Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 Introduction 1. 0:15 How do the Jehovah's Witnesses mistranslate and misuse John 1:1 in their "New World Translation"? 2. 10:22 What does Matthew 24: 34 mean? What is the "all these things" Jesus speaks of? Would the original audience/early church have thought He was referring to the second and final coming? 3. 20:54 What does Matthew 26: 46 mean? 4. 22:08 Can you explain the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:1? It cannot possibly mean that half the Church fails to enter in...or does it? 5. 26:18 I've heard people support abortion using Numbers 5, specifically v. 27. What is your take on that? 6. 30:43 The OT often calls the Old Covenant an eternal or everlasting covenant. If it is eternal and everlasting, how can there be a New Covenant? 7. 32:22 If I don’t read the Bible and pray every day, I feel a huge amount of guilt - like I’ve sinned and am not even worthy to be a Christian. Is this kind of guilty conscience or conviction healthy, or not? 8. 34:57 In Mark 7: 27-28, do you think that this passage is a good way to highlight that the eucharist is specifically spiritual and not physical flesh, or do you think it's not correlated enough? 9. 36:26 What is the "rod" in Proverbs 13: 24? Is it a method of corporal punishment, or does it refer to a rod of truth with which we hold our children/households accountable to? 10. 39:52 As a struggling Calvinist, could you explain the apparent favoritism of God throughout the Bible and why He "chooses" some over others? (ex. Jacob/Esau, Abraham, Prophets, and Moses.) 11. 43:01 In Genesis 9, Noah seems to curse Canaan for the actions of his father, Ham. Do you think Noah cursed Canaan, or is Moses emphasizing Canaan on purpose? 12. 44:26 How do you respond to the claim that Jesus came to dismantle systems of oppression? though He did dismantle "systems" like legalism, it also seems to diminish the Gospel when it becomes the focus. 13. 45:55 My wife and I are wondering if the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15) clarifies Hebrews 6:4-6...We both believe salvation is eternal. Thoughts? 14. 49:32 I don't feel the witness of the Holy Spirit or a love for God. I trust Christ to save me, but I'm not seeing fruit. Does the inward work of God take longer for some people? 15. 52:19 Is "the anointing" a real thing, or is it just another word for the Holy Spirit? And can we get an anointing today? Any verses to support your argument? 16. 53:54 How do we reconcile forgiveness for our sins by His work on the cross with being examined on Judgment Day? If we sin and receive forgiveness, will that be brought up again when we stand before God? 17. 57:03 Would you ever recommend The Message Bible? Any possible problems you see with it? 18. 58:53 Do you think some people focus too much on extravagant mission trips or campaigns instead of evangelizing by acting good in the world? 19. 1:02:13 In 1 Corinthians 6: 12 & 1 Corinthians 10: 22, Paul says all things are lawful. I know he isn't talking about sinful things, but is he talking about the law? I need some clarification. Thanks! 20. 1:06:38 I’ve heard some churches teach the "holy kiss" (1 Corinthians 16: 20) as a commandment. I’m curious about your thoughts on the matter.
"My heart goes out to you (Jehovah's Witnesses). This is not an attack on you - this was done to you." (re: New World translation) Mike, this comment brought me to tears - you are so godly and compassionate.
@OTTO OCTAVIOUS ; Yeah ... Same usual bad arguments and misconceptions by Mike here and other Trinitarians. ... First beyond the fact that the traditional translation of Jn. 1:1c "the Word was God" won't fit the context of the Word being "with God" in Jn. 1:1b and next in verse 1:2, leading to a flat contradiction of the entire verse. But as you point out about Acts 28:6 (and notice even at Acts 28:4 Luke uses the **exact same grammar as Jn. 1:1c, "a murderer") Here's a comparison of the same grammar structure used throughout ALL of John's Gospel. ... Jn. 1:1c - "the Word **was God** -- Traditional rendering favored by Trinitarians. ... Jn. 1:1c - " ... was a god" (NWT) ************** Jn. 4:19 - "... are a prophet" Jn. 6:70 - " ... is a devil" Jn. 8:34 - " ... is a slave" Jn. 8:44 - " ... was a murderer" Jn. 8:44 - "... is a liar" Jn. 8:48 - "... are a Samaritan" Jn. 9:8 - " ... was a beggar" Jn. 9:17 - " ... is a prophet" Jn. 9:24 - " ... is a sinner" Jn. 9:25 - " ... is a sinner" Jn. 10.1 - " ... is a thief" Jn. 10:13 - " ... is a hired hand" Jn. 12:6 - " ... was a thief" Jn. 18:35 - " ... am not a Jew" Jn. 18:37 - " ... are a King" Jn. 18:37 - " ... am a King" So which translation of Jn. 1:1 is really being consistent with the text here? Obviously not the traditional Trinitarian one. ...
And guess the early Coptic Christians of the 3rd century CE "butchered" Jn. 1:1 as well. Even through they were native speakers of the biblical koine Greek back when it was still a living language. When they translated Jn. 1:1 into their Egyptian Sahidic dialect as ... **Ϩ"Ⲛ ⲦⲈϨⲞⲨⲈⲒⲦⲈ ⲚⲈϤϢⲞⲞⲠ ⲚϬⲒ ⲠϢⲀϪⲈ"** "In the beginning existed the Word" **"ⲀⲨⲰ ⲠϢⲀϪⲈ ⲚⲈϤϢⲞⲞⲠ ⲚⲚⲀϨⲢⲘ ⲠⲚⲞⲨⲦⲈ"** "And the Word existed in the presence of the God" **"ⲀⲨⲰ ⲚⲈⲨⲚⲞⲨⲦⲈ ⲠⲈ ⲠϢⲀϪⲈ."** **"And a god was the Word."**
@@antonioterrell354 I am not familiar with a Coptic Christian translation of the Gospel of John. However, the Coptic Church DOES claim the Apostle's Creed in their confession of faith, which is absolutely a Trinitarian creed.,
@OTTO OCTAVIOUS ; Yep, it certainly is, or at least "should be" obvious to any truly **honest** reader anyway. Just like in the verse you cited at Acts 28:6, the following should also likewise be "obvious" to anyone regarding another supposed Trinitarian "prooftext" at Jn. 10:33. Where again there is the **exact** same Greek grammar there where "theon" is an anarthrous predicate accusative after the verb ... And the traditional Trinitarian rendering from the ESV for instance: ... Acts 28:6 -- " ...and said that he was **a god."** Jn. 10:33 -- " ... being a man, make **yourself God.”** NWT reading: ... Acts 28:6 -- " ... and began saying he was **a god."** Jn. 10:33 -- " ... being a man, make yourself **a god"** So once more, which Bible translation is truly being consistent with the text? Quite obviously not the Trinitarian one ...
@OTTO OCTAVIOUS I agree with what you and Antonio Terrell have shown, this video shows the lack of understanding or any real knowledge of the scriptures.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child" is one proverb that I've had a lot of problems with over the years. First off, it's how I was raised and, in my personal opinion, my parents did a fantastic job at enforcing it biblically. They never hit in anger (or at least not that I could tell), they talked about what we did wrong and we would apologize and hug it out, then we'd go on about our day with little negative repercussions but the knowledge that, if you don't want another spanking, don't do that behaviour again. It worked wonders on me... not so much my sister who would lie to get out of spankings and then she'd just get in more trouble but would never learn. But I had fully planned on following in my parent's example when I had kids of my own... Then my son was born. I did stick to it for the first few years of his life, but not only did it not work, his behaviour just became worse and he would hit me, my husband, and other kids all the time. We were told that we just weren't disciplining him enough or severely enough. We only found out when he entered elementary school that he is Autistic and has ADHD. So he would just see our behaviours and emulate them. So if we spanked him, he would spank us and others. He couldn't connect the behaviour to the consequence so he didn't learn from it. Then we decided to adopt (we could only have one child) and, in order to be eligible for adoption, we weren't allowed to use any form of physical punishment in our house. So we did a parenting study by Dr.Gordon Neufeld (a Christian develpmental physiologist that specializes in parenting) and we learned how children just react to the world around them. If a child is acting out, it is because they are lacking in something that they need. Acting out is an inappropriate way of getting what they want, but they don't know how to communicate what they need at that age. So instead of punishing your child when they misbehave, ask why they are misbehaving then discipline them to teach them the correct way of asking for what they need. Most importantly, discipline comes from the word "disciple", which means to lead by example, not to punish. Within a month our son had completely changed. He's going into his teen years now and he's different than the average kid, but he always has good intentions. He tries hard to always be kind. He loves the Lord and teachers say that he's a good example in the classroom when it comes to treating others with kindness (though he's terrible at staying on task and following directions, but he really tries and it's not his fault). And in the past years, we changed our minds from adopting to foster care. Children in care have often been through horrific events that are unimaginable to many. They act out because they have never been taught how to be kind. Spanking them would only scare them and would not show them love. If they throw a tantrum, you might need to just give them a hug and tell them that nothing they do will make you toss them out, because everyone in their life has abandoned them. Or maybe you celebrate their first tantrum because they've always been so scared to even speak because every time they cried, they were abused... you know that they finally trust you enough to let their guard down. In conclusion, I always assumed that the "rod" had to be metaphorical, possibly in reference to the "stick vs carrot" methods of parenting. You can't use the carrot approach (aka bribe them), you need to use the stick. That can be not letting them play video games till they clean up the mess they made when they through their food on the floor. When they do something wrong, they consequences should suit the action and they should be taught how to resolve the issue to make it better, but taught that you can't always make it better. If you hurt someone's feelings, they will still be hurt even if you apologize and try to make it up to them. The goal is to not do those things anymore. It seems much easier to give a spanking and say that it's dealt with. It's much harder to walk alongside them and figure out what is going on in their minds and how to resolve the issues. I'm also not sure why the rod would be literal if the holy kiss is not. In either case, I'm not going to use the rod because I have signed legal documents that say that I won't. The positive change I've seen in my son since we stopped spankings has been enough that I would never do it again. Kids with disabilities or trauma can react very negatively to a literal rod. They don't always understand what they are doing or how it effects others. They often have a mental age that is far younger than their physical age, so even though they look like a teenager, they could mentally be a preschooler. They still need guidance, and often strict guidance, but punishment doesn't solve the problem, it just causes them to fear consequences instead of learning from their mistakes.
