God is in control of it, and instead of worrying, focus on the things you DO have agency over in your life like reframing negative thoughts, getting outside, considering professional help, learning more about psychology (this helped me), etc.
I wanted to give my 2 cents on mental health and God. I take a 40 mg of Prozac every day. When I got truly saved I wondered if I still needed it. I decided to quit taking it. At first no problem but then my issues came back. I prayed for healing but it wasn't happening. I went back on the Prozac and went back to my normal. I prayed about all this and decided God was showing me it's okay to have chemical imbalance and take meds for it and that I needed to let other Christians know my testimony to help them.
@@susandavis5833 Thank you and James for sharing your testimony. I had to deal with OCD for years (recovered now), and a lot of my obsessions had to do with religion and guilt for having had sinful thoughts. Thinking of it as a spiritual issue made me so much worse. Once my mom told me that God doesn’t just read my thoughts, He sees my heart, I learned to ignore the thoughts without guilt, and they eventually went away.
@@gigahorse1475 This! I dealt with this. I think a lot of Christians with OCD struggle with blasphemous thoughts - the very fact that I didn't want those thoughts caused me to fixate on them. I used to feel the need to consciously reject those thoughts every time they came up, which was paralyzing, but eventually just had to learn to ignore them and know that God knows I don't want those thoughts, and they've mostly gone away. (Incidentally John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress, dealt with this. There wasn't enough clinical knowledge at the time to recognize it as OCD, so he interpreted it all spiritually, which led him to struggle with it and question his own salvation for years.)
I have wanted to evangelize at school. I’ve gave out tracts and talked to some people, but that fear is still strong. Question 18 was an answer I already knew but still struggle with it today. Thanks Mike!
i think part of the fear is not knowing what to say at times. think about it, if you knew exactly what to say to someone and converted the person, there would be no fear. i think the fear is being rejected, mocked, embarrassed, ect. but that might partly be because you know the gospel but dont know how to communicate the gospel effectively. i recommend watching some of ray comforts videos. the way he presents the gospel is very effective and i think we all can learn a lot from him.
You have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power and love , and of a sound mind. If for some reason you are persecuted, whether it be punishment from the administration or rejection and mockery of your peers praise God for it! And pray for whoever has persecuted you. You will never face persecution from the world Without receiving direct blessing from God in it.
Your heart to share the gospel is beautiful and encouraging. You are the hands and feet of Jesus at your school... pray and the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you as you trust the still small voice. Reading about missionaries is also so inspiring and encouraging.
67 and still learning, so exciting as I enjoy in wonder what The Lord has to show me in each new day. Live in awe of our loving God, live in gratitude for His love, mercy and grace. 🙏✝️💟
My ex was abusive and eventually tried to kill me. Praise God his plan for that was thwarted. I was eventually able to forgive him. I realized he is a man who walks in darkness and unrighteousness and who also is a narcissistic sociopath. I cannot expect any good to ever come from him. I had to separate the decision to forgive from feeling forgiveness or even the slightest acceptance. There is absolutely no way I could or would ever be in contact with him on any level or try reconciliation. It is far too dangerous. Admittedly my abuse in the marriage did not injure me to the same horrible extent as your poor daughter. My heart breaks terribly for her and also for you. May God grant both of you peace and comfort. I will be earnestly praying for you.
I never really leave comments here but I just wanted to say over the past 2 years your ministry has helped me grow in my faith, in my understanding of God, and in my relationship with Him and I thank you so much for all your work Mike. I'm really hype to get your thoughts about the women in ministry issue as it's something that's been on my mind a lot lately.
Thank you, Mike! I always respect your answers, even if I don’t always agree. As for question #2 about the 2 separate services, I strongly recommend talking to or emailing the church and asking directly why they feel it best to do this (as Mike advised as well). In asking questions people always reveal their reason. Based on their answer, that will help you make a solid answer to your question. I know you (Mike) seem to gently circle around this current condition, though the government is openly trying to create division painting “unvaccinated” as unclean. This has been done many times throughout history. Jews looked at gentiles as unclean (I’m studying 2nd century Christianity and its vile the disgust to the lesser class of Christians), Jews during the Holocaust were deemed unclean, African-Americans were treated as unclean and had separate facilities because of that, now vax vs unvax. IF they are trying to appease the people in their views as I’m “vaccinated” so I can’t be around the unclean unvaccinated, I would say this Leadership will cave on doctrinal issues when pressed and get out. Dividing people in classes no matter the intent will NOT result in unity. It will only further inset the feelings of “them & us”...used in history. Jesus would want us all to love each other and affirming people in divisive thoughts and fear is not loving. Jew and gentile are ONE in Christ, not their heaven and ours. They would be best to explain why they won’t divide and will support all; masked, unmasked, vax’d, etc with scripture and encouragement and reality and let the congregants assess their willingness to attend. The 2 services will not go well and I cannot see how this would be supported in scripture. Let your pastor give you their “why” and you can loving respond accordingly, but a journey through history never did this end well...or biblical. Blessings all!
@@manuscus6289 Most people seem to say he is Calvary Chapel although I think Calvary Chapel says that they’re nondenominational. Sooo it might be easier to see where he stands on certain issues depending on why your asking
I 100% agree with you. I like pastor Mike and learn a lot from him, but this answer was extremely disappointing. He is fence riding. Now is the time for boldness in truth.
I see a lot of people pretty upset about Pastor Mike’s answers to question 2. I actually really appreciate Pastor Mike’s restraint in answering questions like these. Leaving a church is a _big decision_ and Pastor Mike has only a couple of sentences to go off of. To fully condemn the church and recommend the questioner leave would be inappropriate. I’m sure he could’ve answered it better if he had time to think it through, but well done, Pastor Mike, for practicing wisdom and restraint in this scenario!
Proverbs 18:13 “If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.” Proverbs 18:17 “The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”
I don’t think he was prepared enough to answer that question and shouldn’t have. Question #2 touched on a very important topic and isn’t one which you can answer in a few minutes let alone in a few sentences. I’ve love hearing Mr. Winger talk and usually he has such well thought out biblical answers. I hope he will address this topic in its own video with more research.
Being reformed, I just want you to know, I *really* respect you though we take some different interpretations of some important, but not fundamental, issues! Thank you for your faithfulness!
GOD is love, is the verse that I accepted Jesus....47 years ago as a 20 year old . i always believed that if you love somebody , you would do anything to make that person happy .....looking at religion was a downer . but when i was told that GOD is love and found it in the scriptures , i had a turning . for the next few weeks i read and read the bible and asking questions i believed . Thank you JESUS for what you did for me , for everybody who knows the truth .
Mike thank you soo much for clearing up the calling of singleness. I love the people at my church but when I discuss this with my congregation I just get “just love God and focus on God “(even though they are not single). I understand it and it is true but I end up feeling like I’m wrong for wanting a healthy marriage. I feel more content in my singleness. You gave me something to think about , how can I glorify God in my season of singleness.
How He Loves Us is one of my favorite songs. "He is jealous for me" is one of my most favorite lines. I am familiar with jealousy and love the image of God feeling that way about me. The kiss line is "an unforseen kiss." Which is much better poetry and imagery than "a sloppy wet kiss."
Oh, my gosh! This is such a God moment!!! My mom and I had this conversation on Monday and I wanted to actually ask this: Question #12. My mom (who is a life-long believer) argues He didn't know because he was human. I argued He DID know because He was God. Thank you, Pastor Mike for your wisdom. God is SO GOOD!!!
I don't believe Yahshua was fully divine on earth. Is there a Text that says this? I see it as important that he was fully human on earth because Scripture says to "walk as He walked" and He was "perfect," therefore He showed that we too CAN be perfect if we allow the Spirit to live in us.
@@defenderoftruth6000 Colossians 2:9 *"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."* Jesus himself claims to be God in multiple occasions. The pharisees tried to stone him for that but his disciples worshipped him for it (only the one true God may be worshipped in Jewish culture). At the same time Jesus was fully human though (with the desires and needs all of us have). You are right when you see this part as important and your conclusions are correct, too. Just please don't deny the deity of Jesus, that part is just as important - especially in the picture of salvation.
@@friedrichrubinstein - A lot of confusion occurs with that term "god." The Hebrew word used throughout OT Scripture (and what the Messiah spoke) is "elohim" which simply means "mighty one" and the Text you are referring to is where Yahshua also said, “Is it not written in your own Torah, ‘I said, “You are elohim?” (referring to Moses and Aaron as gods/elohim.) I believe it's clear that Yahshua surrendered his "Godhood" while he was on earth, and received it back when he said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." at the ascension. This explains Paul's statement you quoted.
@@defenderoftruth6000 God cannot cease to be God. You cannot cease to be a human. God can humble himself (as it is written about Jesus) and by coming into the flesh he experienced what it is like to be human, but he was still the one who had glory with the Father in all eternity before the world was created (John 17:5). Jesus was still the one through whom all things were made (John 1:3; Col 1:16), the creator of the universe. Jesus was still God. That's what Scripture teaches.
