20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 17)

God is good and His promises remain — our eternal kingdom is incorruptible and preserved in Christ

Opening encouragement at the start of the Q&A, framed against social and political polarization in early 2021

Christians risk confusing Christ's kingdom with contemporary political events, as did the first disciples

Transition from opening encouragement into a warning about political entrenchment

When reading Scripture, consult a second translation when you genuinely do not understand a passage

First question / tip of the stream: when to reference secondary Bible translations

Consult additional translations when your interpretation hangs on the nuance of a specific wording

Second tip on when to consult secondary Bible translations; practical advice for teachers

Political disagreement should not fracture Christian fellowship; the kingdom of Christ is not of this world

Question from Mariano Rogers about reaching a fellow believer deceived by mainstream media regarding conservative politics

Christians should not use political grievances as justification for storming government or causing violence

Closing thought on political question, referencing the January 6, 2021 Capitol events contextually

Psalm 37:4 is misused in Word of Faith teaching as a blank-check promise to receive material desires

Question from Lungil Zandi about how to read Psalm 37:4 without falling into a Word of Faith trap

Psalm 37 in context is an encouragement to the righteous who are NOT experiencing abundance, not a promise of material wealth

Contextual reading of Psalm 37 to correct the Word of Faith misuse

Psalm 37 presents future divine justice as the basis for present contentment amid the prosperity of the wicked

Continuing contextual walk through Psalm 37

Prosperity preaching flips Psalm 37 upside down — the psalm encourages those with little, not those seeking more

Conclusion of the Psalm 37 discussion

Whether a Christian can work for the CIA or NSA involves the question of whether all deception is always wrong

Question from Mick Making Oreo1113 about whether Christians can work in intelligence agencies where lying is part of the job

Rahab's deception of those seeking the spies is commended in Hebrews 11, suggesting not all deception is sinful

Biblical case study on deception and the ethics of intelligence work

Moral limits apply in every job; a Christian working in intelligence may face a moment requiring resignation

Concluding thought on Christians in intelligence work

Sexual deprivation of a spouse is a sin — each spouse's body belongs to the other in marriage

Question from Talk to Me TV about lack of sexual desire toward a spouse who has gained weight and is seeking more intimacy

1 Corinthians 7:3-5 establishes mutual bodily authority in marriage and implicitly rules out polygamy

Reading and exposition of 1 Corinthians 7 on conjugal rights

Love in marriage means giving yourself to your spouse regardless of desire — selfless love, not feeling-dependent love

Practical application of 1 Corinthians 7 to the questioner's situation

Lust toward others outside marriage diminishes desire for your spouse — exclusivity of sexual attention is essential

Second issue addressed in the marriage/intimacy question — possible causes of diminished desire

Desire is nice but not required for loving action in marriage

Closing thought on the marriage/intimacy question

A prayer opening Congress in the name of the Hindu god Brahma is blasphemy — but the appropriate Christian response is not rebellion

Question from Gorilla Christianity about a US Congress session opened in the name of Brahma

Government paganism does not nullify Christian obligation to submit to civil authority

Continuing response to the Congress prayer question

The feeling of "not being there yet" in Christian growth is healthy when it motivates pressing on rather than giving up

Question from Derry Draws about how to grow spiritually when the fire feels gone

The canonicity of Jude is not threatened by its quotation of extra-biblical sources like Enoch and the Testament of Moses

Question from Trumdial about whether Jude's citations of Enoch and Testament of Moses indicate it is a Gnostic forgery

Enoch is actually multiple composite works; early Jewish tradition rejected its canonical status

Continued discussion of the Book of Enoch in relation to Jude

Being too submissive is a real and dangerous failure — biblical submission has limits defined by obedience to God

Question from Lacey Fix about marriage counseling — secular counselors say too-submissive equals codependent, biblical counselors say submit more and your spouse will repent

The claim that a wife's submission will cause her husband to repent is not biblical — each person is accountable for their own behavior

Rebuttal of a specific style of marriage counseling

1 Peter 3:1 says a wife's godly conduct MAY win her husband — not that it WILL — preserving his moral agency

Careful reading of 1 Peter 3:1 regarding wives with unbelieving or disobedient husbands

Real-life example: a wife's Christ-like conduct broke through her angry husband's defenses and led to his conversion