I feel you have a lot of truth here, but not all of the truth. I often felt that the rod is often a method of last resort and is not actually used to harm the child. There often needs to be an “or else” or you run out of punishments that the child cares about, as they can safely ignore all the punishments. That being said, you are totally right that too many people too often jump to the end of that list. It is best to find out why they are acting out and guide them through it and walk alongside them. I feel scripture shows this as that is how Jesus walked among us. You do also see when He didn’t spare the rod in the church. I believe this is the example he set. 99.9% of the time Jesus walks along side us, but when all the correction in the world doesn’t stop people from turning the holy temple into a den of inequity He didn’t spare the rod. It was his absolute last resort and never used before or since in scripture.
I know you actually read your comments so I had to share this one. :) I recommended your videos to a friend, and she expressed skepticism about your level of worldliness because your hair looks so nice. I not only assured her that this was misleading but also pointed out that you are married (and so have a sartorial advisor) and also sent her videos of your hair from a few years back. She laughed and agreed that you had not only an acceptably humble hairdo but that the old one was so uncool that it would balance out almost any level of "cool pastor" polish in the future. I thought you'd have the sense of humor to appreciate this one.
I know Mike’s people in this group are good people. Now about Mike’s hair and shirt. Why is that a thing. I didn’t want to attend church for a while cause I didn’t have the right clothes. I finally went to a JW hall because they were okay with leggings and a shirt. Eventually they provided me with other clothes. Now I can afford decent clothing, I no longer go to a JW hall and I feel clean and neat is great.
I’ve been trying to deprogram from my JW upbringing. I’ve watched many of your JW videos. Please I ask that you pray that the “truth” will be made known to me. I’m so confused after this religion it’s almost made me doubt any faith. I feel like a mental train wreck from it. Thank you!
God bless you, DancesWithBears. May the truth be revealed to you and may the conflict within your heart cease. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Keep reading a good translation of the Bible and pray as you read. Ask the Spirit to enlighten you and wash you with the water in the word. It will take some time, but He is faithful, just keep reading and praying, opening up your heart to Him.
Hello i recommend watchtower examination channel. Winston is the owner of the channel and he has many wonderful videos that can help with what you are going thru. I'm not persuading you from this channel but there are channels that deal specifically with JWs and helping them to critically think. Don't give up on seeking the truth and seeking GOD.🤗
Hi Bro. I too was raised a JW and really understand where you at. I myself had these battles in the beggining. I stuggled to accept the cross but was accepting that he was God. Through prayer God showed me and explained to me everything concerning the true christian faith. Keep up with it and the Spirit will reveal to you. You in the right place by questioning the jw faith and the Son is right beside you ready to correct their false doctrine. Hang in there budy, you do Win the battle. Amen
I was a Jehovah's witness for 30 years.... accepting the trinity was THEE hardest for me to believe in. I still struggle a bit but have come a long way. Jw"s are a very dark cult.
Hi!! Me too, I was in for 41 years baptized 30. I too have been struggling with the trinity. No conclusion yet. Might I suggest if you have not already reach out to Lori Jane her channel is Simply Christian. She has come to her own conclusion and is willing to share how she got there, she'll email you back or zoom with you. I am just taking in what everyone believes and then re-reading the NT straight through and then praying to God about it. I know he will lead me just not sure I will see it when he does. I mean...I was in a cult for 41 years took me awhile to see that one... :)
THANK YOU for question #1! I'm an exjw as of Aug 2020 and the Trinity has been the hardest doctrine for me go accept (yet I am trying). Your comments get me closer to understanding. Very grateful!
Praise God! Btw, check out Acts 20:28! All three persons of God on display in Paul's words. Also, the Great Commission, "baptizing them in the NAME (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (plural)." Love it
Your attitude toward mission trips mirrors my own. When I go on a mission trip, I pay my own way and I don't ask people to donate toward my expenses because it doesn't make sense for other people to pay for my vacation.
If it's a vacation, you're doing it wrong. In order to be a true missions trip, you should experience one or more of the following: 1. Dysentery 2. Malaria 3. 2nd degree sunburn over 25% of the body 4. Kidnapping (counts as 2) 🙂
I’ve never heard Matthew 24 taught in any way except as signs for the end. I have to say, after listening to this, your viewpoint is compelling, and I may have to look into it further. Thanks
Mike; Thank you for your deep understanding of the Bible. Unfortunately for me, I tend to "read" through it too fast and don't get the true meaning. Thank you for taking the time to break it down into smaller pieces so that I can understand the true meaning. You are a blessing.
Hi Mike. I grew up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm an old lady now. I am now a true Christian and was baptized nine years ago. It was VERY hard to move past the things that the JWs ingrained in me. I was told not to read or listen to anything that was not written by the Watchtower Society, so it was many years before I ever found out how wrong they are. It makes me sad to think of all the years I wasted by not truly knowing God. I feel like my life would have been very different, in a good way, had I never been exposed to the JWs. I'm so glad you're putting the word out. May God bless you!
Our church does missions trips well. They set up new water filtration systems, clear and build buildings to start orphanages and schools. Also handing out necessary items to families and sharing the gospel.
@Strelizia De Witt The rod was not an analogy. It was and had to be used as a tool for corporal punishment. Proverbs 23,13-14 makes it quite clear. You discipline children like slaves by beating them with a rod. Wounds and blood were tolerated as collateral damage. The strikes save the soul of the child. That justifies hefty pain and suffering during the punishment. Some circles of of christian extremists are abusing their children today based on such verses.
Seek God’s will daily all, pray for help to be not only a hearer but also doer, spread The Good News such a time as these. 1 Corinthians 15:1-11 Matthew 24:44👑
Well, God knows the future. It stands He would know who would be saved. That would be His decision to craft the future in such a way. Doesn't the aforementioned information follow logic and Scripture?
For those looking for mission options in the southeast US, Mission Serve is a great option. Focused on getting youth involved, but adults are always needed. It functions basically as a Christian summer camp combined with a labor/ministry focused mission trip. It is a great resource to expose youth to the joy of serving others.
Mike, I totally agree with you about the value of short "mission trips". I have worked in developing countries for years and have to force myself to have a generous spirit when encountering these church groups. I know it can be eye-opening and life-changing for many people/teens, but it's largely vanity. One group I knew spent $60,000 for two weeks doing some unskilled job.
I agree with you on the efficiency of short term mission trips. I did though see a case where it was helpful: When I went on trips to do a camp for kids in a foreign country. We saw that this impacted the kids and they carried forward fond memories for years. Just the memory of this foreigner picking one of them up on the sholders and give them a piggy back ride impacted them, especially those that came from difficult backgrounds. Perhaps it is just because kids see the games and make associations to what it was thought. Of course it in itself was not enough. This just left a positive message and the local church needs to follow up later and walk with them.
In my country, spanking has been made illegal. You can literally have your kids taken off you if they tell their teachers that you've been smacking them. It makes you feel so torn, because you feel like you're being a bad parent, but the risk is far too great. Also, without spanking, basically the only avenue left in a lot of situations is emotional manipulation and/or bribery with food! I refuse to believe these are less harmful in the long term than a judicious smack here and there. Sigh.
to say "the only avenue left in a lot of situations is emotional manipulation and/or bribery with food" is false." If you remove privileges, as Allen C has also pointed out, for whatever length of time you deem necessary, this seems to be a far more effective disciplinary strategy than physical punishment.
Yes, hopefully soon we will be getting into the years when my kids can understand the nuances of cause and effect of such punishments! What I mean about emotional manipulation is this: when they don't yet have the language to understand a seemingly arbitrary punishment, basically you HAVE to make them feel bad somehow, and it has to be immediate so they make the connection. I would find myself literally sitting there trying to think up ways to make my son cry, and I felt like a monster! And it seems to me that's not doing his little soul any less damage than a rare smack to enforce boundaries, because it's still me, his mother, making him feel bad enough about it that he doesn't want to do it again, and all methods of doing that seem cruel or damaging in one way or another. But as Mike says, we are really doing it in love, not anger, even if it doesn't appear that way to the child! Obviously this isn't a parenting blog, so I guess my main point was that it's a little scary when the laws of the land start to conflict with what we feel we have biblical permission to do. No doubt this will extend to many other issues in time.
Not making a recommendation here, but a 'funny' way around it. My Dad always told us he'd kill whoever we told. Obviously, we wouldn't tell because we'd have to have a relationship of trust with the person before we could consider telling them to begin with, but then would not because we cared about their well-being.
A JW came to my doorstep once. I asked her if Jesus was lying when he said, "I and the Father are one (John 10:30)?" And then I kept going with an Asimov illustration: the largest single cell organism known to us is an amoeba. The largest creature, ever, is a blue whale (composed of many cells). From the perspective of an amoeba, is a blue whale one or many? Sadly, the conversation ended there with a meek "I don't know".
Well I don't really see why that's such a difficult question to answer, and sorry to hear that, if it was really as you say, the JW ended the conversation there. As the answer is quite simple. ... Where the single cell amoeba is viewed as "one" **ontologically** ... The many cells of the Blue Whale (or any living creature for that matter) may also be viewed as "one" by all of them operating in **unity** or **agreement** with one another. Of which the later is the meaning of the "one" (Gk. neuter "hen") at Jn. 10:30. That the Father and his Son Jesus are in "unity", "agreement," or "accord" with each other as with both them and the apostles at Jn. 17:22, 23. Or Paul and Apollos at 1 Cor. 3:8 where the same Greek term "hen" is used there.
@@dpwellman ; How is it wrong? As I told you, the "one" mentioned at Jn. 10:30 means one in unity or agreement as it does in those other passages as I pointed out. Same at 1 Jn. 5:8, where the spirit, water, and blood are said to "agree as one", Gk. "hen" (KJV).
@@IchigosBestFriend ; It's explained the same way as it is at Jn. 14:9 ... Where John records Jesus's words to his apostle Phillip in the **Greek grammar** as "Phillip so long a time, I am." And an "honest" (very key word here) English Bible translation should consistently follow the rules of **English grammar** in translation, not Greek. Where at Jn. 14:9 it should properly read in English as "Phillip **Have I been** with you so long a time ..." That is, "I am" in the Greek grammar there means "Have I been" in English translation. So likewise at Jn. 8:58 John records Jesus in the Greek grammar as "before Abraham became, I am." Therefore it should properly read in English as ... **"I have been** in existence before Abraham was born." Which means Jesus is simply saying that he was already in existence before Abraham's birth (as were all God's angelic sons for that matter, cf. Job 38:7). And is still in existence when he spoke those words to the unbelieving Jews gathered there at the time.