@@friedrichrubinstein - I agree, but Yahshua is not Yahweh, and of course He can surrender His position of Elohim to become "Son of Man." And we will all cease to human when Yahweh appoints it at the End :)
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful answers. Especially that love that is extended and rejected is a special kind of love. This view has reinvigorated me to continue loving those who ignore and reject my love for them. I thank the LORD for you Mike. 🙏:)
Regarding the rich man and Lazarus, in verse 30, the rich man wanted to warn his brothers to repent. So it is not that one was rich and one poor but an issue of repentance that led to whether they were in torment or paradise. Our pastor just preached on this last Sunday and mentioned that this story is often used for the “poverty gospel” as opposed to the prosperity gospel. I also wanted to say thank you for teaching us to think Biblically - it’s really been an answer to prayer for discernment.
1 John 4:8 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love If some rich people have the ability to put some homeless people up in an apartment and keep the monthly rent paid or others may have money to buy several acres of land and build a couple hundred 8x8 tiny homes on them with community bathrooms but refuse and instead are buying luxury cars and massive bank accounts it proves they do not have the love of God in them and thus are not saved. There seems to be enough riches and wealth in Christian bank accounts as well as church reserves to keep all the homeless in all cities sheltered in at least 8x8 tiny homes. No time limits before being throwing them back out into the cold and dirt again and no excuses that their disabilities, weaknesses and feeblemindedness isn't real or should be overcome by now. If those in wheelchairs or those with diabetes are not expected to heal themselves then neither the homeless. 1 John 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
Matthew 25 44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal Revelation 3 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. 19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
God Himself is the very definition of love. True love is not how we may define it, but how God reveals it; His love includes times of suffering, discipline. If we think God isn't loving, it's our understanding that must change - God is the plumb line. (1 Corinthians 13 reveals how God loves.)
I've only told immediate family of an experience I had several years ago, but it seems appropriate to tell of it here. My kids were at school and my husband at work, so I was alone in the house. I was in the kitchen when something began to happen. I didn't understand it at first. I still don't completely understand it, let alone explain it, but I'll try. It was a spiritual thing, so it's difficult to put into words. I felt overwhelming love, peace and joy. The love was alive. I was in awe. I knew it was the Lord. The whole kitchen was filled. It was like a mist around me, though I couldn't see it. I could only feel it, sense it. I stood there and closed my eyes then opened them and looked around thinking it may be some kind of trance I was in and it would disappear. But it wasn't a trance. I didn't want it to go away, but I wanted to know if was real. It didn't go away. It was real. It lasted at least a few minutes, maybe five. I wanted it to never end. The atmosphere was love and peace and joy like I've never known and still can't comprehend. My words don't come even close to giving the depth of what happened that day, but if being in God's presence is anything like what I experienced that day, I can hardly wait for eternity. More happened during that few minutes, but the main point is that I experienced a love beyond comprehension that day and I feel like I understand somewhat how God actually IS LOVE.
@@DavidKing-qd3sp So Satan did this, knowing that she would give GOD the glory? I highly doubt it. Satan doesn’t want us to love & praise God & thank God for His abiding love.
@@RUT812 .............I said - experiences can be real, that is from God, but Satan can attempt tp take advantage of our experiences and confuse or mislead us, so my point was, we need to base our faith and justify our experiences in scripture...the bible says in Rev. that he deceives them by miracles that he is able to perform as when the servants of Pharaohs duplicated the miracles of Moses... today, we have an emphasis on emotions and miracles especially in the Pentecostal movement with TV Evangelists who are sometimes just servants of the devil seeking money and providing spiritual entertainment....That was my point...so balance is the key but I appreciate your thoughts
Regarding the question about anxiety and ocd. We were watching this right after a member of my family had the worst panic attack of his life. He was struggling the Exact same thing right at that moment. His OCD was getting much worse recently. After prayer and rebuking the enemy it was better. I think the enemy will use mental illness against us. Especially anxiety. It was an absolute miracle that question coming up at the same time. Pastor Mike God used your video to minister to him in that moment. Thank you so much 😊 for your videos
Thank you for explaining question #12 so that I could understand it. It has been a big question of mine. When I go back over your Q&A’s I always come away with more of my questions answered.
RC Sproul down the characteristics of God in a way that was very clear. God is Love, God is Justice, God is Righteousness, God is Mercy, and etc. These characteristics of God are at the highest and most perfect degree. And because God is unchanging, God is these adjectives that describes who He is and out of God, all these characteristics radiate to his creation.
Awesome 20 Questions again this week, Bro. Mike! It feels like God is on a roll lately showing me exactly how He is love in my community and in my own personal life. If you should pray for your family in Christ in TN, please include our elderly. Many of them are either sick or receiving unfortunate medical news. We will be continuing to pray for y'all out in California! May you continue to find fulfillment in His Word. 😊 -In His Love Melissa
Yes you are right Mike. Learning is a process, till our last breath. None of us know all. Paul says: if anyone knows anything, let him know this - that he knows nothing as he ought to know. 1 Cor. 8:2. I appreciate your integrity.
i love that you cite God as the grounds of love. I think God as the grounds of logic can be used to explain why he is a necessary being (and so ground the cosmological argument). God is the grounds of logic, but it is impossible for logic itself to be false, therefore God must necessarily exist. We can also do this with God as the grounds of being, since it is impossible for being itself to not be, and so God is a necessary being.
Really appreciate the long drawn out answer for the singleness question, that's what I think too and it was nice to hear all the wisdom and clarity shared! Thanks Pastor Mike ☺☺
When Mike was talking about Satan in the last question and prayer and forgiveness in general it brought this quote back to my mind. This is Mark Twain writing about his mother, in his posthumous autobiography. Her interest in people and other animals was warm, personal, and friendly. She always found something to excuse, and as a rule to love, in the toughest of them-even if she had to put it there herself. She was the natural ally and friend of the friendless. It was believed that, Presbyterian as she was, she could be beguiled into saying a soft word for the devil himself, and so the experiment was tried. The abuse of Satan began; one conspirator after another added his bitter word, his malign reproach, his pitiless censure, till at last, sure enough, the unsuspecting subject of the trick walked into the trap. She admitted that the indictment was sound, that Satan was utterly wicked and abandoned, just as these people had said; but would any claim that he had been treated fairly? A sinner was but a sinner; Satan was just that, like the rest. What saves the rest?-their own efforts alone? No-or none might ever be saved. To their feeble efforts is added the mighty help of pathetic, appealing, imploring prayers that go up daily out of all the churches in Christendom and out of myriads upon myriads of pitying hearts. But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most, our one fellow and brother who most needed a friend yet had not a single one, the one sinner among us all who had the highest and clearest right to every Christian’s daily and nightly prayers, for the plain and unassailable reason that his was the first and greatest need, he being among sinners the supremist? This friend of Satan was a most gentle spirit and an unstudied and unconscious pathos was her native speech. When her pity or her indignation was stirred by hurt or shame inflicted upon some defenseless person or creature, she was the most eloquent person I have heard speak. It was seldom eloquence of a fiery or violent sort, but gentle, pitying, persuasive, appealing; and so genuine and so nobly and simply worded and so touchingly uttered, that many times I have seen it win the reluctant and splendid applause of tears. - The Autobiography of Mark Twain
Yes, God is loving because He is LOVE, HIS nature is LOVE. 1Corinthians 13 describes God's nature. You can also say that the Stuff God is made of is LOVE. LOVE is more than an attitude God has, LOVE is HOW God is. We can only LOVE the way God does when we grow in HIM. When more of God is added by the Holy Spirit into our hearts, we are able to LOVE.
I respect Pastor Mike’s willingness to give the pastor of Anna‘s Church the benefit of the doubt when it comes to requiring a jab to attend church service. I wish Pastor Mike would’ve addressed whether this is something Jesus would have done more directly however I believe his reading of Ephesians answers that question. I think it is very safe to say this is not something Jesus would have done but I would encourage Anna and anyone else who is in a similar situation to talk to the leadership at their church and try to get an answer as to the reasoning behind that policy this should show whether or not as Pastor Mike said this is an attempt to keep unity within the church rather than the divisive plan it can clearly be seen to be in this country and many others Around the world
Struggling with when to walk away from unbelievers As to the point as I can I be; my husband and I where helping another couple in the small town we moved to by allowing them to do laundry at our house and feeding when we can. Over time we learned they’re really big potheads and into which craft and pornographic art; we’ve witnessed many times and they’ve always changed the conversation quickly and just say their happy to have christian friends who don’t hate them like christians they’ve been friends with in the past. Recently my husband starting traveling again for work and I was really struggling with their negative attitude and actions so I gave them a Bible and said it’s not about liking someone it’s about the authority of the Bible and pleaded that the come to Christ and read the good book. I don’t plan on inviting them back into my home if they don’t get right with the Lord. Praying for the Lords guidance and peace over this decision.
In regards to Question #4 (Jannes and Jambres), I believe that we should also consider the fact that Paul was given certain insight into the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit and thus, could have been given (or had verified) the names of Pharaoh’s magicians directly. Paul wouldn’t have necessarily needed any extrabiblical sources to validate his assertion because he was given true discernment through the Holy Spirit. (see John 14:26) We, as Believers, are all given certain degrees of discernment by the Holy Spirit and it should not surprise us that Paul had certain knowledge of biblical history that nobody else had. Or, perhaps, was simply able to verify the accuracy of certain extrabiblical details via the Holy Spirit. We should allow for the Scriptures to stand on their own merit and acknowledge that we will never have all the answers, in this life, nor access to certain details listed in the Scriptures.
