Breaking News!: Bonus Update.Covering a “Rapture Cult Update” from the recent false prophets.

Q&A question: Breaking News!

Is Christianity a Cult?: In light of Mhlakela's serious error, how can Christians be assured that we aren't also blind members of a cult? Scholars are quick to explain t:hat "near" means quickly, unexpectedly, or suddenly. Then why don't they translate "tychikos" (soon) as such? 2 Peter 3:8-9 is also frequently used as an excuse.

Q&A question: Is Christianity a Cult?

Is Repeated Repentance a Deception?: I have heard you say we should keep repenting. But, if we are continually repenting for the same sin or sins, has it lost its value? Is our repentance real or are we deceiving ourselves?

Q&A question: Is Repeated Repentance a Deception?

Politics in The Pulpit?: To what extent is it appropriate or necessary for pastors to address current events & politics from the pulpit? How should church members respond if these topics aren’t addressed thoroughly or at all?

Q&A question: Politics in The Pulpit?

Mark of the Beast: Always Wrong?: If a man takes the Mark of the Beast to provide for his family, how will God judge him?

Q&A question: Mark of the Beast: Always Wrong?

The Church’s Voice = God’s Voice?: My dad said, “The church asked me to be a deacon, so it must be God.” Is it wise to treat the church’s voice as God’s voice?

Q&A question: The Church’s Voice = God’s Voice?

About Clear Truth Media: I think you’ve written for Clear Truth Media and they are platforming Mark Driscoll. With your stance on unqualified pastors, how do you respond?

Q&A question: About Clear Truth Media

Dietary Laws: Fulfilled?: How did Jesus fulfill the dietary laws? I’m considering Jesus grafting in Gentiles into the faith to be the fulfillment of that (Matthew 5: 17, Acts 10:9-15).

Q&A question: Dietary Laws: Fulfilled?

Overcoming Anxiety: Death & Illnesses: My wife often deals with anxiety. She is a firm believer, but struggles with the fear of death/illnesses. Not for her own sake, but because of the people she would leave behind.

Q&A question: Overcoming Anxiety: Death & Illnesses

Gentle Guidance for a Friend in Error: How can I share the Gospel with a friend who lost his mom and believes she’s watching over him? I know it’s necromancy, but he’s hurting and I fear sounding harsh.

Q&A question: Gentle Guidance for a Friend in Error

500 Witnesses: Verifiable?: I’ve got a question regarding the reliability of the 500 Witnesses source. Atheists say that we have no way to verify that the number Paul gives is accurate. How would you answer this?

Q&A question: 500 Witnesses: Verifiable?

Developing Belief as an Analytical Person: How do I develop a belief in Christianity? It feels very difficult as an analytical person. I’ve been looking into apologetics but still can't develop faith and I strongly want to live righteously.

Q&A question: Developing Belief as an Analytical Person

[Cover-Up Culture Update} Do you have an update on the cover-up culture exposure project?

Q&A question

Un-Learning Without Deconstructing: For those who used to be a part of Bethel, what advice would you give to those who are deconstructing things learned there without losing faith? I attended their ministry school years ago.

Q&A question: Un-Learning Without Deconstructing

Inter-Faith Marital Conflicts: My wife is Catholic, but I have an issue with our kids going to mass due to it being a propitiatory sacrifice. Am I doing more harm (by causing strife in the marriage) than good by not exposing them?

Q&A question: Inter-Faith Marital Conflicts

Who Was Theudas?: Who was Theudas in Acts 5? Is it a contradiction?

Q&A question: Who Was Theudas?

God’s Will & Our Choices: Some people pray for God to remove a potential partner from their life if they aren’t the right fit. I’ve tried this, too, but God doesn’t always remove the partner in question. Why is that?

Q&A question: God’s Will & Our Choices

One of Mike’s Favorite Verses: What is your favorite Bible verse and why? P.s., I liked your cat video.

Q&A question: One of Mike’s Favorite Verses

Adam & Eve Clothed with Lamb?: Do you think God used a lamb to clothe Adam and Eve in Genesis 3? Paul says, “Put on the Lord Jesus Christ,” the lamb!

Q&A question: Adam & Eve Clothed with Lamb?

1 Thessalonians 5: 19-21 says to "test all things," but gives no context as to what the testing looks like. I am a Bethel alumni who doesn’t want to throw away prophecy. I need to know how to test all things.

Q&A question

Third Temple: Location?: For third temple prophecy, is the location specified? Does it HAVE to be the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, or can it be built somewhere else in Israel?

Q&A question: Third Temple: Location?

Mental Illness vs. Demonic Possession: What is your opinion on whether or not the spike in mental illness in this world could potentially be demon possession?

Q&A question: Mental Illness vs. Demonic Possession

Non-Competitive Evangelism: I do a lot of evangelism, in an older tradition that has not focused on evangelism for a long time. How do I evangelize without it feeling like it’s a competition with newer, trendier churches?

Q&A question: Non-Competitive Evangelism

Parents & Adult Children’s Sin: How should parents of adult children respond to a son or daughter's sinful lifestyle? If your daughter lives with her boyfriend, should you have them over for dinner together?