33:33 I found it by repenting meaning to turn away from what I was doing wrong rather than just saying I was sorry was exactly what our Lord was wanting.
Yes Bro Mike, in 1 John 2:27, the Holy Spirit is the anointing we have received of Him..... "But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him." But this is not "the anointing" that many churches talk about people getting later for different things. It seems to be speaking of the Spirit Himself here.
Heartfelt thanks for the thorough studies you do! More heartfelt thanks for passing them on! I am a better teacher because of all the additional understanding I’ve gained from your videos. Blessings!
To the one who was concerned about the inner witness of the Holy Spirit. Find out how Jesus Christ knew who He was. Hebrews 10:7 has the answer. It was written in the Scriptures of Him. IOW, He found out who He was from seeing Himself in the Scripture. Find out who you are by seeing what God has to say about you. A good place to start is Ephesians 1. As for not feeling like you love God. Go through the last 3-4 chapters of each Gospel and see all that Jesus Christ did for you.
You are 100% correct on your interpretation of the matthew 24 prophecy. The gathering together unto him also happens at the sound of a trumpet. So all the pre-trib rapture people are also highly irritated. Because the Bible teaches that happens "Immediately after the tribulation of those days."
If someone came to me full of shame and sorrowful of legitimately just ignoring me, discounting me when I speak with them, etc etc etc... Yeah, I would like them to be acknowledge it. So YES. She should feel a sense of guilt and righteous sorrow.
The key verse in Matthew 24 is probably verse 34, where Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." Jesus is speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem in this verse, which would come upon that generation. But this verse is also a transitional verse. In other words, 'before' verse 34 He is primarily speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem; but 'after' verse 34 He switches to talking about His Second Coming at the end of time. That's the best understanding that fits the evidence in this passage!
I agree. Matthew has Jesus using "this generation" several times and they always refer to the generation to whom Jesus was talking. I would recommend Dr Gentry's excellent book "The Olivet Discourse Made Easy". Don't be fooled by the title. It's deep with many scripture references and footnotes. For example, the sun not giving its light, the moon turning to blood and stars falling from the skies is not meant to be taken literally. Jesus is employing the very same apocalyptic language Isaiah uses in his prophecy against Babylon in Isaiah 13.
@@billgillin3124 Thanks Bill, I appreciate the recommendation. Yes, it's important to understand that this is symbolic language commonly used in the O.T in the judgment of nations.
Hi Aidan. You're welcome but just for clarity I was posting the recommendation for anyone who was interested. I was a believer for over 40 years that Matt 24 was about our future but the work of Gary DeMar and Dr Kenneth Gentry really helped me to reevaluate that. Paying attention to the topic at hand (the temple), the audience references (Jesus uses "you" not "they or "them") and time references ("this generation" multiple times instead of "that generation") really cleared this up for me.
@@billgillin3124 Hi Bill, I would have a mixed view of Matt 24. And I would agree about paying attention to the topic at hand, especially with their questions at the beginning and how Jesus deals with each of those questions in sequence. Note verse 3, Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Notice how their question is either twofold or threefold, depending on how you look at it. First, "Tell us, when will these things be?" seems to refer to the destruction of the Temple in verses 1 and 2. That would indeed be a cataclysmic event, perhaps even world ending in the mind of a Jew. Next, they ask, "what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Is that two separate questions or all the one question? I'm not sure. The Greek word translated "coming" in the original question of the disciples (v.3) is "parousia." Scholars define this word so as to necessitate the personal presence of the one identified in the coming under consideration. Without doubt, this is what the disciples had in mind in their question. Although the English word "coming" is translated from various Greek words, "parousia" is never used except in keeping with the above meaning. It appears in this chapter in verses 3, 27, 37, and 39. It is also interesting to note that an entirely different Greek word is used in verse 30: ".....and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." This verse 30 relates to the destruction of Jerusalem and not to His personal presence at His Second Coming. While other Greek words may be used to refer to the same thing (depending upon where the emphasis is to be placed ), wherever the word " parousia " appears reference is always to the presence of the one whose coming is under consideration. Therefore, the only conclusion is that after verse 34 the coming of the Lord refers to His Second Coming. Although "parousia" is used in v.27, which refers to the Second Coming of Christ, what is said is no sign of the event under consideration (namely, the destruction of Jerusalem). Rather, it stands in CONTRAST to the event signified by the signs of verses 23-26.
@Desire Of All Nations The coming in Judgment against Jerusalem and the Jewish nation was not a literal coming of the Lord. Matthew 24:29-30, NKJV- “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Just as the LORD'S coming in Judgment against nations like Egypt and Babylon in Isaiah 19 and 13 was not a literal coming. Isaiah 19:1, NKJV "The burden against Egypt. Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud, And will come into Egypt; The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence, And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst." Isaiah 13:9,10,13. NKJV Behold, the day of the LORD comes, Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, To lay the land desolate; And He will destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not give their light; The sun will be darkened in its going forth, And the moon will not cause its light to shine. Therefore I will shake the heavens, And the earth will move out of her place, In the wrath of the LORD of hosts And in the day of His fierce anger. Think about it!
Q. 7. Really helped me out a lot. Thank you so much for your ministry, I praise the Lord for what He is doing through you. God bless you and all who make your ministry possible.
Q: How are we to understand Matthew 5:23-24, 6:14-15, 18:21- on, and Luke 17:3-4? Does this mean God won't hear our prayers if we don't forgive or reconcile?
#18. With regard to mission trips, and the time and money. Our church works with a mission in India. When we first started making trips, my wife, who is on our mission leadership team, asked our contact in India if it wouldn't be better to just send the money, and the answer was a resounding, "No!" The main reasons being that Western foreigners, especially Americans, carry a lot of social capital in their culture and foreigners can make inroads where locals cannot. We were allowed to take the Gospel into local schools. Once we had plowed that ground the locals could to follow-up, but they were not allowed to break that ground. We also work with a mission in the Balkans, and we were their sending church. With them the visit "from home" is as important as the work we do while we are there. Again, there is also a cultural thing. The more we can do to raise the missionaries' esteem in the eyes of the community the more work they can accomplish. God has used very seemingly mundane things like painting classrooms in an orphanage to accomplish very great things like starting a Christ-centered group home simply by the relationships these mundane things built. The leaps in discipleship for the team members is also huge, as Mike rightly points out.
49:32... This has helped me sooooo much. Pastor Mike, you have relieved me of a lot of mental anxiety and stress. Thank God for leading me to this video, and for JW for asking that question.
The parable about the wise and foolish virgins is about the 2nd advent and is for Israel during the tribulation (at the end of). The virgins are the attendants to the bride and the bride is the Church who returns with the bridegroom at the battle of Armageddon.
Great job Mike! I learned these thing's from Dr. Martin in the early 80's, he told us to source the material's when ever possible and recommended garage sale's and used book stores (for those of us on a budget). I was able to purchase a NW translation and scored a 1942 edition of the Emphatic Diaglott 5 bucks. Really appreciate your carrying on such a vital ministry, especially in these day's
That's a good point. When a contract is "fullfilled," It's no longer binding upon the two parties. When it is succeeded by a superior Covenant, which is the Gospel and Jesus' commandments therein, attempted adherence to the old is followed only by legalists and deniers of the superiority of what Christ Jesus accomplished.
I have been on your youtube site half a dozen times. I find your teaching to always be challenging. It sheds light on my ever present bad behaviors (sin). Thank you for your faithfulness.
The “rod” verse is so misused! It is not advocating corporal punishment. It is advocating discipline. The rod is referring to a shepherd’s crook, used to guide and correct the sheep when they went astray. They did not beat the sheep with it. Discipline using fear and force gets you exactly what Mike said. Not effective parenting.
Pastor Mike, love your teachings. Re question 20, the Bible says it FIVE times: "Greet each other with a holy KISS" Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14 So wonder about this very much. Blessings from Canada.
I don't like the fact that some Christian circles claim that the Trinity is a mystery that is too difficult to understand. How would we ever teach it if it is too difficult to understand? It is a central tenet of Christian orthodoxy. If it was beyond our understanding, that would be strange. Perhaps some facets seem more difficult to grasp than others. I don't know, I have always felt that it was strange to claim it is too mysterious to comprehend.
Regarding your answer to question #14: I know this is two years old, but I agree with your answer about "loving" God. There are a lot of churches that put a lot of emphasis on feelings, on having an experience, on receiving a gift, etc., and a lot of people are left feeling dejected and often leave fellowship because they didn't have that same ecstatic experience, an experience that they were led to believe they ought to experience. I'm autistic, so I can say that not everyone feels and expresses love and emotion the same way. (Or even love for one person the same way as for another!) And love for God isn't an "emotion" anyway, is it? I think it's unfortunate that English only has one word for "love", when the Greek had half a dozen, so it's often confusing: what does this passage or that passage mean by "love"? Love for God isn't the emotional high that you get when you fall in love with a woman; it's more of an "I will hold you in awe and reverence, I will be faithful and committed." It's more a function of the will than it is from emotion. It is a decision. As the song goes, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back." It is our decision to follow him and serve him, our faith, that is the expression of that form of love, not any sort of overwhelming emotional or ecstatic experience (though that may be there for some people, for others it may not be). We must never base our faith on our feelings!
Question 18 about missions trips. I agree with you that it is not the most efficient or effective way to use money and time in spreading God's word, especially if you spend time on building projects and cleaning. Certainly send money would be easier and more efficient. But going on a missions trip has 2 other purposes that can not be accomplished by just sending money. The first you mentioned and that is the life changing power of a trip, whether it is just a broken heart for people and getting closer to God or someone be moved to surrender their own life to missions work. The other purposes that is accomplished is the encouraging of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Don't forget, many who serve as missionaries have left their homes, family, and friends. When we go on missions trips and help those people, it is an encouragement. That time on the field helping and fellowshipping can be the difference between continued service or leaving the missions field discouraged.