The first question about love was so helpful! I’ve been thinking about love and trying to define it. I’ve noticed that when people close to me offend me or hurt my feelings, I tend to want to shut down and put up walls. It makes me ask the question, do I actually and truly love them, or is my “love” for them selfish and self centered? Do I “love “ them because I need to be loved back? What is love and how do I truly love those around me?
God defines what love is. Get to know Him more and learn all about who He is as the scriptures reveal of Him. The closer you are with God, the easier it is to love others, so spend time in His word and with Him. Loving others is all in your attitude, thoughts, and actions toward others-which should be filled with grace, truth, kindness, putting others ahead of yourself, and wishing them wellness and to know truth, rather than ill-will and condemning thoughts (praying for people instead of negativity toward them is loving them). This is all possible when you personally know God’s grace, His incredible and sacrificial love for you, and just who you are in Christ. When you know Him, it becomes possible to love others with grace and truth, even when they don’t deserve it because you yourself have received that incredibly so by God.
Thanks for the reply. I’ve been walking with the Lord for 26 years now. I know that everything you said is true. I still get hurt by people who are close to me though and struggle with it.
@@karareese1454 Oh wonderful! Yeah we definitely aren’t invincible that’s for sure and it is hard when that happens 😞. I find I get hurt the most by those who are close to me because they are the ones I love in a special way and respect their opinions, and so I want them to love me back perfectly, but that’s impossible for a human to do so I am learning to lower my standards for other humans and give grace. Because they will always fail, and the higher my expectations the more it definitely hurts when they’re not met.
If God is the "grounding" and substance of love, then he is that for all the virtues. In other words, God is mercy as much as he is love. God is justice as much as he is mercy. It isn't as though he could choose to be one over and above another. But in a sense love is the ultimate virtue that captures aspects of all the others.
Thank you so much for your answer on forgiveness. I noticed the same thing in the Scriptures, but when I suggest it to other Christians they usually point to Jesus on the cross praying for forgiveness to those who were crucifying him. I tend to think that's a special case. The soldiers weren't saved at that moment. And everywhere else in the NT it's qualified with 'if they come repenting then forgive' etc etc.
Thank you for another great Q and A! This channel has been such a blessing to me over the past few years!! I recommend it to everyone struggling w Biblical questions. God bless you and your ministry
1:13:26 I am qualified to answer that question and can say that sounds like assurance seeking with OCD. A disturbing doubt pops into the head like "maybe I'm actually demon possessed and not just mentally ill" which leads to compulsive reassurance seeking. It is actually a good idea to NOT give a definitive answer because no answer will be good enough and makes the cycle worse in the long term. Finding a therapist that practices Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) is the best option.
So great! Thanks for all of your humble and biblical insights. My son and I were discussing the “should you hate the devil” question prior to listening to your answer and we found another question. Q:If God is holy and no one can stand in his presence with out the covering of the blood of the Lamb, when Satan approached God to ask for permission to tempt and torture Job, how was he able to do that?
"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21 Set your mind on the things above that truly matter. Let us think about the earthly and eternal ramifications before all of our decisions and live in Godly wisdom. Also, let us live with our priorities straight. With God being at the center of our lives and everything else built around our relationship with Him. With the help of the Lord let us think about things that are listed in Philippians 4:8. Things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Hopefully this positively helped you today. God bless you!
On the subject of How He Loves and the sloppy wet kiss… the story behind the song helped me understand why this line is in the song. Even though the imagery in the human imagination seems quasi vulgar, it speaks to the way Jesus love was poured out on us…. The cross was not neat. It was messy and sloppy and the line speaks to the intensity and reckless nature of it. Unforeseen kiss… ahhh I feel so special. That’s a clean cross more of a G rated experience. When the Bible talks about our union with God it refers to the union of a husband and wife. Because nothing else in human terms can describe it. The writer of this song was having to do the same. I love the line. Like Paul says though, things like this should not be points of contention. 😀
Regarding question #18. I think we need to consider that, as adults, we have many choices open to us in which to find friendships. HS kids are very limited in their choices. If you are annoying to everyone, you will end up with no friends and therefore nobody to whom to witness at all. IMO, t’s better to become friends with people you enjoy and have interests similar to yours. Then, when the time is right, the Holy Spirit will tell you how to begin to plant seeds, which you will do with joy. I’m in my 60’s & went to a HS with 3,000 students. My husband & I got our 3 kids through HS and college, so I have lots of hardcore experience!
Even stranger that his name wasn't even Peter (unless you believe that the unlearned, untaught Messiah spoke Greek) and in Aramaic was actually Kepha (Cephas). Instead of transliterating his name, it was translated as Petros (a rock).
I have come to think of love as an expression of value. We love things and people to the degree that we value them, or more accurately recognize their value. God alone has ultimate, infinite, and self existent value, and we have derivative and unalterable value as being created in His image. When I love someone I recognize and cherish their value, both objectively/intrinsically and subjective to me. When I married my wife we bound our value together, thus our union has value almost as a unique entity. Love does not exist without value and the recognition of value in others.
Hating the devil also has the risk of pulling you into a battle with him. A battle that isn't ours to fight. We are to ask Christ to fight for us or flee, not engage in battle directly with Satan.
I had a vision on 29Dec last year. I’ve been struggling with mental health issues as a veteran. I was sitting there thinking what I am going to do next in my life and I had a great idea of “I’m gonna go work for the Lord” as soon as I thought that I saw red 🫀 like that.. nothing gross.. then all of a sudden a blue mist/vapor/fog engulfed the heart and I felt exactly what I saw. I did see a flash of purple before the blue got so dense on the heart I could barely see it anymore. When the blue mist started engulfing the red heart.. I did see a flash of purple until the blue was dense. (Makes sense looking at a red heart through a blue mist would see purple I’d think) This has changed my life because I know the purpose of life now from that experience. It’s all about love. What does the Bible say about this kind of stuff and visions? I’d love to hear from Mike about this! I also have a testimony that goes along with it. Any advice?
Visions and dreams are quite a common experience for many in the Old Testament. Joseph interprets dreams, Daniel, Zechariah, and Ezekiel have very vivid prophetic dreams, Solomon asks God for wisdom in a vision/dream. In the NT, the Spirit occurs frequently in Acts to warn the apostles and to guide them. What the New Testament tells us is to test the Spirit (check out 1 John 4:1). Test what you have seen and what your interpretation of it is against what Jesus says, and then against what the apostles say. Consult a pastor you trust and get their opinion if you think this is God calling you down a certain path. I hope this helps! God bless.
@@chandlerl2189 thanks! I’m really struggling in the civilian sector.. I’m medically retired from the military and can technically “work for the Lord”. Whatever I seen that filled up that heart and energized me definitely seemed to of affirmed that that thought.. I just don’t know if I need to go back to school? I have a BS in curriculum development.. maybe I need to create something to help the lost? I have a testimony to share too, lol!
@@TimsAvatar I also feel a calling, in a direction of teaching. I guess the best thing to do is to pray, pray, and pray some more! With your Curriculum development degree you could use it to design programs for Christian schools, with maybe a bit of seminary schooling. Or maybe God is calling you to work in a public school system and help education. Or maybe there’s something totally different God has in store for you. But the more time we spend in fellowship with other believers, praying, and spending time in the word, God will make His designs shown to us - maybe even just a small snippet to get on the right track.
@@chandlerl2189 I’ve been down some very dark paths and also feel the need to help the veteran community struggling with a 20 year war that ended the way it did.
Lord Jesus ... Let love rain, like sweet mercy from heaven. Let mercy flow like waves and waves flowing richly from the heart of God. May love arise ... may mercy come forth ... may love and mercy bring forth hearts of compassion. Compassion for the lost, compassion for the thirsty, compassion for the hungry, compassion for the poor, compassion for the homeless, compassion for others. Not in just words or deeds done, but from the depths of the heart seeking to give Glory to God through open arms embracing the needs of others. May we look with the heart of God. May we see with his eyes or mercy and compassion and may we do all things to His Glory. For the river of God is love, may it flow richly through us. For the river of God is sweet mercy, may it flow richly through us. For the river of God is compassion, may they see it in our eyes, hear it from our hearts and see it through open arms embracing the needs of others. ------- May we place others even before ourselves and all love like Jesus.
When I remember singing the song “how he loves us,“ I remember the line as “unforeseen kiss.“ Then again, when we sang “so will I,“ we also use the word moving instead of evolving, so they may well have seen how inappropriate that line was, especially for the youth ministry. Lol.
