20 Questions with Pastor Mike (Episode 96)

Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:14 {Feminism’s Impact on the Church} What’s your opinion on how feminism is impacting the modern Church? 16:30 {Is Ordination Necessary?} What are your thoughts on the necessity to be ordained into ministry? Can I turn my home Bible study into a church? 19:33 {Heaven or Earth During 2nd Coming?} Will we be taken to Heaven during the second coming, or will God’s Kingdom come to Earth to reign? Seems odd to create Earth for Him to just destroy it and bring us to His domain. 24:59 {Relationship Dynamics Before Divorce} I was wondering, if a couple is married and one of them is seeking an unbiblical divorce, does that give them the right to start dating other people before the divorce is finalized? 27:34 {Witnessing to Muslims} I'm 15, and my best friend at school is a Muslim. Do you have any advice for trying to evangelize Muslims who are intelligent and rational but very set in their ways? 35:43 {Should Men Move Out Before Dating?} Looking at Ephesians 5:31, Should a Christian man move out of his parents’ house before trying to date, to prove they can provide an income and a house? 40:07 {If God Seems Silent, Does He Still Care?} My sister walked away from God because she begged for direction in her life and she says she heard nothing from God. This led her to believe God doesn’t care about her. How do I respond to this? 45:48 {Slave to Sin?} In Romans 7:14, is Paul describing his experience before or after he became a Christian? He’s just shifted to the present tense, but says he is sold as a slave to sin. Does this differ from Romans 8? 52:45 {How Should We View Extrabiblical Books?} With extrabiblical books such as Enoch or 1 & 2 Maccabees, how do you discern within these books if they're true accounts, if they don't contradict our canon? 55:59 {Earthly Rulers vs. Spiritual Rulers?} In 1 Corinthians 2:8, is Paul referring to earthly rulers (i.e. Pharisees or Romans) or spiritual rulers as he does in Ephesians 6:12? 1:01:08 {Forgiveness while Guarding Against Abuse} In 1 Corinthians 13:1, we are told that love "keeps no record of wrongs.” But how do we reconcile this with setting boundaries to protect us from abusive behaviors? 1:03:11 {Should we Pray for Specific Gifts?} What do you think about praying expectantly for a very specific gift of the Holy Spirit? I see people blessed with certain gifts teaching classes. For example, I've seen classes on how to prophesy.13.1:10:02 {Thoughts on the Anglican Church} Any thoughts on the Anglican Church? I found a church I like, but I have never been a part of a proper denomination before, so I’m worried about bureaucracy. 1:12:05 {Was Jesus Really Buried for 3 Days & Nights?} If Jesus died on a Friday and rose on a Sunday, then He was not in the grave for three days and three nights. Why is it that this seems never to be addressed? 1:18:33 {About Theistic Evolution} Can you explain your understanding of Theistic Evolution? I saw a video by InspiringPhilosophy and have a hard time accepting this viewpoint. 1:25:37 {Was Abel a Prophet?} Does Luke 11:50-51 mean that Abel was a prophet? 1:30:04 {Who Can Baptize People?} Can anyone baptize? Or must one be a pastor? 1:32:40 {Communicating with God} How can we have a relationship with God when He doesn’t talk back? 1:34:54 {Was Saul Justified in Ending his Life?} Could we say that Saul killing himself in 1 Samuel 31:3-5 was justifiable for the same reason 9/11 jumpers were justified? 1:41:51 {Holy Week Reflections} With Easter coming up, what is something that we might overlook but shouldn’t, considering that celebrating Easter might just become a yearly habit or tradition to people?