36:26 highly highly suggest a RUclips short and instagram reel of the best moments from this message!!! It was very insightful as someone wanting to be a parent soon. And who else could it be good for? Everyone !! Thank you for these wonderful answers, I find myself agreeing and nodding at your understanding, and then warping that to see if it can and how it fits into what I understand about our world right now.
The Message was my entry into the Old Testament. And I'm super grateful. But it's NOT good for serious Bible study. I do, however, think it can be helpful.
39:52 I think God chooses because of characteristics that he wants and needs in each person to accomplish a purpose. If I go to a place and choose someone to befriend or choose a woman to take part in a model casting or choose some poor person a scholarship, it's because I see qualities in them that I am looking for. I don't think the word gives the details of criteria for selection but it indicates. Abraham had tremendous faith, Mary was a remarkable woman, Jacob had an insistent spirit (he was audacious enough to fight against God), Moses was a passionate lover of justice but was meek and obedient and humble. But there's much more that we don't see that only God sees.
many Christians say the church will be raptured before the words of the following verse.. BUT.. read the ACTUAL verse and see the order. I'm not sure of what will happen when where how why.. pre-trib, mid-trib.. maybe God will use a time machine and rapture us yesterday.. i dunno.. but here's the verse. (referring to the day of the coming of Christ) "for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,"
All 10 are saved, they all are virgins, have lamps, go to meet the Bridegroom. The foolish did not gain enough of the oil, the Spirit during their life. They are not mature, not ready. The parable is about losing the reward in the kingdom age.
The book of Jubilees have a lot of information about all the gaps in Genesis. Including the part about Canan and Noah etc Even though it’s not in the Bible now, it’s part of the of the Red Sea Scrolls and honestly it made me love studying the Bible even more because it gives you a better idea of the stories in the Old Testament. I’m not saying we should see it as the Bible, but it’s a great source ❤️
On the question of numbers supporting abortion potentially. I would point us to how God Dealt with David’s defilement of Bathsheba, and the Subsequent child it produced. God did not take the life of the child in the womb.
Stars are sentient. Loom through a telescope before you take the words of the word at face value. They glow iridescent with a blue halo around them. The scale is off too.
I think short term mission trip is more about to support local missionaries and get exposure. I went on short term missions and encourage me to do long-term missions
Short term missions can be more harmful sometimes. I have been on one particular trip and my experience was like you. One thing identified is that the leaders of the little church would have benefited from a week of good healthy teaching so they could be better shepherds than the little things we did for the community. Those that went were blessed and learnt valuable lessons though
I had the same question about the rod analogy in the verse about sparing the rod. I think it would be relevant to ask: Is the hebrew word for "rod" in this verse the same as word used for "your rod and your staff, they comfort me" in the 23rd psalm? If so, I think it would be worth considering exactly what the shepherds that God is being compared to used their rods for.
As for the question about Numbers 27, verse 28 talks about a woman who has not defiled herself as being free and able to conceive. I think this supports the idea that this was done while she is not pregnant. It's a little difficult to conceive while also pregnant, after all.
4:04 - 4:36 - How John 1:6 can be used to point out the New World translation issue, that you don’t need a definite article for God 6:39 - no definite article for “Word was God”
Love your teachings, Pastor Mike. "Greet each other with a holy KISS" is in 5 books of the Scriptures. Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14. Wonder why so much repetition? Europeans are known to kiss on both cheeks. Love that greeting. Could the Bible mean that? 1:12:12 Blessings from Canada!
2nd question, Matthew 24:34. 'All these things" which includes the worst tribulation ever. Can't this be Jesus on the cross suffering God's wrath? What is worse than that? (except when Jesus returns and history stops and humanity suffers God's wrath.) I think Mark is talking about Jesus on the cross. Maybe Matthew in part is too. Coming on the clouds can be going on the clouds. Daniel 7 the son of man came on the clouds ... to God (not to us). Then Jesus gathers his elect (which is what is happening now).
The thing you say about mission trips is very wise. I would recommend a book called "Toxic Charity" by Robert D. Lupton. It discusses the same issue and others, as well as offering alternative solutions to doing "missions".
Mike should make little clips from these 20 Questions vids, which has one of these questions for quick reference. Maybe for a separate channel or Twitter or something? Idk just an idea
The rod is a reference to shepherding, shepherds don't beat their sheep, they use the rod to nudge the sheep to go into a particular direction, like away from danger or back to the flock
No, but he did refer to the rod striking a child. I think for discipline the rod is for guidance. There is always a need for punishment, I just don't think the rod in this context is meant to be used for punishment
Riding on the Clouds of heaven, a phrase referring to God in the scripture. Look up Michael Kiesler for Old Testament use. There is a lot of symbolism/ metaphors borrowed from OT to explain truths and warn us or give us courage.
Pastor Mike, Mark 13 and Matthew 24 are similar but different. In Mark the disciples are asking about the distruction of the temple and in Matthew 24 they are asking Him about His 2nd coming and the end of the age. Notice the different questions by the disciples in the different books.
Ya thank you I was going to argue the being mad at God is caused by pride. Every where I turned it came back to me my decisions in life. Ya lit of pride.ok working here.
So to be clear, by leaving out the word "the" from the final clause of John 1:1, John is saying: "The Word was God, unless by "God" we mean the Father, in which case the Word was definitely NOT God." None of Jehovah's Witnesses are capable of that kind of scholarship.
I interpret the parable of the virgins to be a bunch of semi-Christians who were delaying themselves seeking a true relationship with Jesus and instead were without oil- they didn't have the holy spirit but were trying to guage the times to come to him at the last moment. The people who try to purposefully wait until the end of their life or the times to seek the truth because they want to live and love the world and its things. Then the signs of the end come and they frantically try to reach a space where they have a genuine relationship with Jesus but it's too late: they were eating and drinking, marrying, anymd giving in marriage. They were distracted and missed his coming. I think a lot of Christians fall into this habit.
YAY! So pleased your going to take a look at the Mirror Bible! I commented on this last week, I hadn’t seen anyone with any reach address this on RUclips, just one small baptist pastor with a handful of followers and I think it’s AWFUL from what little I’ve seen. Can’t wait!
“This generation” in Matt 24 means the exact same thing EVERY time it is used elsewhere in the book. It refers to the generation of Jesus’ contemporaries. Dispensationalis eschatology suspends basic exegetical rules whenever convenient.
On the topic of the ‘bitter water’ there was a Hebrew scholar, I do not recall the name, who pointed out that this ritual was actually a protection for the woman and her reputation. The husband had the legal right to accuse and abandon the wife for basically any reason.The woman had no ‘legal rights’ so this ceremony was to give the woman some way of retaining her honor and also not being abandoned or divorced. The outcome required the husband to accept the woman back so here too is the idea of restoring the relationship. I also do not remember if they had said that there ever was any evidence of this ceremony ever actually leading to miscarriage. I can imagine God , who is perfect in his justice and also knowing the hearts of humans, making this priestly ritual a way to protect the vulnerable wife and child in a community of honor and shame which had little to no privacy.
I think Hebrews 6 is specifically a warning that believers who take the mark of the Beast. They will be unable to be brought back to repentance. The Holy Spirit will also not be convicting the world of sin, righteousness and the judgement to come anymore. You can only be given salvation once. You are born again once. You can fall many times, but if you abandon your salvation you may never be able to get back. You may become carnal and sear your conscience and not respond to the Lord convicting you. Timing with eschatology etc could impact your position. Anyhow, I think it is a dire warning and meant for our protection.
While I agree overall with Mike's assessment of The Message Bible for study (or for the more mature Christian), I think it is applicable to some beginners who struggle with various translations. I did not find any grievous errors, and (IMO) would recommend it to beginners over the NIV.
I just watched your video from a while back about the song "reckless" and I was curious if you've heard the cover of it called Sovereign Love For Reckless Ones, made about a month ago?
The term "Theos" (god) was used in the bible to describe king Herod, Paul and Satan himself It also meant something like "one with authority, lord, master, teacher, emperor"
In this video 1:02 mark you describe Pauls method of correcting the Corinthians error by stating what they say then addressing it. You've discussed this in other videos which I cannot find, because you explained this method/practice with a technical term (think it started with "m"). Could you share what that hermeneutical term is again?
Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:
0:00 Introduction
1. 0:15 How do the Jehovah's Witnesses mistranslate and misuse John 1:1 in their "New World Translation"?
2. 10:22 What does Matthew 24: 34 mean? What is the "all these things" Jesus speaks of? Would the original audience/early church have thought He was referring to the second and final coming?
3. 20:54 What does Matthew 26: 46 mean?
4. 22:08 Can you explain the parable of the 10 virgins in Matthew 25:1? It cannot possibly mean that half the Church fails to enter in...or does it?
5. 26:18 I've heard people support abortion using Numbers 5, specifically v. 27. What is your take on that?
6. 30:43 The OT often calls the Old Covenant an eternal or everlasting covenant. If it is eternal and everlasting, how can there be a New Covenant?
7. 32:22 If I don’t read the Bible and pray every day, I feel a huge amount of guilt - like I’ve sinned and am not even worthy to be a Christian. Is this kind of guilty conscience or conviction healthy, or not?
8. 34:57 In Mark 7: 27-28, do you think that this passage is a good way to highlight that the eucharist is specifically spiritual and not physical flesh, or do you think it's not correlated enough?
9. 36:26 What is the "rod" in Proverbs 13: 24? Is it a method of corporal punishment, or does it refer to a rod of truth with which we hold our children/households accountable to?
10. 39:52 As a struggling Calvinist, could you explain the apparent favoritism of God throughout the Bible and why He "chooses" some over others? (ex. Jacob/Esau, Abraham, Prophets, and Moses.)
11. 43:01 In Genesis 9, Noah seems to curse Canaan for the actions of his father, Ham. Do you think Noah cursed Canaan, or is Moses emphasizing Canaan on purpose?
12. 44:26 How do you respond to the claim that Jesus came to dismantle systems of oppression? though He did dismantle "systems" like legalism, it also seems to diminish the Gospel when it becomes the focus.
13. 45:55 My wife and I are wondering if the parable of the sower (Luke 8:4-15) clarifies Hebrews 6:4-6...We both believe salvation is eternal. Thoughts?