There is another, deeper aspect to the God IS Love answer. Everything Mike said is true, but there is a difficulty with the English language’s use of the single word “love” to cover a wide range of concepts, from self-centered “I love ice cream” to self-less “He so loved his fellow soldiers he gave up his life to save them.” And so there is a range from SELF-directed OTHER directed. Selfish Self-less. Greek has a bit more nuance in that there are four different words that are translated as “love” in English. Those range from brotherly love/friendship to familial love to erotic love to self-less love. That last is Agape. And that is specifically the word Scripture uses to define God as love: God IS Agape. This means that God is perfectly self-less, outwardly directed love. Mike nailed the importance of the Trinity in this aspect. The only possible way for God to BE outwardly, other-directed Love is if there are some other persons within God such that the Father can be outwardly loving of the Son and the Spirit, the Son outwardly loving to the Father and the Spirit, and the Spirit being outwardly loving to the Father and the Son. Before God created anything, God existed as three persons who were perfectly and completely focused outwardly between the Persons of the Trinity. It also explains why God would create the universe. More specifically, why God would create creatures capable of having a relationship with Him. Naturally the outwardly directed desire to love others would motivate God to create creatures to love. And because God’s love is 100% Self-LESS, God did not create us out of any lack or incompleteness within God. God was perfectly complete in Himself. God did not NEED to create anything, including us, in order to have love, or even to receive honor and glory. God already had all of those things before creating anything else. But the beautiful thing is that God’s nature as Agape love caused God to want to create creatures who also have the capacity to choose outwardly directed love. First to God, but also to one another (love God and love others). That is why we were created, and that is (most likely) the very Imago Dei that we have been endowed with. And this also explains sin, actually. Because if God were selfish, God would have created creatures who had no choice other than to honor and obey and love God. But that would be selfish, self-centered of God, and would not at all take into account the desires of the creatures themselves. BECAUSE God is Agape, God created creatures with the freedom to CHOOSE to love Him, or to CHOOSE not to. Then, when we freely CHOOSE to love God, God knows it is our own free choice to do so. Similarly, when people choose to reject God and NOT to love Him, God also honors that choice. Now, there are consequences of that choice. God is the only source of life itself. Only the Father and the Son have life in and of themselves (John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself). No creature has life in ourselves. We were created, and we cannot extend our lives by a second. And so those who choose to use the freedom God gave them to reject God and separate themselves from Him, will suffer the consequences of their own choice. God, being Agape, STILL will not FORCE those people to love and honor and serve and obey Him forever, when they don’t WANT to. And so they end up destroying themselves. All of this ties back to God being Agape, and thus 100% self-less and 100% other-focused.
Thank you Pastor Mike, you have described the matter of 2 services for vaccinated and unvaccinated in one ⛪️ with great diligence. Church ⛪️ basically has done a awesome and made sure that everyone can come to same place as there own peace.
If you show the Accuser real love, the Accuser will literally fall to the ground & crawl just to get away from the Truth that you stand with, The Truth that shows you your path
"Holding people together " is a more gracious interpretation of their motive. However, if maintaining the unity of the Spirit is their goal, Iwould hope they would actually give that as an explanation to the body in order to promote understanding. I'd also expect , at th very least, they d communicate this kind of division to be temporary. Although, even typing this to me sounds like talking out of both sides of my mouth 😦
I do have a question (triggered by your statement that the church is a group of believers-which i totally agree with): I've been a Christian since '72, and have attended many churches. So many of them seemed to preach exclusively to the unsaved. I would have loved a message from the Bible geared towards the saved. We need that too, and teaching. It often seems so unbalanced.
I actually prefer "passionate kiss" as a replacement, and we have used that in our church gatherings. An unforeseen kiss is not necessarily a good thing, and I don't think it conveys the intended point.
My Dicky V commentary here... "pastor MIikeeeee, he's awwesssoome, he's the former embryo on booaarrd babyyyy. he's ssuuper ssenssationaalll. He's showin Christ is the truth, the light, and the waaayyy babyyyyy!"
Going back to 1:06:23, it makes sense that after Jacob’s Trouble, the surviving Jews beg God for forgiveness and accept Christ. At that moment Jesus returns to Earth (see Luke 13:35).
27:23- MIKEEEE WINGERRR! I LAUGHED AT THE VERY SAME TIME! You tried to change the subject but were you laughing at the idea that someone would make such a statement about Lazarus? It was funny.
Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 - Introduction
1. 0:34 {What does it mean that God IS Love?} What does it mean that God IS love, rather than just saying that He is loving or that He loves us?
2. 9:37 {Is it Wrong to have Vaxxed & Non-Vaxxed Services?} My church has decided to have 2 different services: one for those who have gotten the vaccine, and one for those who have not. I love my pastors, but I disagree with this approach, and I see it as divisive. Is this something I should leave the church over? I wouldn’t think Jesus would ever be for this option.
3. 14:38 {Should we Worship the Holy Spirit?} Why isn't the Holy Spirit mentioned in any of the instances in Revelation when praise is being given to the Father and the lamb if He is to be worshiped as separate? For example: Revelation 5: 13.
4. 19:48 {About Jannes & Jambres} Why does Paul mention Jannes and Jambres in 2 Timothy as being part of the Exodus story when they weren’t? Did he have a different exodus? Is he referring to an extra-biblical book so authoritatively?
5. 26:55 {Is Being Poor a Godly Virtue?} In Luke 16: 19-31 we read the story of Lazarus and the rich man and it seems that the only thing Lazarus did to deserve Paradise was being a sick beggar. Does this story teach virtue in being poor?
6. 35:36 {How to Respond to Friends’ Ungodly Behavior} How should I respond when hanging out with friends who cuss / curse or play foul music celebrating sinful behavior, some of them being believers?
7. 39:12 {About “Twilight” relating to Passover} What does “twilight” mean when the Passover lamb is sacrificed? Is it the start of the 14th, or the end leading into the 15th (first day of unleavened bread)?
8. 40:28 {How to Forgive the Abuse of a Loved One} My disabled daughter w/ MS was abused by her ex (hit, pushed her head through a wall, broke her jaw twice requiring three surgeries, told her he’s going to have her killed, & more). I know I should forgive him, but how?
9. 45:10 {When to Lovingly tell Someone they’re Deceived} If you spend years lovingly bringing scripture to someone in a religion that corrupts it, hoping to open their eyes but fail, is it wrong to finally say directly they've been deceived, and that the religion is a lie?
10. 47:46 {About “Dynamic Omniscience} Could you please explain and give your take on the Open Theist position called " dynamic omniscience" and how biblical or unbiblical the position is?
11. 50:18 {Called to be Single? How to Know} How do you know if God has called you to be single?
12. 1:01:39 {Did Jesus Not Know Who Touched Him?} In Luke 8: 45, Jesus asks who touched His garment while in a crowd. Did Jesus really not know who had touched Him, nor that this miracle would take place?
13. 1:06:23 {About Jews & the Great Tribulation} I heard a pastor claim that 2/3 of Jews will die during the Great Tribulation, and the ones who survive will become Christians. Is this what Paul was referring to with “all Israel will be saved”?
14. 1:13:26 {Can Mental Issues Sometimes be Demonic?} Could my Generalized Anxiety Disorder and OCD be a demonic issue rather than a mental health issue? I'm a believer, but I suffer from both of these issues and I feel trapped.
15. 1:17:02 {Was Creation an Incarnation of God?} What do you think of Richard Rohr's claim that "creation was the first incarnation of God"?
16. 1:19:51 {About “Boot Camp” Churches} What is your opinion on "Boot Camp" Churches such as Elevation and Newspring that say that their church is for unbelievers and is not a permanent space for believers to remain?
17. 1:22:26 {About the Virgin Birth} Is the virgin birth an invention by Matthew to buff up the Gospel narrative? The "double-fulfillment" of Isaiah's prophecy sounds like a convenience interpretation. Does the virgin birth matter?
18. 1:25:20 {Overcoming Fear while Witnessing} I am currently attending a public school, and I’m wondering how I am supposed to speak the Word and truth of God when I fear that I will be shut down if I let my true beliefs be heard. Any advice?
19. 1:28:00 {Are Some Worship Songs Selfish?} Is it selfish or unbiblical for us to sing the song “How He Loves”? Sometimes I feel it's selfish that we're singing about ourselves when it's supposed to be a worship song. Shouldn't God get the glory?
20. 1:31:37 {Should we Hate the Devil?} Is it OK to Hate Satan?
Thank you 😊
@1:06:23 Thanks for picking my question. I want to add that some dispensationalists have told me that the fullness of the gentiles refers to the rapture of the Church, and afterwards there will be a purge of unbelieving Jews, leaving only the remnant who will accept Christ (Zechariah 13:8-9).
6) Be set apart not yoked with unbelievers.
Psalms 4:3
"But know that the LORD has set apart for Himself him who is godly; The LORD will hear when I call to Him."
Thank you Sarah these are super handy ❤️
Sarah, just wanted to say, it's so great to have you back! Hope you are continuing to get better. GOD Bless you richly. 💜
I am a Christian with OCD, and I am open to messages if anyone needs encouragement. One example of comfort I've found...OCD can have a lot of religious themes and sometimes compulsive prayers vs prayers with genuine intentions behind them. I found comfort by learning that we don't need to be repetitious like the Pharisees (though we are to pray without ceasing) but it gave me permission not to compulse, but have genuine relationship. I still have OCD, but I've learned how to allow God to help me heal it, rather than allow it to be a reason I can't come to God until I fix it.
I've been following Jesus since 1985. But I still learn so much listing to you. 61 & still learning 🙌🙏😊
Amazing! Keep running the race! ❤️‼️✝️
Am curious; what is one of your favorite chapters of the Bible?
@Musket Merve what an odd question. Now, why would you be curious about that? If you have a specific question just ask.
@@markhaszoe-life6337 Lol. Didn’t mean for it to be odd. No specific question other than what I asked; just figured you have been reading the Bible for a long time, and was simply planing to read the chapter you mentioned.
@Musket Merve to be honest, brother, I love the whole Bible. In the New Testament, Ephesians is very good at teaching who we are in Christ. Hebrews is also very good; it explains the covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ. Romans, as it explains our salvation. Key takeaways, know why you have become in Christ. Know who you are now, the New life that started the day you accepted Jesus Christ as Lord. 2 cor. 5:17, we have become a whole new creation in Christ. Renewing our mind to think like this new man that is now to be grounded in the beloved.