Q&A question: Parents & Adult Children’s Sin

Earning vs. Receiving God’s Love: How do I go from trying to earn God’s love, to just receiving it?

Q&A question: Earning vs. Receiving God’s Love

How to Depend on The Spirit: I know that as believers, we live life through the Holy Spirit and He gives us strength to obey God. But how do we depend on the Holy Spirit's strength? What does that look like lived out?

Q&A question: How to Depend on The Spirit

Finding Meaning & Contentment: I feel spiritually empty despite recent financial blessings. I’m not lacking, yet discontent. What gives life meaning, and would serving or evangelizing help fulfill me?

Q&A question: Finding Meaning & Contentment

Why Didn’t Jesus Come Sooner?: If Jesus was always God’s “Plan A,” why did He wait? Why not reveal Jesus sooner?

Q&A question: Why Didn’t Jesus Come Sooner?

Explain the Latter Rain: Can you explain the “Latter Rain” in Joel 2: 23-29 from a biblical perspective? This seems to be a root of a lot of all this cover-up culture.

Q&A question: Explain the Latter Rain

Handling Injustice: Work vs. Church: How should injustice/unethical actions in the workplace be handled in comparison to how we handle sin in the church?

Q&A question: Handling Injustice: Work vs. Church

Romans 13 & Corrupt Government: Many preachers use Romans 13 to promote supporting our current governmental leadership. Yet those same preachers were anti-Biden or anti-Democratic when he was in office. How do we walk that out rightly?

Q&A question: Romans 13 & Corrupt Government

“Purity Culture”: Too Far?: What is a biblical perspective of “Purity Culture”? Is it actually something that goes too far? I'm not just talking about abstinence before marriage, but the idea of purity rings, no dating, etc.

Q&A question: “Purity Culture”: Too Far?

Pagan Culture

Bethel apologized and it was amazing

This is a test not an end

What happened so far

Kris Vallotton's terrible video

Dan Farrelly's apology

The presence of women as the primary witnesses to the empty tomb was an embarrassment to the early church in first-century culture, where women's testimony was widely discredited. What was a liability then is actually strong evidence for historical reliability now — people don't fabricate stories that hurt their own credibility.

The criterion of embarrassment and the women witnesses; Celsius's criticism

Winger describes the founding of his online ministry: he was already a full-time youth pastor when he sensed a strong calling to do something else online. He began on YouTube targeting subjects Christians were confused about (OT law, cult groups, controversial topics) and with the conviction that if he could reach the large YouTube audience, the impact would be extraordinary.

Origin of Winger's online ministry; calling and initial strategy

Michael W. Smith removed his endorsement of the Passion Translation after Winger and others highlighted scholarly consensus that it is an unreliable translation. Bible Gateway also removed the TPT from their platform. Winger sees this as a positive cultural shift: mainstream evangelicalism is becoming aware that the Passion Translation is a sectarian, doctrinally distorted product rather than a legitimate Bible translation.

The Passion Translation: Michael W. Smith removes endorsement; Bible Gateway drops TPT

Joshua Malacala predicted the rapture for September 23-24, then October 6-7, then October 16-17 — a third failed prediction within weeks. Rather than repenting, the community recalculated each time, inventing explanations (Daniel's 21-day delay, the Enochian calendar) and insulating themselves from accountability. Winger argues this pattern is cult-like behavior, not faithful anticipation.

Joshua Malacala's three failed rapture predictions; the pattern of recalculation instead of repentance

When confronted with failed predictions, the rapture-date community's response is to circle the wagons, claim victimhood ("we're being mocked"), and accuse critics of having a "Jezebel spirit." Winger identifies this as classic cult dynamics: insulation from correction, victim mentality, and shielding leaders from accountability through demonization of outsiders.

Cult-like dynamics in the rapture prediction community: victim narratives and Jezebel accusations

Dr. Corey Miller (president of Ratio Christi) argues that what happens in universities does not stay there — it flows into culture, politics, media, and the church. Christians have largely abandoned the universities to secular and post-modern ideological capture, just as the left deliberately targeted them as "the apex of education" upstream of all cultural change.

The university as the strategic apex of cultural change; Christians must re-engage

Miller describes what happens to Christian students at secular universities: the combination of social pressure (frat culture, peers) and intellectual indoctrination (Nietzsche, Freud, Darwin) across all departments erodes faith. Real believers don't technically "lose" their faith but are beaten down to the point where their belief has no practical effect — "the heart cannot embrace what the mind cannot believe."

How universities erode Christian faith through combined social and intellectual pressure

The ratio of liberal to conservative professors is 12:1 for those retiring, 23:1 for newly tenured faculty, and 99:1 at Harvard in some departments. 18-24% of social science professors explicitly identify as Marxist, activist, or radical. This is not viewpoint diversity — it is an ideological monoculture, and sending unprepared Christian students into it is, as Miller says, "paying for the apostasy of your own children."

Statistics on liberal-conservative faculty ratio; the ideological monoculture of elite universities