Illustrative story supporting 1 Peter 3:1 and the "may" interpretation

Those who lived before Christ or never heard the gospel can still be saved — through faith in the true God, ultimately through Christ

Question from Telly Kaler about how people who lived before Jesus will be judged

Prayer to Mary and the glorification of Mary in the rosary are the primary theological problems for an ex-Catholic

Question from Calm 23 — an ex-Catholic still doing the daily rosary, seeking a replacement devotional

Jesus warns against vain repetition in prayer — praying a formula many times over can become "heaping up empty phrases"

Exposition of Matthew 6:5-13 in response to the rosary question

The Lord's Prayer is an excellent structured guide for prayer when used as a launch pad, not as a rote formula to repeat

Positive application of the Lord's Prayer and recommendation for daily devotional practice

Hebrews 2:17 — "made like his brothers in every respect" does not imply Jesus had a sinful nature or that humans are born innocent

Question from Troy Mulberry about Hebrews 2:17 and human nature at birth

Mike's view of sin nature: we are not guilty at birth, but our nature is bent toward temptation — distinct from Augustine's inherited guilt

Brief clarification on sin nature theology within the Hebrews 2:17 discussion

John 16:13 has primary application to the apostles; broadly applying it to all Christians sets the bar for Spirit-guidance too low

Question from Rocketman Sean about the extent to which John 16:13 applies to Christians today

A rearview mirror test for Spirit-led claims: look back at past "God told me" moments and evaluate their accuracy

Practical tool for evaluating claims of Spirit guidance

Romans 14:23 — "whatever does not proceed from faith is sin" — was not addressing all-encompassing anxiety about every decision

Question from Mr/Miss Spazzy Jazzy about a weak conscience producing doubt about everything basic

A hyper-sensitive conscience projects fear onto others and paralyzes daily life — the solution is more faith, not more scrutiny

Continuing response to the overly-scrupulous conscience question

Church attendance decisions during COVID are a matter of conscience — Christians should not cause division over this

Question from Israel Garcia about whether Christians are obligated to attend church during the pandemic

Judges 20 — Israel's early defeats against Benjamin were not deception by God but a means of bringing them to their knees

Question from Jason and Alana about why God apparently deceived Israel by telling them to fight before giving them victory

Judges is a book designed to show total human depravity — God is the only hero; even the deliverers fail

Broader theological point drawn from the Judges 20 discussion

The blind man in Mark who saw "men like trees walking" knew what trees were despite being blind — blind people have extensive non-visual knowledge

Question from Angela about how a man born blind could know what trees look like (Mark 8:24)

There is extra-biblical evidence (possibly Tacitus) for the darkness at the crucifixion

Question from Lior about extra-biblical evidence for the earthquake and darkness at the crucifixion

Christians are not free to disobey government laws simply because they seem pointless — but there is a threshold of oppression where resistance becomes legitimate

Question from Jared's Story about UK COVID laws and Christian obligation to comply

Baptizing children should not be delayed based purely on age — genuine faith at any age is sufficient

Question from April B about baptizing her 8-year-old who has made a genuine profession of faith

The Hobbit analogy: getting into the Word is like climbing above the fog to regain vision and direction

Transition into the bonus questions — encouragement for the viewers

Mike intends to discuss the Passion Translation with Dr. Michael Brown on Brown's program once his research is more complete

Question from Two Messianic Jews about whether Mike has reached out to Dr. Michael Brown regarding the Passion Translation

Re-baptism is not prescribed in Scripture but can be appropriate when the original baptism lacked genuine understanding

Question from Andrew Green about whether re-baptisms are biblical

Walking on eggshells around an easily angered person should be motivated by wisdom, not fear

Question from Taylor Paris about dealing with someone who is easily angered

The Holy Spirit specifically is said to grieve because He is the unifying presence dwelling within believers — our division grieves Him most directly

Question from Sandra about why Ephesians 4:30 says the Holy Spirit grieves but not the Father or Son

Bitterness, clamor, and slander toward political opponents grieve the Spirit — Christians must deal with their own carnality first

Application of Ephesians 4:30-31 to the current political/cultural climate

Proverbs recommended as the antidote to the lack of wisdom on both political extremes

Closing remarks