14. 49:32 I don't feel the witness of the Holy Spirit or a love for God. I trust Christ to save me, but I'm not seeing fruit. Does the inward work of God take longer for some people?
15. 52:19 Is "the anointing" a real thing, or is it just another word for the Holy Spirit? And can we get an anointing today? Any verses to support your argument?
16. 53:54 How do we reconcile forgiveness for our sins by His work on the cross with being examined on Judgment Day? If we sin and receive forgiveness, will that be brought up again when we stand before God?
17. 57:03 Would you ever recommend The Message Bible? Any possible problems you see with it?
18. 58:53 Do you think some people focus too much on extravagant mission trips or campaigns instead of evangelizing by acting good in the world?
19. 1:02:13 In 1 Corinthians 6: 12 & 1 Corinthians 10: 22, Paul says all things are lawful. I know he isn't talking about sinful things, but is he talking about the law? I need some clarification. Thanks!
20. 1:06:38 I’ve heard some churches teach the "holy kiss" (1 Corinthians 16: 20) as a commandment. I’m curious about your thoughts on the matter.
Thank you Sarah for taking the time to do this. Very helpful 🙂
Thankyou Sarah!!!! 🤗
O thanks Sarah we really appreciate that
5w
God bless you!
"My heart goes out to you (Jehovah's Witnesses). This is not an attack on you - this was done to you." (re: New World translation) Mike, this comment brought me to tears - you are so godly and compassionate.
@OTTO OCTAVIOUS ;
Yeah ...
Same usual bad arguments and misconceptions by Mike here and other Trinitarians. ...
First beyond the fact that the traditional translation of Jn. 1:1c "the Word was God" won't fit the context of the Word being "with God" in Jn. 1:1b and next in verse 1:2, leading to a flat contradiction of the entire verse.
But as you point out about Acts 28:6 (and notice even at Acts 28:4 Luke uses the **exact same grammar as Jn. 1:1c, "a murderer")
Here's a comparison of the same grammar structure used throughout ALL of John's Gospel. ...
Jn. 1:1c - "the Word **was God** -- Traditional rendering favored by Trinitarians. ...
Jn. 1:1c - " ... was a god" (NWT)
**************
Jn. 4:19 - "... are a prophet"
Jn. 6:70 - " ... is a devil"
Jn. 8:34 - " ... is a slave"
Jn. 8:44 - " ... was a murderer"
Jn. 8:44 - "... is a liar"
Jn. 8:48 - "... are a Samaritan"
Jn. 9:8 - " ... was a beggar"
Jn. 9:17 - " ... is a prophet"
Jn. 9:24 - " ... is a sinner"
Jn. 9:25 - " ... is a sinner"
Jn. 10.1 - " ... is a thief"
Jn. 10:13 - " ... is a hired hand"
Jn. 12:6 - " ... was a thief"
Jn. 18:35 - " ... am not a Jew"
Jn. 18:37 - " ... are a King"
Jn. 18:37 - " ... am a King"
So which translation of Jn. 1:1 is really being consistent with the text here?
Obviously not the traditional Trinitarian one. ...
And guess the early Coptic Christians of the 3rd century CE "butchered" Jn. 1:1 as well. Even through they were native speakers of the biblical koine Greek back when it was still a living language. When they translated Jn. 1:1 into their Egyptian Sahidic dialect as ...
**Ϩ"Ⲛ ⲦⲈϨⲞⲨⲈⲒⲦⲈ ⲚⲈϤϢⲞⲞⲠ ⲚϬⲒ ⲠϢⲀϪⲈ"**
"In the beginning existed the Word"
**"ⲀⲨⲰ ⲠϢⲀϪⲈ ⲚⲈϤϢⲞⲞⲠ ⲚⲚⲀϨⲢⲘ ⲠⲚⲞⲨⲦⲈ"**
"And the Word existed in the presence of the God"
**"ⲀⲨⲰ ⲚⲈⲨⲚⲞⲨⲦⲈ ⲠⲈ ⲠϢⲀϪⲈ."**
**"And a god was the Word."**
@@antonioterrell354 I am not familiar with a Coptic Christian translation of the Gospel of John. However, the Coptic Church DOES claim the Apostle's Creed in their confession of faith, which is absolutely a Trinitarian creed.,
@OTTO OCTAVIOUS ;
Yep, it certainly is, or at least "should be" obvious to any truly **honest** reader anyway. Just like in the verse you cited at Acts 28:6, the following should also likewise be "obvious" to anyone regarding another supposed Trinitarian "prooftext" at Jn. 10:33.
Where again there is the **exact** same Greek grammar there where "theon" is an anarthrous predicate accusative after the verb ...
And the traditional Trinitarian rendering from the ESV for instance: ...
Acts 28:6 -- " ...and said that he was **a god."**
Jn. 10:33 -- " ... being a man, make **yourself God.”**
NWT reading: ...
Acts 28:6 -- " ... and began saying he was **a god."**
Jn. 10:33 -- " ... being a man, make yourself **a god"**
So once more, which Bible translation is truly being consistent with the text?
Quite obviously not the Trinitarian one ...
@OTTO OCTAVIOUS I agree with what you and Antonio Terrell have shown, this video shows the lack of understanding or any real knowledge of the scriptures.
"Spare the rod, spoil the child" is one proverb that I've had a lot of problems with over the years.
First off, it's how I was raised and, in my personal opinion, my parents did a fantastic job at enforcing it biblically. They never hit in anger (or at least not that I could tell), they talked about what we did wrong and we would apologize and hug it out, then we'd go on about our day with little negative repercussions but the knowledge that, if you don't want another spanking, don't do that behaviour again. It worked wonders on me... not so much my sister who would lie to get out of spankings and then she'd just get in more trouble but would never learn. But I had fully planned on following in my parent's example when I had kids of my own... Then my son was born. I did stick to it for the first few years of his life, but not only did it not work, his behaviour just became worse and he would hit me, my husband, and other kids all the time. We were told that we just weren't disciplining him enough or severely enough. We only found out when he entered elementary school that he is Autistic and has ADHD. So he would just see our behaviours and emulate them. So if we spanked him, he would spank us and others. He couldn't connect the behaviour to the consequence so he didn't learn from it.
Then we decided to adopt (we could only have one child) and, in order to be eligible for adoption, we weren't allowed to use any form of physical punishment in our house. So we did a parenting study by Dr.Gordon Neufeld (a Christian develpmental physiologist that specializes in parenting) and we learned how children just react to the world around them. If a child is acting out, it is because they are lacking in something that they need. Acting out is an inappropriate way of getting what they want, but they don't know how to communicate what they need at that age. So instead of punishing your child when they misbehave, ask why they are misbehaving then discipline them to teach them the correct way of asking for what they need. Most importantly, discipline comes from the word "disciple", which means to lead by example, not to punish.
Within a month our son had completely changed. He's going into his teen years now and he's different than the average kid, but he always has good intentions. He tries hard to always be kind. He loves the Lord and teachers say that he's a good example in the classroom when it comes to treating others with kindness (though he's terrible at staying on task and following directions, but he really tries and it's not his fault).
And in the past years, we changed our minds from adopting to foster care. Children in care have often been through horrific events that are unimaginable to many. They act out because they have never been taught how to be kind. Spanking them would only scare them and would not show them love. If they throw a tantrum, you might need to just give them a hug and tell them that nothing they do will make you toss them out, because everyone in their life has abandoned them. Or maybe you celebrate their first tantrum because they've always been so scared to even speak because every time they cried, they were abused... you know that they finally trust you enough to let their guard down.
In conclusion, I always assumed that the "rod" had to be metaphorical, possibly in reference to the "stick vs carrot" methods of parenting. You can't use the carrot approach (aka bribe them), you need to use the stick. That can be not letting them play video games till they clean up the mess they made when they through their food on the floor. When they do something wrong, they consequences should suit the action and they should be taught how to resolve the issue to make it better, but taught that you can't always make it better. If you hurt someone's feelings, they will still be hurt even if you apologize and try to make it up to them. The goal is to not do those things anymore. It seems much easier to give a spanking and say that it's dealt with. It's much harder to walk alongside them and figure out what is going on in their minds and how to resolve the issues.
I'm also not sure why the rod would be literal if the holy kiss is not.
In either case, I'm not going to use the rod because I have signed legal documents that say that I won't. The positive change I've seen in my son since we stopped spankings has been enough that I would never do it again. Kids with disabilities or trauma can react very negatively to a literal rod. They don't always understand what they are doing or how it effects others. They often have a mental age that is far younger than their physical age, so even though they look like a teenager, they could mentally be a preschooler. They still need guidance, and often strict guidance, but punishment doesn't solve the problem, it just causes them to fear consequences instead of learning from their mistakes.
I feel you have a lot of truth here, but not all of the truth. I often felt that the rod is often a method of last resort and is not actually used to harm the child. There often needs to be an “or else” or you run out of punishments that the child cares about, as they can safely ignore all the punishments.
That being said, you are totally right that too many people too often jump to the end of that list. It is best to find out why they are acting out and guide them through it and walk alongside them. I feel scripture shows this as that is how Jesus walked among us. You do also see when He didn’t spare the rod in the church. I believe this is the example he set. 99.9% of the time Jesus walks along side us, but when all the correction in the world doesn’t stop people from turning the holy temple into a den of inequity He didn’t spare the rod. It was his absolute last resort and never used before or since in scripture.
I know you actually read your comments so I had to share this one. :) I recommended your videos to a friend, and she expressed skepticism about your level of worldliness because your hair looks so nice.
I not only assured her that this was misleading but also pointed out that you are married (and so have a sartorial advisor) and also sent her videos of your hair from a few years back. She laughed and agreed that you had not only an acceptably humble hairdo but that the old one was so uncool that it would balance out almost any level of "cool pastor" polish in the future.
I thought you'd have the sense of humor to appreciate this one.
All true.
This gave me a good chuckle.
Yeah, you shouldn’t judge someone for having a stupid haircut. It happens. But that shirt. Someone should sit him down.
Lol 😂
I know Mike’s people in this group are good people. Now about Mike’s hair and shirt. Why is that a thing. I didn’t want to attend church for a while cause I didn’t have the right clothes. I finally went to a JW hall because they were okay with leggings and a shirt. Eventually they provided me with other clothes. Now I can afford decent clothing, I no longer go to a JW hall and I feel clean and neat is great.