These are some things to consider in your walk with the Lord. I hope this helps you some. May Yahweh bless you in the name of Yeahua
Our church has a room with audio of service for anyone who wants to NOT be in congregation. Others freely wear masks or don’t wear masks in the congregation. It works. All are loved, worship together, and hear the word.
Considering that God is love, I think it's awesome to read these verses with that in mind:
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails."
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
Blessings.
"Whenever someone complains about repetition in worship songs - I'm like, have you read the Psalms?"- Thats pure gold! Haha, I enjoyed that so much.
Imagine how crazy they'd be hearing the four living creatures saying, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD God of hosts" for eternity 😂
@@naomizmiti Haha, indeed!
78 and a believer since 1964. Still learning!
Amazing!
To the person who asked about anxiety and OCD - I want to echo Mike's words, it's often unhealthy to too quickly attribute our mental problems to demonic influence, even though it can in principle be a source. My experience is that attributing my own struggles to demons would usually produce MORE anxiety and lead into a feedback loop (is it because of sin in my life that I don't know about? am I not praying hard enough? etc.) (obviously do pray and do be self-aware about repentance, but OCD tends to inflate our sense of guilt). There's freedom in acknowledging that even if there is something supernatural going on, God is in control of it, and instead of worrying, focus on the things you DO have agency over in your life like reframing negative thoughts, getting outside, considering professional help, learning more about psychology (this helped me), etc.
I wanted to give my 2 cents on mental health and God. I take a 40 mg of Prozac every day. When I got truly saved I wondered if I still needed it. I decided to quit taking it. At first no problem but then my issues came back. I prayed for healing but it wasn't happening. I went back on the Prozac and went back to my normal. I prayed about all this and decided God was showing me it's okay to have chemical imbalance and take meds for it and that I needed to let other Christians know my testimony to help them.
@@susandavis5833 Thank you and James for sharing your testimony. I had to deal with OCD for years (recovered now), and a lot of my obsessions had to do with religion and guilt for having had sinful thoughts. Thinking of it as a spiritual issue made me so much worse. Once my mom told me that God doesn’t just read my thoughts, He sees my heart, I learned to ignore the thoughts without guilt, and they eventually went away.
Thank you for sharing your story. It’s so reassuring that I’m not the only one with this type of struggle
@@gigahorse1475 This! I dealt with this. I think a lot of Christians with OCD struggle with blasphemous thoughts - the very fact that I didn't want those thoughts caused me to fixate on them. I used to feel the need to consciously reject those thoughts every time they came up, which was paralyzing, but eventually just had to learn to ignore them and know that God knows I don't want those thoughts, and they've mostly gone away. (Incidentally John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim's Progress, dealt with this. There wasn't enough clinical knowledge at the time to recognize it as OCD, so he interpreted it all spiritually, which led him to struggle with it and question his own salvation for years.)
I have wanted to evangelize at school. I’ve gave out tracts and talked to some people, but that fear is still strong. Question 18 was an answer I already knew but still struggle with it today. Thanks Mike!
Same!! I’m in the exact same situation! Especially since school here in Australia begins around 1 of Feb 😧 Still scared 😅
The best way to conquer fear is to face it. If you do and the fear is still there face it again and again and again. Keep doing what you're doing man
i think part of the fear is not knowing what to say at times. think about it, if you knew exactly what to say to someone and converted the person, there would be no fear. i think the fear is being rejected, mocked, embarrassed, ect. but that might partly be because you know the gospel but dont know how to communicate the gospel effectively. i recommend watching some of ray comforts videos. the way he presents the gospel is very effective and i think we all can learn a lot from him.
You have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power and love , and of a sound mind.
If for some reason you are persecuted, whether it be punishment from the administration or rejection and mockery of your peers praise God for it! And pray for whoever has persecuted you. You will never face persecution from the world
Without receiving direct blessing from God in it.
Your heart to share the gospel is beautiful and encouraging. You are the hands and feet of Jesus at your school... pray and the Holy Spirit will lead and guide you as you trust the still small voice. Reading about missionaries is also so inspiring and encouraging.
t time stamp 40 on forgiveness...That was SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD!!! I just turned 61 and just learned this!
67 and still learning, so exciting as I enjoy in wonder what The Lord has to show me in each new day. Live in awe of our loving God, live in gratitude for His love, mercy and grace. 🙏✝️💟
2:50 "There isn't this 'thing' outside of God called love by which you measure his actions"..... Profound!🏆🏆
My ex was abusive and eventually tried to kill me. Praise God his plan for that was thwarted. I was eventually able to forgive him. I realized he is a man who walks in darkness and unrighteousness and who also is a narcissistic sociopath. I cannot expect any good to ever come from him. I had to separate the decision to forgive from feeling forgiveness or even the slightest acceptance. There is absolutely no way I could or would ever be in contact with him on any level or try reconciliation. It is far too dangerous. Admittedly my abuse in the marriage did not injure me to the same horrible extent as your poor daughter. My heart breaks terribly for her and also for you. May God grant both of you peace and comfort. I will be earnestly praying for you.
I never really leave comments here but I just wanted to say over the past 2 years your ministry has helped me grow in my faith, in my understanding of God, and in my relationship with Him and I thank you so much for all your work Mike. I'm really hype to get your thoughts about the women in ministry issue as it's something that's been on my mind a lot lately.
Thank you, Mike! I always respect your answers, even if I don’t always agree. As for question #2 about the 2 separate services, I strongly recommend talking to or emailing the church and asking directly why they feel it best to do this (as Mike advised as well). In asking questions people always reveal their reason. Based on their answer, that will help you make a solid answer to your question. I know you (Mike) seem to gently circle around this current condition, though the government is openly trying to create division painting “unvaccinated” as unclean. This has been done many times throughout history. Jews looked at gentiles as unclean (I’m studying 2nd century Christianity and its vile the disgust to the lesser class of Christians), Jews during the Holocaust were deemed unclean, African-Americans were treated as unclean and had separate facilities because of that, now vax vs unvax. IF they are trying to appease the people in their views as I’m “vaccinated” so I can’t be around the unclean unvaccinated, I would say this Leadership will cave on doctrinal issues when pressed and get out. Dividing people in classes no matter the intent will NOT result in unity. It will only further inset the feelings of “them & us”...used in history. Jesus would want us all to love each other and affirming people in divisive thoughts and fear is not loving. Jew and gentile are ONE in Christ, not their heaven and ours. They would be best to explain why they won’t divide and will support all; masked, unmasked, vax’d, etc with scripture and encouragement and reality and let the congregants assess their willingness to attend. The 2 services will not go well and I cannot see how this would be supported in scripture.
Let your pastor give you their “why” and you can loving respond accordingly, but a journey through history never did this end well...or biblical.
Blessings all!
I agree completely. Thanks for taking the time to write this out, I was thinking about this question and your comment really helped me process
Do y’all know what denomination Mikes affiliated with?
@@manuscus6289 Most people seem to say he is Calvary Chapel although I think Calvary Chapel says that they’re nondenominational. Sooo it might be easier to see where he stands on certain issues depending on why your asking
Totally agree with this! The idea of 'Let's divide to stay unified' makes no sense, certainly no biblical sense.
I 100% agree with you. I like pastor Mike and learn a lot from him, but this answer was extremely disappointing. He is fence riding. Now is the time for boldness in truth.
I see a lot of people pretty upset about Pastor Mike’s answers to question 2. I actually really appreciate Pastor Mike’s restraint in answering questions like these. Leaving a church is a _big decision_ and Pastor Mike has only a couple of sentences to go off of. To fully condemn the church and recommend the questioner leave would be inappropriate. I’m sure he could’ve answered it better if he had time to think it through, but well done, Pastor Mike, for practicing wisdom and restraint in this scenario!
Proverbs 18:13
“If one gives an answer before he hears,
it is his folly and shame.”
Proverbs 18:17
“The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.”
I don’t think he was prepared enough to answer that question and shouldn’t have. Question #2 touched on a very important topic and isn’t one which you can answer in a few minutes let alone in a few sentences. I’ve love hearing Mr. Winger talk and usually he has such well thought out biblical answers. I hope he will address this topic in its own video with more research.
Dear Mr. Winger, if you read my reply please know it’s not to speak past you and about you. I hope you do address this topic further (question 2).
Good to "see" you back, Sarah. Really missed your contribution!
Thank you, Susan! I’m so glad to be back. Praise the Lord! 🥰
Being reformed, I just want you to know, I *really* respect you though we take some different interpretations of some important, but not fundamental, issues! Thank you for your faithfulness!
GOD is love, is the verse that I accepted Jesus....47 years ago as a 20 year old .
i always believed that if you love somebody , you would do anything to make that person happy .....looking at religion was a downer .
but when i was told that GOD is love and found it in the scriptures , i had a turning . for the next few weeks i read and read the bible and asking questions i believed .
Thank you JESUS for what you did for me , for everybody who knows the truth .
Mike thank you soo much for clearing up the calling of singleness. I love the people at my church but when I discuss this with my congregation I just get “just love God and focus on God “(even though they are not single). I understand it and it is true but I end up feeling like I’m wrong for wanting a healthy marriage. I feel more content in my singleness. You gave me something to think about , how can I glorify God in my season of singleness.
