Question Time Stamps for Quick Reference: 0:00 - Intro 1. 1:00 {Is Loan Forgiveness Moral or Immoral?} Is it biblical for a Christian to file for student loan forgiveness? I attended college in my 20s and racked up 20k in student loans. The balance is currently at 16k. Biden's student loan forgiveness plan would really help, but would I be "taking the easy way out" when I'm able-bodied to pay off the remainder over time myself? Would it be selfish and irresponsible, or a blessing, to accept the aid? 2. 19:15 {Does God Not Knowing a Soul Mean They Never Loved Him?} Through 1 Corinthians 8:3, we know that whoever loves God is known by Him. Thus, would you agree that Jesus saying “I never knew you” in Matthew 7 is the equivalent of Him saying “You never loved Me”? 3. 23:51 {About the Patriarchs’ Ages in Genesis} Were the biological ages of the Patriarchs from Adam to Noah congruent with their chronological ages? At 900 years old, were they biologically 90? How long do you think they spent in childhood? 4. 27:50 {Was Sacrificing to Molech Similar to Abortion?} Was Molech child sacrifice similar to abortion in that a key purpose was to get rid of unwanted babies born (most often) of sexual sin? Ezekiel 16: 20-21(NKJV) clearly links the practice to fornication. 5. 31:54 {How Much Should we Desire Marriage?} How fervently should I pray for the possibility of marriage being included in God’s will for my life? It has always felt pointless considering that it's likely God may not ever give it in my life. 6. 36:12 {How Will Jesus Reconcile All Things in Heaven?} In Colossians 1: 20, Paul says that Jesus reconciles all things to Himself, both in Heaven and on Earth. What does it mean for Jesus to reconcile all things in Heaven? 7. 39:09 {Am I Called to Global Missions?} Is Matthew 28: 18-20 a calling for all Christians to leave their respective countries to share the Gospel, or just some? How can I tell if I am to leave my home country to share the Gospel? 8. 44:05 {Should We Celebrate Friends’ “Out of Wedlock” Pregnancies?} I have some Christian friends who have gotten pregnant out of wedlock, and I feel like they expect you to react just the same as if they were married. What’s the right response in this situation? 9. 47:35 {Is it Possible to be “Good”?} “Good Man”? Jesus said there is none good but God in Luke 18: 19, Mathew 19: 17, and Mark 10: 18. But, in Acts 11: 24 it talks about a Good Man. Also in Matthew 12: 35, Proverbs 13: 22, and Romans 5:7 (NIV). 10. 51:12 {About Moral, Civil & Ceremonial Laws} Why do we differentiate between moral, ceremonial, and civil law? Meaning, who decided the moral law was to be continued but not the other two types? 11. 56:02 {About Abraham’s Bosom & King Saul’s Salvation} Does 1 Samuel 28: 19 disprove the theological idea of “Abraham’s Bosom,” or could we perhaps assume that King Saul was saved? 12. 1:00:34 {Can Only God be Perfect?} As a philosopher, I want to say that only God is (or can possibly be) perfect. How do I reconcile this with Matthew 5: 48? 13. 1:03:14 {A Family Attending Different Churches} Is it okay to go to different churches while being under the same household? My family goes to a Pentecostal church, but I prefer a Baptist one. 14. 1:05:07 {Should We Require a Sign from God Before Belief?} How would you respond if someone you love said something like, "I won't believe in any God unless He performs a supernatural miracle right in from of me”? 15. 1:08:27 {Is Satan Omnipresent?} I was asked if Satan was omnipresent. I said no, but was met with some push back. What are some good Bible verses to prove why Satan is not omnipresent and why this attribute is exclusive to God? 16. 1:10:59 {Does the Opportunity for Repentance Expire?} Is there a point in someone's life when they can't repent anymore (like Esau)? 17. 1:16:39 {Can We Take Communion for Someone Else?} My mom likes to “take communion over people” when they need prayer as if it does something extra special or gives her favor in prayer. It seems like this isn’t right or biblical. Thoughts? 18. 1:18:52 {What is being Awaken from in Daniel 12?} In Daniel 12:2 what are they "awakening" from? 19. 1:20:50 {Discerning What is Vanity in our Appearance} How do you discern what is vanity and what is not? Is wanting to "fix" appearances always vanity? Examples: covering scars with tattoos or having rhinoplasty to "fix" an appearance after a broken nose. 20. 1:24:53 {Does the Bible Refer to Men as Virgins, or Only Women?} Why are women in the Bible referred to as virgins, but not men? It makes it seem as though sexual purity was only important for women, but not for men. I know that’s not true, but would love clarity. 1:29:21 Surprise Bonus Q!
Banks create money out of thin air. For every deposit they receive, they are allowed by the Fed Reserve to lend out 10x the value...even though they do not have this in reserves. It's all ledgers and digital...not backed by gold or silver. (Fed Reserve is not part of the gov't and they have no authority over setting interests and controlling or coining our money as American citizens - Congress has this power exclusively. Fed Reserve is a PRIVATE cartel.) Their existence is both immoral and illegal AND a violation of the rights of a free people. They have not included all the conditions and details of a contract (student loans); therefore, the contract is null and void. They do not disclose this information to their debtors. If they were exposed, people would be justified in being excused from the contract that was breached in the first place by the lenders. Please refer to an excellent book about the science of money by G. Edward Griffin: The Creature from Jekyll Island.
