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All (212) Mike Winger (212)

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Winger's church practice: open to Spirit-prompted words but does not structure services around spiritual gifts; anti-normative posture.

Q&A response about how gifts function in his church.

continuationism church order spiritual gifts

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Views on gifts are often driven more by experience than Scripture; the exegetical case against cessationism from 1 Cor 13 is strong but trajectory arguments for cessationism are weak.

Q&A — viewer asks whether people's positions on sign gifts are experience-based more than Scripture-based.

biblical authority cessationism continuationism

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Resource recommendation for documented modern miracles: Craig Keener's two-volume work "Miracles" provides medical/testimonial evidence catalogued by a respected scholar.

Q&A — viewer asks for visible evidence that gifts of healing are active today.

Craig Keener spiritual gifts healing

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Can a person speak in tongues without having the gift of tongues? Possibly — but Romans 8 groaning is distinct: it is heart-pouring to God, not a spiritual gift requiring impartation.

Q&A — question about whether tongues-speaking requires the specific gift.

Romans 8 Romans 8 spiritual gifts tongues

Mike Winger idea 2019-06-26

Historical question: sign gifts did not begin at Azusa Street; early church fathers (Justin Martyr, later Augustine) attest to prophecy and miracles continuing post-apostolically.

Q&A — viewer claims modern tongues/gifts stem from the 1906 Azusa Street revival. Winger corrects the historical record.

cessationism continuationism church history

Mike Winger idea 2019-07-17

2015 turning point: Sunday evening service and weekly video strategy

In June 2015, Winger's senior pastor offered him the freedom to teach an adult Sunday evening service, which catalyzed a new approach to his YouTube ministry.

Winger's church practice: open to Spirit-prompted words but does not structure services around spiritual gifts; anti-normative posture.

Views on gifts are often driven more by experience than Scripture; the exegetical case against cessationism from 1 Cor 13 is strong but trajectory arguments for cessationism are weak.

Resource recommendation for documented modern miracles: Craig Keener's two-volume work "Miracles" provides medical/testimonial evidence catalogued by a respected scholar.

Can a person speak in tongues without having the gift of tongues? Possibly — but Romans 8 groaning is distinct: it is heart-pouring to God, not a spiritual gift requiring impartation.

Historical question: sign gifts did not begin at Azusa Street; early church fathers (Justin Martyr, later Augustine) attest to prophecy and miracles continuing post-apostolically.

2015 turning point: Sunday evening service and weekly video strategy

Christian worldview distinctives: personal God, imago Dei, sin, grace, salvation by faith

Strong feeling is not the same as God speaking — this applies to believers and non-believers alike

God gives wisdom primarily through Scripture, secondarily through the word of wisdom gift and through other believers

1 Corinthians 13:10 does not teach cessationism — the perfect refers to seeing Christ face to face at the second coming, not the completion of Scripture

Should we command healing (like Peter in Acts 3:6) or pray to God for healing? — Pray with faith; commanding is not a universal prescription

Mark 16:17-18 — the signs follow believers as a community/historically, not as individual mandates for every Christian

Personal testimony: as a teenager Mike was told he was not saved because he had not spoken in tongues

Acts 2 — the inauguration of the Holy Spirit: all present spoke in tongues

Acts 19 — group that had not heard of the Holy Spirit is baptized and speaks in tongues

1 Corinthians 14:5 — Paul wishes all spoke in tongues, implying not everyone does

1 Corinthians 12:30 — rhetorical questions imply not all speak in tongues

Critique of Bethel/Bill Johnson teaching that everyone works miracles and is a prophet

Summary: the three Acts tongues episodes demonstrate the Spirit's work in different stages, not universal salvation proof

Parable of the Talents: the main point is investing what God has given you for his kingdom

Spiritual gifts are discerned by what you are good at, not merely what excites you

Discovering gifts requires doing everything first and then observing where you excel

Knowing the Holy Spirit: the Spirit's leading will always be consistent with Scripture

Romans 8 on the Spirit crying Abba Father: relationship with the Spirit unrelated to miraculous gifts

Mike's personal experience of what he believes was genuine speaking in tongues during times of hardship

"Slain in the Spirit" is not taught in the Bible and is inconsistent with the Spirit's fruit of self-control

Paul's instructions on tongues and prophecy require self-control, proving the Spirit does not override the person's will

Root cause of New Age adoption: absence of Holy Spirit necessitates manufactured methods

Using a book or resource as a proxy for delivering correction to a defensive pastor

Hebrews 6:4-6 — the most difficult passage in the Bible; three main interpretive options explored

"The Anointing" — biblical basis is real but the charismatic formulaic packaging of it is concerning

Is marriage a choice? 1 Corinthians 7:25-40 — singleness and marriage as two equally valid, differently good options

Acts 2 Pentecost: the drunk accusation was caused by incomprehensible tongues, not ecstatic behavior

Three arguments against drunk-in-the-spirit theology: self-control is a fruit of the Spirit; accusers were unsaved; Scripture describes the gifts

Personal testimony: Mike faked being slain in the Spirit at a hyper-Pentecostal church due to peer pressure as a teenager

If Mark 16:17-18 is original, signs accompanying believers does not mean every believer at all times

Cessationism vs. continuationism — Mike holds continuationism but respects cessationists

John MacArthur — appreciation as a gospel champion; cautious about Strange Fire conference

Preterism — all Bible prophecy fulfilled by 70 AD; Mike disagrees and will debate it on Remnant Radio

Does God choose who is saved? — Both election and free will are simultaneously true

1 Corinthians 14:22 — tongues are a sign for unbelievers only when interpreted; the apparent contradiction explained

Revival is biblical; Mike defines it as significant corporate repentance and walking rightly with God, not primarily as an outpouring of spectacular spiritual gifts.

Mike identifies as charismatic (gifts active today, cessationism rejected) but not hyper-charismatic; he opposes fabricating gifts and "Acts 2.0" theology.

Using frequency of tongues-speaking as a spiritual credential is spiritually abusive; Mike refuses to disclose personal charismatic experiences in that context.

Bethel's primary export is false revival — fake gifts, prophecy, healings — mixed with genuine-sounding worship music that ranges from theologically neutral to theologically dangerous.

A person with Asperger's who fears public speaking should identify what they are actually gifted at and build ministry around those strengths rather than forcing it through their weakness.

Mike's own primary gift is teaching, not worship leading — he did worship leading for years out of necessity but recognized it was not his strongest gift; leaning into actual gifts maximizes ministry impact.

Typological reading of Cain/Abel: works vs. faith — valid typology but not the cause of rejection

Hebrews 11:4: Abel's sacrifice was better because it was offered by faith

Q9: Is it sinful to not want to marry? Singleness is a gift, not inferior to marriage

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