How He Loves Us is one of my favorite songs. "He is jealous for me" is one of my most favorite lines. I am familiar with jealousy and love the image of God feeling that way about me.
The kiss line is "an unforseen kiss." Which is much better poetry and imagery than "a sloppy wet kiss."
There are two versions of this song, one uses "unforeseen kiss" and the other uses "sloppy wet kiss."
“We’re on the wrong side of heaven so we have to deal with disappointment“ ha ha love this
Oh, my gosh! This is such a God moment!!! My mom and I had this conversation on Monday and I wanted to actually ask this: Question #12. My mom (who is a life-long believer) argues He didn't know because he was human. I argued He DID know because He was God. Thank you, Pastor Mike for your wisdom. God is SO GOOD!!!
I don't believe Yahshua was fully divine on earth. Is there a Text that says this? I see it as important that he was fully human on earth because Scripture says to "walk as He walked" and He was "perfect," therefore He showed that we too CAN be perfect if we allow the Spirit to live in us.
@@defenderoftruth6000 Colossians 2:9 *"For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form."*
Jesus himself claims to be God in multiple occasions. The pharisees tried to stone him for that but his disciples worshipped him for it (only the one true God may be worshipped in Jewish culture).
At the same time Jesus was fully human though (with the desires and needs all of us have). You are right when you see this part as important and your conclusions are correct, too. Just please don't deny the deity of Jesus, that part is just as important - especially in the picture of salvation.
@@friedrichrubinstein - A lot of confusion occurs with that term "god." The Hebrew word used throughout OT Scripture (and what the Messiah spoke) is "elohim" which simply means "mighty one" and the Text you are referring to is where Yahshua also said, “Is it not written in your own Torah, ‘I said, “You are elohim?” (referring to Moses and Aaron as gods/elohim.) I believe it's clear that Yahshua surrendered his "Godhood" while he was on earth, and received it back when he said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth." at the ascension. This explains Paul's statement you quoted.
@@defenderoftruth6000 God cannot cease to be God. You cannot cease to be a human. God can humble himself (as it is written about Jesus) and by coming into the flesh he experienced what it is like to be human, but he was still the one who had glory with the Father in all eternity before the world was created (John 17:5). Jesus was still the one through whom all things were made (John 1:3; Col 1:16), the creator of the universe. Jesus was still God.
That's what Scripture teaches.
@@friedrichrubinstein - I agree, but Yahshua is not Yahweh, and of course He can surrender His position of Elohim to become "Son of Man."
And we will all cease to human when Yahweh appoints it at the End :)
Thank you so much for all your thoughtful answers. Especially that love that is extended and rejected is a special kind of love. This view has reinvigorated me to continue loving those who ignore and reject my love for them. I thank the LORD for you Mike. 🙏:)
Regarding the rich man and Lazarus, in verse 30, the rich man wanted to warn his brothers to repent. So it is not that one was rich and one poor but an issue of repentance that led to whether they were in torment or paradise. Our pastor just preached on this last Sunday and mentioned that this story is often used for the “poverty gospel” as opposed to the prosperity gospel.
I also wanted to say thank you for teaching us to think Biblically - it’s really been an answer to prayer for discernment.
1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love
If some rich people have the ability to put some homeless people up in an apartment and keep the monthly rent paid or others may have money to buy several acres of land and build a couple hundred 8x8 tiny homes on them with community bathrooms but refuse and instead are buying luxury cars and massive bank accounts it proves they do not have the love of God in them and thus are not saved. There seems to be enough riches and wealth in Christian bank accounts as well as church reserves to keep all the homeless in all cities sheltered in at least 8x8 tiny homes.
No time limits before being throwing them back out into the cold and dirt again and no excuses that their disabilities, weaknesses and feeblemindedness isn't real or should be overcome by now. If those in wheelchairs or those with diabetes are not expected to heal themselves then neither the homeless.
1 John 3:17
But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?
Matthew 25
44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.
46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal
Revelation 3
16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:
18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
Actually this story in the wider context is about the Jewish leadership rejecting Christ. They are the well off, well dressed man.
We are all very fortunate to have a good influence like you in our lives! Thank you for making videos!
God Himself is the very definition of love. True love is not how we may define it, but how God reveals it; His love includes times of suffering, discipline. If we think God isn't loving, it's our understanding that must change - God is the plumb line. (1 Corinthians 13 reveals how God loves.)
I've only told immediate family of an experience I had several years ago, but it seems appropriate to tell of it here. My kids were at school and my husband at work, so I was alone in the house. I was in the kitchen when something began to happen. I didn't understand it at first. I still don't completely understand it, let alone explain it, but I'll try. It was a spiritual thing, so it's difficult to put into words. I felt overwhelming love, peace and joy. The love was alive. I was in awe. I knew it was the Lord. The whole kitchen was filled. It was like a mist around me, though I couldn't see it. I could only feel it, sense it. I stood there and closed my eyes then opened them and looked around thinking it may be some kind of trance I was in and it would disappear. But it wasn't a trance. I didn't want it to go away, but I wanted to know if was real. It didn't go away. It was real. It lasted at least a few minutes, maybe five. I wanted it to never end. The atmosphere was love and peace and joy like I've never known and still can't comprehend. My words don't come even close to giving the depth of what happened that day, but if being in God's presence is anything like what I experienced that day, I can hardly wait for eternity. More happened during that few minutes, but the main point is that I experienced a love beyond comprehension that day and I feel like I understand somewhat how God actually IS LOVE.
Get your facts from scripture and not from expereinces though experiences can be real but the devil can also use them for his purposes
@@DavidKing-qd3sp So Satan did this, knowing that she would give GOD the glory? I highly doubt it. Satan doesn’t want us to love & praise God & thank God for His abiding love.
@@RUT812 .............I said - experiences can be real, that is from God, but Satan can attempt tp take advantage of our experiences and confuse or mislead us, so my point was, we need to base our faith and justify our experiences in scripture...the bible says in Rev. that he deceives them by miracles that he is able to perform as when the servants of Pharaohs duplicated the miracles of Moses... today, we have an emphasis on emotions and miracles especially in the Pentecostal movement with TV Evangelists who are sometimes just servants of the devil seeking money and providing spiritual entertainment....That was my point...so balance is the key but I appreciate your thoughts
Regarding the question about anxiety and ocd. We were watching this right after a member of my family had the worst panic attack of his life. He was struggling the Exact same thing right at that moment. His OCD was getting much worse recently. After prayer and rebuking the enemy it was better. I think the enemy will use mental illness against us. Especially anxiety. It was an absolute miracle that question coming up at the same time. Pastor Mike God used your video to minister to him in that moment. Thank you so much 😊 for your videos
Thank you for explaining question #12 so that I could understand it. It has been a big question of mine. When I go back over your Q&A’s I always come away with more of my questions answered.
That concept of the trinity existing in love is pretty cool and pretty new to me.
RC Sproul down the characteristics of God in a way that was very clear. God is Love, God is Justice, God is Righteousness, God is Mercy, and etc. These characteristics of God are at the highest and most perfect degree. And because God is unchanging, God is these adjectives that describes who He is and out of God, all these characteristics radiate to his creation.
I love you dear brother and pastor. You are intelligent with answers, and cheerful, and kind. Keep looking up, Our redemption drawers migh.
We love you pastor Mike you are awesome and loved by God.
Glad your back Pastor Mike, I have missed you and your 20 Questions Fridays.
Awesome 20 Questions again this week, Bro. Mike! It feels like God is on a roll lately showing me exactly how He is love in my community and in my own personal life. If you should pray for your family in Christ in TN, please include our elderly. Many of them are either sick or receiving unfortunate medical news. We will be continuing to pray for y'all out in California! May you continue to find fulfillment in His Word. 😊
-In His Love
Melissa
Yes you are right Mike.
Learning is a process, till our last breath. None of us know all.
Paul says: if anyone knows anything, let him know this - that he knows nothing as he ought to know. 1 Cor. 8:2.
I appreciate your integrity.
Always learn so much from these 20 questions videos. Thanks!
i love that you cite God as the grounds of love. I think God as the grounds of logic can be used to explain why he is a necessary being (and so ground the cosmological argument). God is the grounds of logic, but it is impossible for logic itself to be false, therefore God must necessarily exist. We can also do this with God as the grounds of being, since it is impossible for being itself to not be, and so God is a necessary being.
Thank you Mike for your answers. Very much appreciated and very helpful
Really appreciate the long drawn out answer for the singleness question, that's what I think too and it was nice to hear all the wisdom and clarity shared! Thanks Pastor Mike ☺☺
God is the object of love.
👏 pastor Mike on vaccinated and unvaccinated church services division, thanks for the wisdom🙏
When Mike was talking about Satan in the last question and prayer and forgiveness in general it brought this quote back to my mind. This is Mark Twain writing about his mother, in his posthumous autobiography.
