Articles by BibleThinker

Since Joel Osteen removed my first video giving a full analysis of his sermon, I am uploading this highly edited one focused on his use of Scripture specifically.
Why are you doing this, Mike? Because you can’t think biblically if your teachers are misusing the Bible all the time. And pointing out when and how this happens is one of the best ways to help people learn not to do it themselves.
I don’t have anything personal against Joel Osteen. I do, however, feel a calling to help people learn to think biblically about everything and I recognize that the pop-level teaching of popular internet/TV preachers has done a lot of harm to our ability to read the Bible and our awareness of how serious Jesus’ call to discipleship really is.
My website: https://BibleThinker.org

Here’s the link I told you about, for searching on my site for answers to your questions.

HERE’S my video on the unforgivable sin.

HERE’S my video on how atheist scholar, Bart Ehrman, misleads millions.

My goal is to help you on the road to thinking biblically about everything.

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:

0:00 – Intro

0:39 {Did Jesus Contradict Himself?} Why would Jesus instruct us to let our good works be seen by others (Matthew 5:16) if He also instructed us to do our good works in secret (Matthew 6:1-4)? Am I misunderstanding something?
12:19 {Do Some People Get More Grace?} Romans 5:2 says we stand on grace. In Acts 4:33, it says great grace was upon them all. Does that mean some people have more grace? I’ve heard you say we don’t get grace little by little.
18:10 {If You’ve Forgotten a Promise to God} What do you do when you’ve made a promise to God and either forget the specifics of it or forget you’ve made it altogether?
20:58 {Should We Fear Future Events?} What is a healthy way to look at the future with all the disasters in Revelation? I have trouble building up my life without fearing everything will change soon, for the worse.
25:51 {Responding to Pro-Choice Thinking} How can we respond to someone who uses, “A creator has the right to do whatever they want with their own creation” as a pro-choice argument?
30:54 {About “Holy Water” or “Blessed” Objects} A local street preacher uses holy water on the ground, which he says keeps demonic activity from disrupting his preaching. I haven’t seen Scripture support this. Is it biblical?
36:18 {About the Millennial Kingdom} If God is eternal and He knows everything from the beginning to the end, then why does He set up a 1000 year Millennium Kingdom? What are the reasons for this, biblically?
42:18 {Perichoresis vs. Modalism} Can you explain the difference between the concepts of perichoresis and modalism? They seem to be very similar ideas on the surface.
46:06 {About Bart Ehrman’s Teachings & Tactics} You have talked about Dr. Bart Ehrman (ex: your “Atheist Scholar Misleads Millions Of People” video). Does he also use these “techniques” on his professional peers?
51:27 {Trusting God when He Seems Silent} What practical steps do you do to trust in the Lord? I frequently have difficulty trusting Him during difficult times, especially when He doesn’t seem to be answering prayer.
59:20 {Were the Nazis Appointed by God?} Were the Nazis as a government authority “appointed by God” according to Romans 13?
1:03:39 {Why did God Send Jacob to Egypt?} In Genesis 12:10, Abraham goes to Egypt. That decision is considered by many as disobedience to God. If going to Egypt is related to a bad decision, why is it that later, God sent Jacob to Egypt?
1:06:30 {Are We Dead to Sin, or Sold Under It?} Why does Paul say “…reckon ye yourselves to be dead unto sin, but alive unto God through Christ Jesus our Lord” in Romans 6:11, yet in Romans 7:14, he says, “…but I am carnal, sold under sin”?
1:10:05 {Traditional Preferences over Biblical Theology?} I’m an ex-Catholic, but I’m getting pulled back in. I don’t know why, but I just like praying in Latin, the Rosary, praying to saints, and using scripted prayers because I don’t know how to pray on my own.
1:18:15 {How to Understand the Bible} What is your general advice on understanding Bible verses that we don’t understand?
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It’s very important that we recognize the incredible value of our marriages, whether they involve two Christians or not. You can honor Christ in your marriage whether your spouse does or not.
My website: https://BibleThinker.org

The most important issue here is that we first decide that we are willing to yield to whatever God says on the topic. Once we’ve decided to obey we will be more likely to actually listen to the answer without distorting it to fit our desires.

Original Q&A video is HERE.

My website: https://BibleThinker.org

This is a quick overview of several points that I explain in much more detail in my full teaching on everything the Bible says about divorce and remarriage. CLICK HERE for that 3 hour video with timestamps to help you navigate to exactly what you need.