I’ve been trying to deprogram from my JW upbringing. I’ve watched many of your JW videos. Please I ask that you pray that the “truth” will be made known to me. I’m so confused after this religion it’s almost made me doubt any faith. I feel like a mental train wreck from it. Thank you!
Praying for you. God is faithful.
God bless you, DancesWithBears. May the truth be revealed to you and may the conflict within your heart cease. Jesus is the way, the truth and the life and He will never leave you nor forsake you.
Keep reading a good translation of the Bible and pray as you read. Ask the Spirit to enlighten you and wash you with the water in the word. It will take some time, but He is faithful, just keep reading and praying, opening up your heart to Him.
Hello i recommend watchtower examination channel. Winston is the owner of the channel and he has many wonderful videos that can help with what you are going thru. I'm not persuading you from this channel but there are channels that deal specifically with JWs and helping them to critically think. Don't give up on seeking the truth and seeking GOD.🤗
Hi Bro. I too was raised a JW and really understand where you at. I myself had these battles in the beggining. I stuggled to accept the cross but was accepting that he was God. Through prayer God showed me and explained to me everything concerning the true christian faith. Keep up with it and the Spirit will reveal to you. You in the right place by questioning the jw faith and the Son is right beside you ready to correct their false doctrine. Hang in there budy, you do Win the battle. Amen
I was a Jehovah's witness for 30 years.... accepting the trinity was THEE hardest for me to believe in. I still struggle a bit but have come a long way. Jw"s are a very dark cult.
Hi!! Me too, I was in for 41 years baptized 30. I too have been struggling with the trinity. No conclusion yet. Might I suggest if you have not already reach out to Lori Jane her channel is Simply Christian. She has come to her own conclusion and is willing to share how she got there, she'll email you back or zoom with you. I am just taking in what everyone believes and then re-reading the NT straight through and then praying to God about it. I know he will lead me just not sure I will see it when he does. I mean...I was in a cult for 41 years took me awhile to see that one... :)
Can I ask what makes it dark
THANK YOU for question #1! I'm an exjw as of Aug 2020 and the Trinity has been the hardest doctrine for me go accept (yet I am trying). Your comments get me closer to understanding. Very grateful!
So grateful you are here:) I got saved this past march 2023. Mike has helped me too. So grateful for his videos and the gifting from God he has.
Praise God! Btw, check out Acts 20:28! All three persons of God on display in Paul's words. Also, the Great Commission, "baptizing them in the NAME (singular) of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (plural)." Love it
Your attitude toward mission trips mirrors my own. When I go on a mission trip, I pay my own way and I don't ask people to donate toward my expenses because it doesn't make sense for other people to pay for my vacation.
If it's a vacation, you're doing it wrong. In order to be a true missions trip, you should experience one or more of the following:
1. Dysentery
2. Malaria
3. 2nd degree sunburn over 25% of the body
4. Kidnapping (counts as 2)
🙂
@@helmsscotta 😂😂😂
I’ve never heard Matthew 24 taught in any way except as signs for the end. I have to say, after listening to this, your viewpoint is compelling, and I may have to look into it further. Thanks
Mike; Thank you for your deep understanding of the Bible. Unfortunately for me, I tend to "read" through it too fast and don't get the true meaning. Thank you for taking the time to break it down into smaller pieces so that I can understand the true meaning. You are a blessing.
Hi Mike. I grew up as one of Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm an old lady now. I am now a true Christian and was baptized nine years ago. It was VERY hard to move past the things that the JWs ingrained in me. I was told not to read or listen to anything that was not written by the Watchtower Society, so it was many years before I ever found out how wrong they are. It makes me sad to think of all the years I wasted by not truly knowing God. I feel like my life would have been very different, in a good way, had I never been exposed to the JWs. I'm so glad you're putting the word out. May God bless you!
Glad you’re doing well brother, God bless you and thank you. 🌹🙏🏼
Our church does missions trips well. They set up new water filtration systems, clear and build buildings to start orphanages and schools. Also handing out necessary items to families and sharing the gospel.
Thanks for so much for this post Mike...
Amen to your Ministry, that is ripping apart bad doctrine! (1Tim 4:16)
I was thinking that the passage about "don't spare the rod" is more of an analogy of a Shepard herding it's flock but then in parenting.
@Strelizia De Witt The rod was not an analogy. It was and had to be used as a tool for corporal punishment. Proverbs 23,13-14 makes it quite clear. You discipline children like slaves by beating them with a rod. Wounds and blood were tolerated as collateral damage. The strikes save the soul of the child. That justifies hefty pain and suffering during the punishment.
Some circles of of christian extremists are abusing their children today based on such verses.
This work of yours blessed me today,Pastor Mike. God bless you!
I don't agree with you on all your videos, but this one is one that I strongly agree with you when you talked about Jehova's Witness. God bless bro :)
Seek God’s will daily all, pray for help to be not only a hearer but also doer, spread The Good News such a time as these.
1 Corinthians 15:1-11
Matthew 24:44👑
Thank you for these answers, Pastor Mike. This channel is a blessing.
Love your content... been watching for about a year and your videos paired with my own time in the Bible, has truly grown me in Christ! Thanks!!
Chosen for service, not salvation. Great point Mike. The Esau/Jacob story is ALWAYS used by Calvinists.
That was a good point. So maybe Esau is really saved.
Well, God knows the future. It stands He would know who would be saved. That would be His decision to craft the future in such a way. Doesn't the aforementioned information follow logic and Scripture?
Thank you again for this Q&A, specially the timestamps! Glory to God!
For those looking for mission options in the southeast US, Mission Serve is a great option. Focused on getting youth involved, but adults are always needed. It functions basically as a Christian summer camp combined with a labor/ministry focused mission trip. It is a great resource to expose youth to the joy of serving others.
God's commands are non-negotiable. It's always a hoot to watch the Christians spin it to fit their theology. Return to Elohim only people.
Be specific
Mike, I totally agree with you about the value of short "mission trips". I have worked in developing countries for years and have to force myself to have a generous spirit when encountering these church groups. I know it can be eye-opening and life-changing for many people/teens, but it's largely vanity. One group I knew spent $60,000 for two weeks doing some unskilled job.
I agree with you on the efficiency of short term mission trips. I did though see a case where it was helpful: When I went on trips to do a camp for kids in a foreign country. We saw that this impacted the kids and they carried forward fond memories for years. Just the memory of this foreigner picking one of them up on the sholders and give them a piggy back ride impacted them, especially those that came from difficult backgrounds. Perhaps it is just because kids see the games and make associations to what it was thought. Of course it in itself was not enough. This just left a positive message and the local church needs to follow up later and walk with them.
There is no separation between God's word and God's works.
In my country, spanking has been made illegal. You can literally have your kids taken off you if they tell their teachers that you've been smacking them. It makes you feel so torn, because you feel like you're being a bad parent, but the risk is far too great. Also, without spanking, basically the only avenue left in a lot of situations is emotional manipulation and/or bribery with food! I refuse to believe these are less harmful in the long term than a judicious smack here and there. Sigh.
to say "the only avenue left in a lot of situations is emotional manipulation and/or bribery with food" is false." If you remove privileges, as Allen C has also pointed out, for whatever length of time you deem necessary, this seems to be a far more effective disciplinary strategy than physical punishment.
Yes, hopefully soon we will be getting into the years when my kids can understand the nuances of cause and effect of such punishments! What I mean about emotional manipulation is this: when they don't yet have the language to understand a seemingly arbitrary punishment, basically you HAVE to make them feel bad somehow, and it has to be immediate so they make the connection. I would find myself literally sitting there trying to think up ways to make my son cry, and I felt like a monster! And it seems to me that's not doing his little soul any less damage than a rare smack to enforce boundaries, because it's still me, his mother, making him feel bad enough about it that he doesn't want to do it again, and all methods of doing that seem cruel or damaging in one way or another. But as Mike says, we are really doing it in love, not anger, even if it doesn't appear that way to the child!
Obviously this isn't a parenting blog, so I guess my main point was that it's a little scary when the laws of the land start to conflict with what we feel we have biblical permission to do. No doubt this will extend to many other issues in time.
Not making a recommendation here, but a 'funny' way around it. My Dad always told us he'd kill whoever we told. Obviously, we wouldn't tell because we'd have to have a relationship of trust with the person before we could consider telling them to begin with, but then would not because we cared about their well-being.
YES YES YES , absolutely, the most important transformation in all of the universe , our beloved savior J C
Glory To GOD!!!
Thank you Mike Winger!
A JW came to my doorstep once. I asked her if Jesus was lying when he said, "I and the Father are one (John 10:30)?" And then I kept going with an Asimov illustration: the largest single cell organism known to us is an amoeba. The largest creature, ever, is a blue whale (composed of many cells). From the perspective of an amoeba, is a blue whale one or many?
Sadly, the conversation ended there with a meek "I don't know".
Well I don't really see why that's such a difficult question to answer, and sorry to hear that, if it was really as you say, the JW ended the conversation there.
As the answer is quite simple. ...
Where the single cell amoeba is viewed as "one" **ontologically** ... The many cells of the Blue Whale (or any living creature for that matter) may also be viewed as "one" by all of them operating in **unity** or **agreement** with one another.
Of which the later is the meaning of the "one" (Gk. neuter "hen") at Jn. 10:30. That the Father and his Son Jesus are in "unity", "agreement," or "accord" with each other as with both them and the apostles at Jn. 17:22, 23. Or Paul and Apollos at 1 Cor. 3:8 where the same Greek term "hen" is used there.
@@antonioterrell354 Wrong.
@@dpwellman ;
How is it wrong?
As I told you, the "one" mentioned at Jn. 10:30 means one in unity or agreement as it does in those other passages as I pointed out.
Same at 1 Jn. 5:8, where the spirit, water, and blood are said to "agree as one", Gk. "hen" (KJV).
@@antonioterrell354 how do you explain Jesus saying
I Am
@@IchigosBestFriend ;
It's explained the same way as it is at Jn. 14:9 ...
Where John records Jesus's words to his apostle Phillip in the **Greek grammar** as "Phillip so long a time, I am."
And an "honest" (very key word here) English Bible translation should consistently follow the rules of **English grammar** in translation, not Greek.