Her interest in people and other animals was warm, personal, and friendly. She always found something to excuse, and as a rule to love, in the toughest of them-even if she had to put it there herself. She was the natural ally and friend of the friendless. It was believed that, Presbyterian as she was, she could be beguiled into saying a soft word for the devil himself, and so the experiment was tried. The abuse of Satan began; one conspirator after another added his bitter word, his malign reproach, his pitiless censure, till at last, sure enough, the unsuspecting subject of the trick walked into the trap. She admitted that the indictment was sound, that Satan was utterly wicked and abandoned, just as these people had said; but would any claim that he had been treated fairly? A sinner was but a sinner; Satan was just that, like the rest. What saves the rest?-their own efforts alone? No-or none might ever be saved. To their feeble efforts is added the mighty help of pathetic, appealing, imploring prayers that go up daily out of all the churches in Christendom and out of myriads upon myriads of pitying hearts. But who prays for Satan? Who, in eighteen centuries, has had the common humanity to pray for the one sinner that needed it most, our one fellow and brother who most needed a friend yet had not a single one, the one sinner among us all who had the highest and clearest right to every Christian’s daily and nightly prayers, for the plain and unassailable reason that his was the first and greatest need, he being among sinners the supremist?
This friend of Satan was a most gentle spirit and an unstudied and unconscious pathos was her native speech. When her pity or her indignation was stirred by hurt or shame inflicted upon some defenseless person or creature, she was the most eloquent person I have heard speak. It was seldom eloquence of a fiery or violent sort, but gentle, pitying, persuasive, appealing; and so genuine and so nobly and simply worded and so touchingly uttered, that many times I have seen it win the reluctant and splendid applause of tears. - The Autobiography of Mark Twain
Yes, God is loving because He is LOVE, HIS nature is LOVE. 1Corinthians 13 describes God's nature. You can also say that the Stuff God is made of is LOVE. LOVE is more than an attitude God has, LOVE is HOW God is. We can only LOVE the way God does when we grow in HIM. When more of God is added by the Holy Spirit into our hearts, we are able to LOVE.
Really enjoyed the explanation of the names for the magicians in a Egypt…. Clever and thoughtful as always!
Wonderful, the realisation that love is outside of creation! Because God is
In Genesis
when God drowned nearly every living thing on the earth
it was His Divine Way of saying "I love you".
I respect Pastor Mike’s willingness to give the pastor of Anna‘s Church the benefit of the doubt when it comes to requiring a jab to attend church service. I wish Pastor Mike would’ve addressed whether this is something Jesus would have done more directly however I believe his reading of Ephesians answers that question. I think it is very safe to say this is not something Jesus would have done but I would encourage Anna and anyone else who is in a similar situation to talk to the leadership at their church and try to get an answer as to the reasoning behind that policy this should show whether or not as Pastor Mike said this is an attempt to keep unity within the church rather than the divisive plan it can clearly be seen to be in this country and many others Around the world
Struggling with when to walk away from unbelievers
As to the point as I can I be; my husband and I where helping another couple in the small town we moved to by allowing them to do laundry at our house and feeding when we can. Over time we learned they’re really big potheads and into which craft and pornographic art; we’ve witnessed many times and they’ve always changed the conversation quickly and just say their happy to have christian friends who don’t hate them like christians they’ve been friends with in the past.
Recently my husband starting traveling again for work and I was really struggling with their negative attitude and actions so I gave them a Bible and said it’s not about liking someone it’s about the authority of the Bible and pleaded that the come to Christ and read the good book. I don’t plan on inviting them back into my home if they don’t get right with the Lord. Praying for the Lords guidance and peace over this decision.
Thank you dear pastor.
So glad to have you back Mike! You always help me keep my focus in the right place.
In regards to Question #4 (Jannes and Jambres), I believe that we should also consider the fact that Paul was given certain insight into the Scriptures by the Holy Spirit and thus, could have been given (or had verified) the names of Pharaoh’s magicians directly. Paul wouldn’t have necessarily needed any extrabiblical sources to validate his assertion because he was given true discernment through the Holy Spirit. (see John 14:26) We, as Believers, are all given certain degrees of discernment by the Holy Spirit and it should not surprise us that Paul had certain knowledge of biblical history that nobody else had. Or, perhaps, was simply able to verify the accuracy of certain extrabiblical details via the Holy Spirit. We should allow for the Scriptures to stand on their own merit and acknowledge that we will never have all the answers, in this life, nor access to certain details listed in the Scriptures.
God is love and He changes not in being love - not for anyone.
1:04:47 to 1:05:59 beautifully said
Thanks for these: they're a lot of help!
The first question about love was so helpful! I’ve been thinking about love and trying to define it. I’ve noticed that when people close to me offend me or hurt my feelings, I tend to want to shut down and put up walls. It makes me ask the question, do I actually and truly love them, or is my “love” for them selfish and self centered? Do I “love “ them because I need to be loved back? What is love and how do I truly love those around me?
God defines what love is. Get to know Him more and learn all about who He is as the scriptures reveal of Him. The closer you are with God, the easier it is to love others, so spend time in His word and with Him.
Loving others is all in your attitude, thoughts, and actions toward others-which should be filled with grace, truth, kindness, putting others ahead of yourself, and wishing them wellness and to know truth, rather than ill-will and condemning thoughts (praying for people instead of negativity toward them is loving them).
This is all possible when you personally know God’s grace, His incredible and sacrificial love for you, and just who you are in Christ. When you know Him, it becomes possible to love others with grace and truth, even when they don’t deserve it because you yourself have received that incredibly so by God.
Thanks for the reply. I’ve been walking with the Lord for 26 years now. I know that everything you said is true.
I still get hurt by people who are close to me though and struggle with it.
@@karareese1454 Oh wonderful! Yeah we definitely aren’t invincible that’s for sure and it is hard when that happens 😞. I find I get hurt the most by those who are close to me because they are the ones I love in a special way and respect their opinions, and so I want them to love me back perfectly, but that’s impossible for a human to do so I am learning to lower my standards for other humans and give grace. Because they will always fail, and the higher my expectations the more it definitely hurts when they’re not met.
If God is the "grounding" and substance of love, then he is that for all the virtues. In other words, God is mercy as much as he is love. God is justice as much as he is mercy. It isn't as though he could choose to be one over and above another. But in a sense love is the ultimate virtue that captures aspects of all the others.
Thank you so much for your answer on forgiveness. I noticed the same thing in the Scriptures, but when I suggest it to other Christians they usually point to Jesus on the cross praying for forgiveness to those who were crucifying him. I tend to think that's a special case. The soldiers weren't saved at that moment. And everywhere else in the NT it's qualified with 'if they come repenting then forgive' etc etc.
Thank you for this video!
Thank you for another great Q and A! This channel has been such a blessing to me over the past few years!! I recommend it to everyone struggling w Biblical questions. God bless you and your ministry
1:13:26 I am qualified to answer that question and can say that sounds like assurance seeking with OCD. A disturbing doubt pops into the head like "maybe I'm actually demon possessed and not just mentally ill" which leads to compulsive reassurance seeking. It is actually a good idea to NOT give a definitive answer because no answer will be good enough and makes the cycle worse in the long term.
Finding a therapist that practices Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) is the best option.
Thanks. I have crippling EOCD
Love you Pastor Mike!
So great! Thanks for all of your humble and biblical insights. My son and I were discussing the “should you hate the devil” question prior to listening to your answer and we found another question. Q:If God is holy and no one can stand in his presence with out the covering of the blood of the Lamb, when Satan approached God to ask for permission to tempt and torture Job, how was he able to do that?
+question #8
Vengeance is 4 the LORD. Give it to Him, and let go.
Thanks for providing helpful and encouraging content in learning to understand and trust in God's word. Keep up the good work!
If God didn’t love us, we wouldn’t exit.
"Don't store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21
Set your mind on the things above that truly matter. Let us think about the earthly and eternal ramifications before all of our decisions and live in Godly wisdom. Also, let us live with our priorities straight. With God being at the center of our lives and everything else built around our relationship with Him. With the help of the Lord let us think about things that are listed in Philippians 4:8. Things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy. Hopefully this positively helped you today. God bless you!
On the subject of How He Loves and the sloppy wet kiss… the story behind the song helped me understand why this line is in the song. Even though the imagery in the human imagination seems quasi vulgar, it speaks to the way Jesus love was poured out on us…. The cross was not neat. It was messy and sloppy and the line speaks to the intensity and reckless nature of it. Unforeseen kiss… ahhh I feel so special. That’s a clean cross more of a G rated experience. When the Bible talks about our union with God it refers to the union of a husband and wife. Because nothing else in human terms can describe it. The writer of this song was having to do the same. I love the line. Like Paul says though, things like this should not be points of contention. 😀
Regarding question #18. I think we need to consider that, as adults, we have many choices open to us in which to find friendships. HS kids are very limited in their choices. If you are annoying to everyone, you will end up with no friends and therefore nobody to whom to witness at all. IMO, t’s better to become friends with people you enjoy and have interests similar to yours. Then, when the time is right, the Holy Spirit will tell you how to begin to plant seeds, which you will do with joy. I’m in my 60’s & went to a HS with 3,000 students. My husband & I got our 3 kids through HS and college, so I have lots of hardcore experience!
“Too many people named Peter, we’ll call him SIMON Peter”. 😂 love you Mike
Even stranger that his name wasn't even Peter (unless you believe that the unlearned, untaught Messiah spoke Greek) and in Aramaic was actually Kepha (Cephas). Instead of transliterating his name, it was translated as Petros (a rock).
I have come to think of love as an expression of value. We love things and people to the degree that we value them, or more accurately recognize their value. God alone has ultimate, infinite, and self existent value, and we have derivative and unalterable value as being created in His image. When I love someone I recognize and cherish their value, both objectively/intrinsically and subjective to me. When I married my wife we bound our value together, thus our union has value almost as a unique entity. Love does not exist without value and the recognition of value in others.