My website: https://BibleThinker.org

Yes, we want to pray for their salvation! But I think that some people have a hard time praying for those who they see as causing large scale harm or problems for others when they mistakenly think we are supposed to ask God to prosper them in their efforts. Instead, we can pray for God to bring good out of their leadership and for other blessings which don’t involve supporting ungodly commitments or commitments that we see as ungodly. Unfortunately, this is pretty much the way I have found myself praying for every president I’ve known.

Original Q&A video is HERE.

My website: https://BibleThinker.org

My goal is to help you on the road to thinking biblically about everything.

Here’s my video analyzing how Roman Catholic apologists abuse typology to teach Mariology.

THIS is the entire “How to Find Jesus in the Old Testament” series. The most personally rewarding and thrilling series I’ve ever done.

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference:

0:54 {The Purpose of our Lives} As Christians, what is the purpose of our lives?
16:53 {About Kenosis Theology} Is Bethel style Kenosis theology from Philippians 2:5-11 heretical (where Christ is said to have lost His divinity to live instead as a human)? Or is that a secondary issue like sacraments and eschatology?
25:39 {When People Justify Bad Behavior w/Scripture} When strong Christians suddenly start to justify sinful treatment of others (rage, control, insults, blaming) through Scripture twisting, could this be due to a shipwrecked faith or mental illness?
28:09 {Should we Pray in Public Before Meals?} I grew up praying before every meal, even in restaurants. I want to know how often I should do this, since I don’t want to be like the Pharisees praying publicly to be seen by others.
32:45 {Can Satan Heal People?} In view of the magicians in Exodus potentially getting their power from Satan, can Satan and demons heal, and are these potentially healings that don’t last?
37:58 {How to Reach Catholic Family Members} I’m a new believer, and my wife is a Catholic. Married 5 years. We have 2 very young baby daughters. How do I win my wife to Christ if she grew up rigidly Catholic? I can’t break past her typological beliefs.
43:35 {Empathizing with Victims of Tragic Events} How should I view the pain I feel for victims of the Holocaust, Nanking Massacre, etc. when these groups were mostly un-elect vessels of wrath who will receive no comfort?
49:06 {Is Psychology Satanic?} I’ve heard some people say that psychology belongs to Satan and that Christians should stray from studying it. What is your opinion on that, and is there any biblical basis for avoiding it?
57:58 {How Might Fathers Exasperate their Children?} What does “Fathers, do not exasperate your children” in Colossians 3:21 mean? Is this meant to be a general guidance to raising children, or discipling them?
1:03:06 {How to Distinguish Core Doctrines} How do I know what things are a “salvation issue” that I have to be right about, and what things are more open to interpretation that if I am wrong about my salvation will not be affected?
1:06:27 {Why is the Resurrection so Important?} Why are Jesus’ claims and resurrection the one true root of our faith? Asking to help explain it to unbelievers who believe all religions lead to God.
1:11:22 {Must We Look Forward to our Glorified Bodies?} As a disabled person, some claim I’m missing out because I’m not looking forward to a new body. I’m content. Thoughts?
1:13:22 {Why was Tamar a “Disgraced Woman”?} Why was Tamar in 2 Samuel considered “a disgraced woman” after being raped by her half-brother, Amnon?
1:22:04 {Should we Insert Names into Scripture?} A friend likes to substitute names in place of “you” in Scripture. Is that biblical? Romans 15:13 for example.
1:25:15 {Why does Jesus need to Pray in Heaven?} Why does Jesus pray for us in Heaven when He could just directly ask God, since He is seated at the right hand of God?
1:29:50 {How to get Others Excited about Apologetics} What is the best way to get a fellow believer to realize the importance of apologetics? I meet way too many Christians who are just like, “I j

It seems to me that a balanced, biblical view will affirm both the role of the husband as having higher authority in the household and his responsibility to utilize that authority for self-sacrificial service. Any teaching that doesn’t emphasize both of these aspects seems to be unbiblical.

CLICK HERE for my video on “How to Be a Husband”

My website: https://BibleThinker.org

Many (not all) egalitarians say that the fundamental way that marriage works, in relationship to authority, has been widely misunderstood by Christians throughout history. They say that wives are not called to submit in any greater fashion than their husbands are. They say that the real biblical teaching is for “mutual submission.”

