20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 26)

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 - Introduction 1. 1:11 [Grieving the death of the unsaved] How do we biblically grieve the death of a loved one who wasn't saved? Since we don't believe in purgatory, and therefore we don't pray for deceased people, what is an appropriate (but still loving) response in this situation? And how can we kindly correct those who make a well-meaning offer to pray for a dead loved one without being harsh? 2. 8:20 [Plato & Christianity?] What does Plato have to do with Christianity? I recently read that Plato had as much influence on Christianity as the Bible. 3. 11:29 [Does Christianity impede critical thinking?] Is/was Christianity guilty of impeding critical thinking and exploring the mysteries of the cosmos and physics of the natural world? How would you advise a believer involved in both worlds? 4. 17:06 [Does God have a sense of humor?] Deep theological and philosophical question: Does God have a sense of humor? 5. 21:18 [Should I be rebaptized?] Are there biblical examples of people being baptized more than once? I was baptized LDS but don't consider it to be a legitimate baptism. I want to be rebaptized now that I found Christ. Is this ok? 6. 26:16 [About ‘gods’ of other religions] In Numbers 33:3-4, YHWH never denies other ‘gods.’ Are we then to understand gods of other religions (Allah, Zeus, etc.) as very much real ‘gods,’ albeit demons? 7. 32:00 [Does God really forget sins? Should we?] After forgiveness, all sin is wiped clean. Can a person then claim to have never taken part in certain sin in his past? If the Lord remembers our sin no more, why should we? 8. 35:17 [Is it biblical to mandate traditions?] The church I grew up in had extrabiblical "traditions" (women wear dresses, men are clean shaven, etc.), and justified this using Proverbs 22: 28 & Matthew 18: 18. Is it biblical to mandate adherence to tradition? 9. 40:38 [Answering skeptics’ claims online] I've been trying to reach skeptics online, but they've told me belief in God is irrational and that I must believe rape & torture are o.k. since I'm a Christian. They also call God evil, a murderer, and a megalomaniac, and say Christians are wasting their time believing in "fairytales." How should I respond to these claims, and how can I tell when a debate is not even going to be fruitful? 10. 45:35 [Should we pray against “spirits” of sins?] Is it Biblical to pray against spirits (e.g., the "spirit of" offense, laziness, depression, confusion, etc.)? What is a "Jezebel spirit," and is it real? 11. 51:15 [Perpetual virginity of Mary?] Did Mary remain a virgin? I've heard that the brothers of Jesus that are mentioned were actually his cousins, and that if she had other sons, John wouldn't have needed to care for her (John 19:26). 12. 58:16 [Defining persecution] Can you please define "persecution" and speak to whether these pastors imprisoned or being penalized for defying public health orders are in fact being persecuted? 13. 1:00:35 [Can secular songs be turned into worship?] What are your thoughts on using secular music as a form of worship music where half of the lyrics are secular words and the other half is supposedly Jesus’ words? 14. 1:02:34 [Do real Christians stop sinning?] Does 1 John 3:4-10 mean your aren’t a real Christian if you still struggle with sin? At face value that’s how it sounds, but then nobody would qualify for Grace - so I’m confused. 15. 1:11:30 [Why did God command death?] My 12 year old daughter asked me after reading Exodus 32: 28 “If God gives us free will to worship Him, why did He have Moses command the Levites to kill those 3,000 people who chose not to?” 16. 1:14:29 [Did God make individuals & not just mankind?] Even though I know people (as a whole) were made by God, because God made Adam, how do I know that I/people (individually) are also made by God, especially when they are conceived out of sin? 17. 1:17:03 [How to rekindle passion for God] How would you counsel som