Hating the devil also has the risk of pulling you into a battle with him. A battle that isn't ours to fight. We are to ask Christ to fight for us or flee, not engage in battle directly with Satan.
I had a vision on 29Dec last year. I’ve been struggling with mental health issues as a veteran. I was sitting there thinking what I am going to do next in my life and I had a great idea of “I’m gonna go work for the Lord” as soon as I thought that I saw red 🫀 like that.. nothing gross.. then all of a sudden a blue mist/vapor/fog engulfed the heart and I felt exactly what I saw. I did see a flash of purple before the blue got so dense on the heart I could barely see it anymore. When the blue mist started engulfing the red heart.. I did see a flash of purple until the blue was dense. (Makes sense looking at a red heart through a blue mist would see purple I’d think)
This has changed my life because I know the purpose of life now from that experience. It’s all about love. What does the Bible say about this kind of stuff and visions?
I’d love to hear from Mike about this! I also have a testimony that goes along with it. Any advice?
Visions and dreams are quite a common experience for many in the Old Testament. Joseph interprets dreams, Daniel, Zechariah, and Ezekiel have very vivid prophetic dreams, Solomon asks God for wisdom in a vision/dream. In the NT, the Spirit occurs frequently in Acts to warn the apostles and to guide them. What the New Testament tells us is to test the Spirit (check out 1 John 4:1). Test what you have seen and what your interpretation of it is against what Jesus says, and then against what the apostles say. Consult a pastor you trust and get their opinion if you think this is God calling you down a certain path. I hope this helps! God bless.
@@chandlerl2189 thanks! I’m really struggling in the civilian sector.. I’m medically retired from the military and can technically “work for the Lord”. Whatever I seen that filled up that heart and energized me definitely seemed to of affirmed that that thought.. I just don’t know if I need to go back to school? I have a BS in curriculum development.. maybe I need to create something to help the lost? I have a testimony to share too, lol!
@@TimsAvatar I also feel a calling, in a direction of teaching. I guess the best thing to do is to pray, pray, and pray some more!
With your Curriculum development degree you could use it to design programs for Christian schools, with maybe a bit of seminary schooling. Or maybe God is calling you to work in a public school system and help education. Or maybe there’s something totally different God has in store for you. But the more time we spend in fellowship with other believers, praying, and spending time in the word, God will make His designs shown to us - maybe even just a small snippet to get on the right track.
@@chandlerl2189 I’ve been down some very dark paths and also feel the need to help the veteran community struggling with a 20 year war that ended the way it did.
@@TimsAvatar then maybe that’s who God’s calling you to minister to!
Lord Jesus ... Let love rain, like sweet mercy from heaven. Let mercy flow like waves and waves flowing richly from the heart of God. May love arise ... may mercy come forth ... may love and mercy bring forth hearts of compassion. Compassion for the lost, compassion for the thirsty, compassion for the hungry, compassion for the poor, compassion for the homeless, compassion for others. Not in just words or deeds done, but from the depths of the heart seeking to give Glory to God through open arms embracing the needs of others. May we look with the heart of God. May we see with his eyes or mercy and compassion and may we do all things to His Glory. For the river of God is love, may it flow richly through us. For the river of God is sweet mercy, may it flow richly through us. For the river of God is compassion, may they see it in our eyes, hear it from our hearts and see it through open arms embracing the needs of others. ------- May we place others even before ourselves and all love like Jesus.
Thank you so very much 👍😊🙏!
When I remember singing the song “how he loves us,“ I remember the line as “unforeseen kiss.“ Then again, when we sang “so will I,“ we also use the word moving instead of evolving, so they may well have seen how inappropriate that line was, especially for the youth ministry. Lol.
There is another, deeper aspect to the God IS Love answer. Everything Mike said is true, but there is a difficulty with the English language’s use of the single word “love” to cover a wide range of concepts, from self-centered “I love ice cream” to self-less “He so loved his fellow soldiers he gave up his life to save them.”
And so there is a range from SELF-directed OTHER directed. Selfish Self-less.
Greek has a bit more nuance in that there are four different words that are translated as “love” in English. Those range from brotherly love/friendship to familial love to erotic love to self-less love. That last is Agape. And that is specifically the word Scripture uses to define God as love: God IS Agape. This means that God is perfectly self-less, outwardly directed love. Mike nailed the importance of the Trinity in this aspect. The only possible way for God to BE outwardly, other-directed Love is if there are some other persons within God such that the Father can be outwardly loving of the Son and the Spirit, the Son outwardly loving to the Father and the Spirit, and the Spirit being outwardly loving to the Father and the Son. Before God created anything, God existed as three persons who were perfectly and completely focused outwardly between the Persons of the Trinity. It also explains why God would create the universe. More specifically, why God would create creatures capable of having a relationship with Him. Naturally the outwardly directed desire to love others would motivate God to create creatures to love. And because God’s love is 100% Self-LESS, God did not create us out of any lack or incompleteness within God. God was perfectly complete in Himself. God did not NEED to create anything, including us, in order to have love, or even to receive honor and glory. God already had all of those things before creating anything else. But the beautiful thing is that God’s nature as Agape love caused God to want to create creatures who also have the capacity to choose outwardly directed love. First to God, but also to one another (love God and love others). That is why we were created, and that is (most likely) the very Imago Dei that we have been endowed with. And this also explains sin, actually. Because if God were selfish, God would have created creatures who had no choice other than to honor and obey and love God. But that would be selfish, self-centered of God, and would not at all take into account the desires of the creatures themselves. BECAUSE God is Agape, God created creatures with the freedom to CHOOSE to love Him, or to CHOOSE not to. Then, when we freely CHOOSE to love God, God knows it is our own free choice to do so. Similarly, when people choose to reject God and NOT to love Him, God also honors that choice. Now, there are consequences of that choice. God is the only source of life itself. Only the Father and the Son have life in and of themselves (John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself). No creature has life in ourselves. We were created, and we cannot extend our lives by a second. And so those who choose to use the freedom God gave them to reject God and separate themselves from Him, will suffer the consequences of their own choice. God, being Agape, STILL will not FORCE those people to love and honor and serve and obey Him forever, when they don’t WANT to. And so they end up destroying themselves.
All of this ties back to God being Agape, and thus 100% self-less and 100% other-focused.
'God is Love' solves the Euthyphro dilemma.
Single for Christ🔥🔥
The rich man did not look to close the gap of poverty and excess. He indulged, thoughtless of bringing glory to God with what was given.
This story is actually about the Jewish leadership rejecting Jesus as the Messiah.
The verse in 2 Timothy 3:6 describes so poignantly the JW,s that lured me 30 years ago, also ,”always learning but never acknowledging the truth”.
I’m 74 and still growing.
Thank you Pastor Mike, you have described the matter of 2 services for vaccinated and unvaccinated in one ⛪️ with great diligence.
Church ⛪️ basically has done a awesome and made sure that everyone can come to same place as there own peace.
If you show the Accuser real love, the Accuser will literally fall to the ground & crawl just to get away from the Truth that you stand with, The Truth that shows you your path
Can you do a video on Christadelphianism? That would be exceedingly helpful to me.
"Holding people together " is a more gracious interpretation of their motive. However, if maintaining the unity of the Spirit is their goal, Iwould hope they would actually give that as an explanation to the body in order to promote understanding. I'd also expect , at th very least, they d communicate this kind of division to be temporary. Although, even typing this to me sounds like talking out of both sides of my mouth 😦
I do have a question (triggered by your statement that the church is a group of believers-which i totally agree with): I've been a Christian since '72, and have attended many churches. So many of them seemed to preach exclusively to the unsaved. I would have loved a message from the Bible geared towards the saved. We need that too, and teaching. It often seems so unbalanced.
I'm really glad Crowder switched it from "sloppy wet kiss" to "unforseen kiss" cause I don't think I could sing the original line lol
I actually prefer "passionate kiss" as a replacement, and we have used that in our church gatherings. An unforeseen kiss is not necessarily a good thing, and I don't think it conveys the intended point.
So god is 3 persons so god can love himself, that's a new one.
People contemplating that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit love one another is well over a millennia old. Definitely not new.
How could an eternal God be love if there was no way to love anyone/anything in eternity? Of course God is 3 in 1 and can love himself.
Forgiveness - yes!!!
God isn’t defined or confined by our idea of Love, but love is defined by who he is. Ergo that verse isnt defining God. It is defining love.
Mike, it's part of the Image.
I do love the bit about 'peeking' into the divine knowledge lol
Praise Lord Mike Sir Please bring a Breif Video On How to Interpret Bible in Context
excellent
My Dicky V commentary here... "pastor MIikeeeee, he's awwesssoome, he's the former embryo on booaarrd babyyyy. he's ssuuper ssenssationaalll. He's showin Christ is the truth, the light, and the waaayyy babyyyyy!"
Thanks for answering my question! It felt pretty cool, but it also gave me some insight as to just how to deal with people who might push back!
Going back to 1:06:23, it makes sense that after Jacob’s Trouble, the surviving Jews beg God for forgiveness and accept Christ. At that moment Jesus returns to Earth (see Luke 13:35).
27:23- MIKEEEE WINGERRR! I LAUGHED AT THE VERY SAME TIME! You tried to change the subject but were you laughing at the idea that someone would make such a statement about Lazarus? It was funny.