Where at Jn. 14:9 it should properly read in English as "Phillip **Have I been** with you so long a time ..."
That is, "I am" in the Greek grammar there means "Have I been" in English translation.
So likewise at Jn. 8:58 John records Jesus in the Greek grammar as "before Abraham became, I am." Therefore it should properly read in English as ...
**"I have been** in existence before Abraham was born."
Which means Jesus is simply saying that he was already in existence before Abraham's birth (as were all God's angelic sons for that matter, cf. Job 38:7). And is still in existence when he spoke those words to the unbelieving Jews gathered there at the time.
Amazing breakdown Pas Mike!
Really blessed by your gift of insight!! God bless.
33:33 I found it by repenting meaning to turn away from what I was doing wrong rather than just saying I was sorry was exactly what our Lord was wanting.
Yes Bro Mike, in 1 John 2:27, the Holy Spirit is the anointing we have received of Him.....
"But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him."
But this is not "the anointing" that many churches talk about people getting later for different things. It seems to be speaking of the Spirit Himself here.
Heartfelt thanks for the thorough studies you do! More heartfelt thanks for passing them on! I am a better teacher because of all the additional understanding I’ve gained from your videos. Blessings!
To the one who was concerned about the inner witness of the Holy Spirit.
Find out how Jesus Christ knew who He was. Hebrews 10:7 has the answer. It was written in the Scriptures of Him. IOW, He found out who He was from seeing Himself in the Scripture.
Find out who you are by seeing what God has to say about you. A good place to start is Ephesians 1.
As for not feeling like you love God. Go through the last 3-4 chapters of each Gospel and see all that Jesus Christ did for you.
You are 100% correct on your interpretation of the matthew 24 prophecy. The gathering together unto him also happens at the sound of a trumpet. So all the pre-trib rapture people are also highly irritated. Because the Bible teaches that happens "Immediately after the tribulation of those days."
If someone came to me full of shame and sorrowful of legitimately just ignoring me, discounting me when I speak with them, etc etc etc...
Yeah, I would like them to be acknowledge it.
So YES. She should feel a sense of guilt and righteous sorrow.
My sister is a JW and she won't even look at anything that might conflict with the JW teachings. I am at a total loss as to how to reach her.
The key verse in Matthew 24 is probably verse 34, where Jesus says, “Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." Jesus is speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem in this verse, which would come upon that generation. But this verse is also a transitional verse. In other words, 'before' verse 34 He is primarily speaking about the destruction of Jerusalem; but 'after' verse 34 He switches to talking about His Second Coming at the end of time. That's the best understanding that fits the evidence in this passage!
I agree. Matthew has Jesus using "this generation" several times and they always refer to the generation to whom Jesus was talking.
I would recommend Dr Gentry's excellent book "The Olivet Discourse Made Easy". Don't be fooled by the title. It's deep with many scripture references and footnotes.
For example, the sun not giving its light, the moon turning to blood and stars falling from the skies is not meant to be taken literally. Jesus is employing the very same apocalyptic language Isaiah uses in his prophecy against Babylon in Isaiah 13.
@@billgillin3124
Thanks Bill, I appreciate the recommendation. Yes, it's important to understand that this is symbolic language commonly used in the O.T in the judgment of nations.
Hi Aidan. You're welcome but just for clarity I was posting the recommendation for anyone who was interested.
I was a believer for over 40 years that Matt 24 was about our future but the work of Gary DeMar and Dr Kenneth Gentry really helped me to reevaluate that. Paying attention to the topic at hand (the temple), the audience references (Jesus uses "you" not "they or "them") and time references ("this generation" multiple times instead of "that generation") really cleared this up for me.
@@billgillin3124
Hi Bill, I would have a mixed view of Matt 24. And I would agree about paying attention to the topic at hand, especially with their questions at the beginning and how Jesus deals with each of those questions in sequence.
Note verse 3,
Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Notice how their question is either twofold or threefold, depending on how you look at it.
First, "Tell us, when will these things be?" seems to refer to the destruction of the Temple in verses 1 and 2. That would indeed be a cataclysmic event, perhaps even world ending in the mind of a Jew.
Next, they ask, "what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Is that two separate questions or all the one question? I'm not sure.
The Greek word translated "coming" in the original question of the disciples (v.3) is "parousia." Scholars define this word so as to necessitate the personal presence of the one identified in the coming under consideration. Without doubt, this is what the disciples had in mind in their question. Although the English word "coming" is translated from various Greek words, "parousia" is never used except in keeping with the above meaning. It appears in this chapter in verses 3, 27, 37, and 39. It is also interesting to note that an entirely different Greek word is used in verse 30: ".....and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." This verse 30 relates to the destruction of Jerusalem and not to His personal presence at His Second Coming. While other Greek words may be used to refer to the same thing (depending upon where the emphasis is to be placed ), wherever the word " parousia " appears reference is always to the presence of the one whose coming is under consideration. Therefore, the only conclusion is that after verse 34 the coming of the Lord refers to His Second Coming.
Although "parousia" is used in v.27, which refers to the Second Coming of Christ, what is said is no sign of the event under consideration (namely, the destruction of Jerusalem). Rather, it stands in CONTRAST to the event signified by the signs of verses 23-26.
@Desire Of All Nations
The coming in Judgment against Jerusalem and the Jewish nation was not a literal coming of the Lord.
Matthew 24:29-30, NKJV-
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
Just as the LORD'S coming in Judgment against nations like Egypt and Babylon in Isaiah 19 and 13 was not a literal coming.
Isaiah 19:1, NKJV
"The burden against Egypt.
Behold, the LORD rides on a swift cloud,
And will come into Egypt;
The idols of Egypt will totter at His presence,
And the heart of Egypt will melt in its midst."
Isaiah 13:9,10,13. NKJV
Behold, the day of the LORD comes,
Cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger,
To lay the land desolate;
And He will destroy its sinners from it.
For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not give their light;
The sun will be darkened in its going forth,
And the moon will not cause its light to shine.
Therefore I will shake the heavens,
And the earth will move out of her place,
In the wrath of the LORD of hosts
And in the day of His fierce anger.
Think about it!
Q. 7. Really helped me out a lot. Thank you so much for your ministry, I praise the Lord for what He is doing through you. God bless you and all who make your ministry possible.
In Bible rod represents authority.
Q: How are we to understand Matthew 5:23-24, 6:14-15, 18:21- on, and Luke 17:3-4? Does this mean God won't hear our prayers if we don't forgive or reconcile?
#18. With regard to mission trips, and the time and money.
Our church works with a mission in India. When we first started making trips, my wife, who is on our mission leadership team, asked our contact in India if it wouldn't be better to just send the money, and the answer was a resounding, "No!" The main reasons being that Western foreigners, especially Americans, carry a lot of social capital in their culture and foreigners can make inroads where locals cannot. We were allowed to take the Gospel into local schools. Once we had plowed that ground the locals could to follow-up, but they were not allowed to break that ground.
We also work with a mission in the Balkans, and we were their sending church. With them the visit "from home" is as important as the work we do while we are there. Again, there is also a cultural thing. The more we can do to raise the missionaries' esteem in the eyes of the community the more work they can accomplish. God has used very seemingly mundane things like painting classrooms in an orphanage to accomplish very great things like starting a Christ-centered group home simply by the relationships these mundane things built.
The leaps in discipleship for the team members is also huge, as Mike rightly points out.
The Father knows who belongs to Him! His SON IS GIVEN THE SEPERATING WORK.!
49:32... This has helped me sooooo much. Pastor Mike, you have relieved me of a lot of mental anxiety and stress. Thank God for leading me to this video, and for JW for asking that question.
The parable about the wise and foolish virgins is about the 2nd advent and is for Israel during the tribulation (at the end of). The virgins are the attendants to the bride and the bride is the Church who returns with the bridegroom at the battle of Armageddon.
Great job Mike! I learned these thing's from Dr. Martin in the early 80's, he told us to source the material's when ever possible and recommended garage sale's and used book stores (for those of us on a budget). I was able to purchase a NW translation and scored a 1942 edition of the Emphatic Diaglott 5 bucks. Really appreciate your carrying on such a vital ministry, especially in these day's
That's a good point. When a contract is "fullfilled," It's no longer binding upon the two parties. When it is succeeded by a superior Covenant, which is the Gospel and Jesus' commandments therein, attempted adherence to the old is followed only by legalists and deniers of the superiority of what Christ Jesus accomplished.
I have been on your youtube site half a dozen times. I find your teaching to always be challenging. It sheds light on my ever present bad behaviors (sin). Thank you for your faithfulness.
The “rod” verse is so misused! It is not advocating corporal punishment. It is advocating discipline. The rod is referring to a shepherd’s crook, used to guide and correct the sheep when they went astray. They did not beat the sheep with it.
Discipline using fear and force gets you exactly what Mike said. Not effective parenting.
If you’re a JW please compare NWT to your Kingdom Interlinear Translation(KIT)
Awesome teaching...Thank you Pastor Mike
Pastor Mike, love your teachings. Re question 20, the Bible says it FIVE times: "Greet each other with a holy KISS"
Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14
So wonder about this very much. Blessings from Canada.
Thank you Mike!! This Q&A was very helpful as usual 👍🙏
I don't like the fact that some Christian circles claim that the Trinity is a mystery that is too difficult to understand. How would we ever teach it if it is too difficult to understand? It is a central tenet of Christian orthodoxy. If it was beyond our understanding, that would be strange. Perhaps some facets seem more difficult to grasp than others. I don't know, I have always felt that it was strange to claim it is too mysterious to comprehend.
Regarding your answer to question #14: I know this is two years old, but I agree with your answer about "loving" God. There are a lot of churches that put a lot of emphasis on feelings, on having an experience, on receiving a gift, etc., and a lot of people are left feeling dejected and often leave fellowship because they didn't have that same ecstatic experience, an experience that they were led to believe they ought to experience. I'm autistic, so I can say that not everyone feels and expresses love and emotion the same way. (Or even love for one person the same way as for another!)
And love for God isn't an "emotion" anyway, is it? I think it's unfortunate that English only has one word for "love", when the Greek had half a dozen, so it's often confusing: what does this passage or that passage mean by "love"? Love for God isn't the emotional high that you get when you fall in love with a woman; it's more of an "I will hold you in awe and reverence, I will be faithful and committed." It's more a function of the will than it is from emotion. It is a decision. As the song goes, "I have decided to follow Jesus, no turning back." It is our decision to follow him and serve him, our faith, that is the expression of that form of love, not any sort of overwhelming emotional or ecstatic experience (though that may be there for some people, for others it may not be). We must never base our faith on our feelings!