Today we will cover the main passages that seem to teach an authority imbalance in the marriage relationship, examine the context of each from a traditional, complementarian perspective, and then we’ll spend the majority of our time going over egalitarian claims that would offer linguistic, contextual and historical reasons for why that’s not what it means. They will generally say that a passage simply does not say that there is an authority imbalance in marriage, or that it does say that but it was only for a particular culture and a particular time.

After years of being a bit confused about the topic of women in ministry, I set out to spend months researching the topic in great detail to produce this exhaustive teaching series on the topic. This is part 9.

CLICK HERE for the playlist of ALL the videos in this series (more will be added as I make them).

You can also find more videos freely available here on my website.

I have other references and data in my notes from this series, which you can freely access through this website.

Time Stamps:

10:36 Mike’s teaching through 1 Peter 3:1-7
30:19 Mike’s teaching through Col. 3: 18-19
35:04 Mike’s teaching through Titus 2:5
35:52 Mike’s teaching through Eph. 5: 21-33
49:23 Mike’s teaching on 1 Cor. 7:3-5
55:14 Egalitarian view of 1 Pet. 3:1-7
1:21:55 Egalitarian view of Col. 3: 18-19
1:30:45 Egalitarian view of Eph. 5: 21-36
2:40:47 The slavery objection
3:05:07 Conclusion

My goal is to help you on the road to thinking biblically about everything.

LINKS I MENTIONED:

Help for Jehovah’s Witnesses playlist
Penal Substitution Series
What the Bible teaches about Alcohol
Here’s the link for my next video in the Women in Ministry series. This is part 9 and we will be covering the claim that many egalitarians make that there is no authority imbalance in marriage and the idea of “wives submit” has been misunderstood throughout time; it should really be understood, they say, as “mutual submission.” This issue is massively important since it impacts every Christian marriage!

https://BibleThinker.org

0:00 – Intro

0:30 {Are Retirement Savings Sinful?} Based off of the Parable of the Rich Fool (Luke 12:16-21) and the story in Matthew 19:21, do you think it is sinful to save up for retirement?
14:59 {Communion Elements/Did Jesus Drink Wine?} My family and I attend a church that is in fellowship with an organization that uses water during communion instead of wine or grape juice. They attempt to use John 19:34 to justify this, and they also believe Jesus never consumed wine. Is this biblical?
21:10 {Does Jesus Live in Us?} Would it be accurate after reading 1 Corinthians 6:19 & 2 Corinthians 13:5 to state that both the Holy Spirit and Jesus live in the believer?
26:40 {Are “God-Given Rights” Biblical?} Does the Bible say anything about “God Given Rights,” at least the way many Americans use the phrase?
33:20 {When & How to Evangelize} I want everyone to be saved & I feel guilty if I don’t share the Gospel with every person I see. How do I know when I should share the Gospel & how do I start the conversation?
38:08 {Is the Curse of the Ground Still Active?} In what way did Noah bring relief from the curse of the ground (Genesis 5:28-29)? Am I mistaken in thinking the curse still seems active today (Genesis 3:17-19; 8:21)?
43:47 {What is a False Teacher?} What do you think is the biblical definition of a false teacher? People’s interpretations of this vary widely. I’d just like to have a fresh pair of eyes on it.
47:58 {About Fantasy Entertainment} What is your stance on fantasy entertainment which utilizes pagan/made up religions such as GoT, Lotr, Zelda, Hercules, or Valheim? Isn’t it promoting Idolatry?
52:05 {Safeguarding Ourselves While Witnessing} I have felt God call me to minister to the JWs, and He has opened doors for me to do so. What should I do to make sure my faith is not endangered when I am doing ministry? I meet with them tonight.
56:21 {How does Our Will Intertwine with God’s?} In Genesis 20:4-6, Abimelech seems to think he didn’t touch Sarah out of his own will, but God says HE didn’t allow it. Any insight on the intersection between our will and God’s hand making stuff happen?
1:01:29 {How did Jesus Pay in Advance for our Sin?} I’m not sure about penal substitution. How can it be that my sins, which were not yet committed at the time of the crucifixion, could have been imputed to Christ on the cross?
1:06:43 {Discerning God’s Calling from Our Feelings?} How can I tell the difference between when God is truly calling me to something or if I am just searching for signs?
1:11:44 {Is Being Baptized in a Special Location More “Spiritual”?} Is it wrong to think being baptized in the Jordan Rive