Question 18 about missions trips. I agree with you that it is not the most efficient or effective way to use money and time in spreading God's word, especially if you spend time on building projects and cleaning. Certainly send money would be easier and more efficient. But going on a missions trip has 2 other purposes that can not be accomplished by just sending money. The first you mentioned and that is the life changing power of a trip, whether it is just a broken heart for people and getting closer to God or someone be moved to surrender their own life to missions work. The other purposes that is accomplished is the encouraging of our brothers and sisters in Christ. Don't forget, many who serve as missionaries have left their homes, family, and friends. When we go on missions trips and help those people, it is an encouragement. That time on the field helping and fellowshipping can be the difference between continued service or leaving the missions field discouraged.
36:26 highly highly suggest a RUclips short and instagram reel of the best moments from this message!!! It was very insightful as someone wanting to be a parent soon. And who else could it be good for? Everyone !! Thank you for these wonderful answers, I find myself agreeing and nodding at your understanding, and then warping that to see if it can and how it fits into what I understand about our world right now.
The Message was my entry into the Old Testament. And I'm super grateful. But it's NOT good for serious Bible study. I do, however, think it can be helpful.
39:52 I think God chooses because of characteristics that he wants and needs in each person to accomplish a purpose. If I go to a place and choose someone to befriend or choose a woman to take part in a model casting or choose some poor person a scholarship, it's because I see qualities in them that I am looking for. I don't think the word gives the details of criteria for selection but it indicates. Abraham had tremendous faith, Mary was a remarkable woman, Jacob had an insistent spirit (he was audacious enough to fight against God), Moses was a passionate lover of justice but was meek and obedient and humble. But there's much more that we don't see that only God sees.
Multiple very helpful points. Thank you! Blessings✝️
51:53 AGAPE LOVE is a choice. The other loves have feeling attached.
So is John1:18, and similiar verses.
many Christians say the church will be raptured before the words of the following verse.. BUT.. read the ACTUAL verse and see the order. I'm not sure of what will happen when where how why.. pre-trib, mid-trib.. maybe God will use a time machine and rapture us yesterday.. i dunno.. but here's the verse. (referring to the day of the coming of Christ)
"for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,"
All 10 are saved, they all are virgins, have lamps, go to meet the Bridegroom. The foolish did not gain enough of the oil, the Spirit during their life. They are not mature, not ready. The parable is about losing the reward in the kingdom age.
The book of Jubilees have a lot of information about all the gaps in Genesis. Including the part about Canan and Noah etc
Even though it’s not in the Bible now, it’s part of the of the Red Sea Scrolls and honestly it made me love studying the Bible even more because it gives you a better idea of the stories in the Old Testament. I’m not saying we should see it as the Bible, but it’s a great source ❤️
On the question of numbers supporting abortion potentially. I would point us to how God Dealt with David’s defilement of Bathsheba, and the Subsequent child it produced. God did not take the life of the child in the womb.
Stars are sentient. Loom through a telescope before you take the words of the word at face value. They glow iridescent with a blue halo around them.
The scale is off too.
Thank you for all you & your mods do! Lord Bless
I think short term mission trip is more about to support local missionaries and get exposure. I went on short term missions and encourage me to do long-term missions
Short term missions can be more harmful sometimes. I have been on one particular trip and my experience was like you. One thing identified is that the leaders of the little church would have benefited from a week of good healthy teaching so they could be better shepherds than the little things we did for the community. Those that went were blessed and learnt valuable lessons though
I had the same question about the rod analogy in the verse about sparing the rod.
I think it would be relevant to ask: Is the hebrew word for "rod" in this verse the same as word used for "your rod and your staff, they comfort me" in the 23rd psalm? If so, I think it would be worth considering exactly what the shepherds that God is being compared to used their rods for.
Thank you for the time stamps / question index! Thanks so much!
Love your teachings! May God continue to bless your ministry.
As for the question about Numbers 27, verse 28 talks about a woman who has not defiled herself as being free and able to conceive. I think this supports the idea that this was done while she is not pregnant. It's a little difficult to conceive while also pregnant, after all.
4:04 - 4:36 - How John 1:6 can be used to point out the New World translation issue, that you don’t need a definite article for God
6:39 - no definite article for “Word was God”
Pastor Mike I love your videos thank you for making them. I’m grateful for you
Loved your rapture answer
Love your teachings, Pastor Mike.
"Greet each other with a holy KISS" is in 5 books of the Scriptures.
Romans 16:16, 1 Corinthians 16:20, 2 Corinthians 13:12, 1 Thessalonians 5:26, 1 Peter 5:14. Wonder why so much repetition? Europeans are known to kiss on both cheeks. Love that greeting. Could the Bible mean that?
1:12:12
Blessings from Canada!
2nd question, Matthew 24:34. 'All these things" which includes the worst tribulation ever. Can't this be Jesus on the cross suffering God's wrath? What is worse than that? (except when Jesus returns and history stops and humanity suffers God's wrath.) I think Mark is talking about Jesus on the cross. Maybe Matthew in part is too. Coming on the clouds can be going on the clouds. Daniel 7 the son of man came on the clouds ... to God (not to us). Then Jesus gathers his elect (which is what is happening now).
Thank you so very much 😊!
The thing you say about mission trips is very wise. I would recommend a book called "Toxic Charity" by Robert D. Lupton. It discusses the same issue and others, as well as offering alternative solutions to doing "missions".
Mike should make little clips from these 20 Questions vids, which has one of these questions for quick reference. Maybe for a separate channel or Twitter or something? Idk just an idea
Yeah, like ‘cross examined’ do. Good idea.
It’s on his website 😊
The rod is a reference to shepherding, shepherds don't beat their sheep, they use the rod to nudge the sheep to go into a particular direction, like away from danger or back to the flock
How can nudging be discipline? The whole context is about discipline.
There is a difference between discipline and punishment... Again, a good shepherd does not beat his sheep into submission
@@MT-un5xq Neither Proverbs nor brother Mike said to "beat sheep into submission."
No, but he did refer to the rod striking a child. I think for discipline the rod is for guidance. There is always a need for punishment, I just don't think the rod in this context is meant to be used for punishment
@@MT-un5xq OK
Riding on the Clouds of heaven, a phrase referring to God in the scripture. Look up Michael Kiesler for Old Testament use. There is a lot of symbolism/ metaphors borrowed from OT to explain truths and warn us or give us courage.
Pastor Mike, Mark 13 and Matthew 24 are similar but different. In Mark the disciples are asking about the distruction of the temple and in Matthew 24 they are asking Him about His 2nd coming and the end of the age. Notice the different questions by the disciples in the different books.
Ya thank you I was going to argue the being mad at God is caused by pride. Every where I turned it came back to me my decisions in life. Ya lit of pride.ok working here.
So to be clear, by leaving out the word "the" from the final clause of John 1:1, John is saying: "The Word was God, unless by "God" we mean the Father, in which case the Word was definitely NOT God."
None of Jehovah's Witnesses are capable of that kind of scholarship.
I interpret the parable of the virgins to be a bunch of semi-Christians who were delaying themselves seeking a true relationship with Jesus and instead were without oil- they didn't have the holy spirit but were trying to guage the times to come to him at the last moment. The people who try to purposefully wait until the end of their life or the times to seek the truth because they want to live and love the world and its things.
Then the signs of the end come and they frantically try to reach a space where they have a genuine relationship with Jesus but it's too late: they were eating and drinking, marrying, anymd giving in marriage. They were distracted and missed his coming.
I think a lot of Christians fall into this habit.
YAY! So pleased your going to take a look at the Mirror Bible! I commented on this last week, I hadn’t seen anyone with any reach address this on RUclips, just one small baptist pastor with a handful of followers and I think it’s AWFUL from what little I’ve seen. Can’t wait!
“This generation” in Matt 24 means the exact same thing EVERY time it is used elsewhere in the book. It refers to the generation of Jesus’ contemporaries. Dispensationalis eschatology suspends basic exegetical rules whenever convenient.
I like the strategic, poised sip of brew before starting. Haha
On the topic of the ‘bitter water’ there was a Hebrew scholar, I do not recall the name, who pointed out that this ritual was actually a protection for the woman and her reputation. The husband had the legal right to accuse and abandon the wife for basically any reason.The woman had no ‘legal rights’ so this ceremony was to give the woman some way of retaining her honor and also not being abandoned or divorced. The outcome required the husband to accept the woman back so here too is the idea of restoring the relationship. I also do not remember if they had said that there ever was any evidence of this ceremony ever actually leading to miscarriage. I can imagine God , who is perfect in his justice and also knowing the hearts of humans, making this priestly ritual a way to protect the vulnerable wife and child in a community of honor and shame which had little to no privacy.
I think Hebrews 6 is specifically a warning that believers who take the mark of the Beast. They will be unable to be brought back to repentance. The Holy Spirit will also not be convicting the world of sin, righteousness and the judgement to come anymore. You can only be given salvation once. You are born again once. You can fall many times, but if you abandon your salvation you may never be able to get back. You may become carnal and sear your conscience and not respond to the Lord convicting you. Timing with eschatology etc could impact your position. Anyhow, I think it is a dire warning and meant for our protection.
While I agree overall with Mike's assessment of The Message Bible for study (or for the more mature Christian), I think it is applicable to some beginners who struggle with various translations. I did not find any grievous errors, and (IMO) would recommend it to beginners over the NIV.
I just watched your video from a while back about the song "reckless" and I was curious if you've heard the cover of it called Sovereign Love For Reckless Ones, made about a month ago?
43:36 Genesis 9:20-25 NoAH cursed Canaan
The term "Theos" (god) was used in the bible to describe king Herod, Paul and Satan himself
It also meant something like "one with authority, lord, master, teacher, emperor"
In this video 1:02 mark you describe Pauls method of correcting the Corinthians error by stating what they say then addressing it. You've discussed this in other videos which I cannot find, because you explained this method/practice with a technical term (think it started with "m"). Could you share what that hermeneutical term is again?