I've always struggled with the notion of "waiting on God" to provide your mate. I even bought into the "courtship" fad a couple decades ago - mainly because I wasn't particularly successful in dating. My uncle dated a lovely young lady for 9 years. She knew within a year she wanted to marry him, but my uncle was waiting on some kind of "burning bush" type event to confirm she was the right person for him. Eventually our family sat him down (intervention) and told him to make a decision or let her go. I think that lit a fire under his backside, not sure that was what he had in mind. Anyway, they married shortly after that and now have 4 grown kids and even some grandkids - and still happily married. My uncle's only regret was not marrying her sooner. As for me, I met someone through some mutual friends at a Bible study. She was from the Philippines and with being somewhat disillusioned by my lack of success in America, I was more than willing to try something different. We corresponded for months, then I decided to travel to see her, by that point, I was fairly confident I wanted something serious. Turns out that other cultures prioritize different things when looking for a suitable partner - and we got along extremely well. We will be celebrating our 20th anniversary in November and have three kids together.
@@way2girly Well, I was a tad overweight which is a huge deterrent in American dating. However, her family saw it as a sign of health and wealth (my doctor somewhat disagreed). Also, my white skin was found to be attractive too (they have whitening products like we have tanning products). I found her olive skin very attractive. We also got to know each other via email and phone conversations rather than in-person dating at first. I think this leveled the playing field for me as well. We were aligned on the major issues like religion and family values (Philippines is 90% Christian - depending how you define it). Being physically attracted to one another is still important, so my in-person trips were framed with intention but not obligation. If we didn’t hit it off in person, she was to serve as my tour guide while in country and nothing more. However, things got much more intense and serious after spending a few days with each other - and the rest of history.
Praise God for this! I am from the Philippines as well and I get that sometimes, cultural differences may hinder some things prior to marriage. I can say that because my girlfriend (for 3 months and hopefully will count that into marriage) is a Phil-Chi (Philippine-Chinese) and they have this concept of the "Great Wall" where they only prefer Chinese people to marry to their family...but my girlfriend doesn't have thay same view. I knew that I wanted to marry her only a day after a laid my intentions to court her for marriage...I just hope and pray for more interactions and conversations with her family especially her parents so that I could finally propose and marry her. We're both Christians and I am glad that we both get along with our essentials and even non-essentials. Hopefully I could marry her sooner than later and God's provision and grace will be there in our wedding and eventusl marriage.
Mike Winger you have helped me grow so much. I have in the last few months gained an excitement to read the Bible and to understand who God is. Thank you for your humble and truthful approaches in your research and presentations🙏
Sad to hear about your distractions from the two RU-vid Christian discernment channels. I don't always agree with you but I always appreciate your high view of Scripture, presentation of Biblical evidence as you understand them, and humbleness. I have gleaned much wisdom from your ministry; thank you for what you do. God bless...
foshizzle mike youre legit, earth is flat, but still youre studies are badass and dedicated, its always good to see your take on such subjects, but earth is flat, and also, the quantum satanic reset shwabs are changing the bible
I appreciate your take on the whole student loan mess. We've gotten ourselves into a mess by pretending that we know better than God on how to allow debt into our society, and our young people are paying the price. And to help them, we're paying off their loans by taking out more loans that we're promising our next generation of children will pay when they get older. And I think that's even worse than the evil that got us into this mess in the first place.
My experience with university students is that they quite often come in without any direction and they take fine Arts or criminology probably wanting to be like the folks portrayed on CSI. When a person has a determination as to which way they want to go educationally, then it makes sense to perhaps get a bit of help but definitely repayment should be the route to go although I do think the loans could be repaid at a much lower rate than Prime! And of course a lot of youngsters coming into university think they will graduate and make 100,000 to $200,000 in their first year of employment. It is a sad disillusionment!
I don't particularly have a Biblical issue with the student loan forgiveness, but I have STRONG financial and governmental objections to it. A mere band aid to slap on top of the many bullet holes from a failed financial aid system😒
Thank you for all the hard work you put into your videos pastor Mike. Ive been watching dozens of your videos. And ive learned so so much. Im going through a rough patch at the moment, but your videos made me realise that we have to stay humble, repent of our sins, and commit to Jesus. Reminding ourselves everyday what He did on the cross for us.
I appreciate your videos so much. I was looking for someone to teach the Bible to me in this format for a very long time. Thank you and God bless you and your family!!
This guy is so good at what he does. I love how quick and simply he articulates things like, if I had more time to think about this my answer may have changed. I know that sounds like stupid for me to be impressed over that I really appreciate small little details and peoples communication. It removes so many annoying things I could think to disagree with him about it misinterpret what he saying I am just honest. I think so many people don’t even realize that about them self. And if they had more time to think about an answer they would maybe change their answer And if you realize that I think we could avoid a lot of cognitive dissonance or other issues
Hey Mike, thank you so much for your words in regards to my question. Although not personalised (for obvious reasons), I think you have provided some sufficient wisdom that has cleared up a lot of confusions and anxieties I have about marriage these past years. If I got more questions, I'll be sure who to ask (though my pastor is still the best point of contact, of course).
I love that first answer Mike really took us through a wise process! I think the govt should put clauses in place where you have to prove you’re under financial hardship to be approved for it.
@Chumnley snoop you got any proof of that? Mike has demonstrated time and time again his understanding of the Bible and it's context, you're just a random in the comments. If you're going to make a claim, why not back it up with evidence, ya know?
Love your work Mike. Been following you for a little bit now. Don’t ever comment on RU-vid but I feel like I have to encourage you. I’m happy to see that you will respond to BTWN. I would peruse him from time to time but after I saw his hit pieces on you, I lost all respect. He doesn’t know you nor did he ever take the time to actually listen to you and listen to you call out all the false teaching of many main stream preachers. He might be looking for clicks more than actual meaningful conversations. Can’t say I’m entirely surprised he’s been ignoring you. Looking forward to what you have to say. Keep teaching the word faithfully as you’ve done for so many years. Don’t let these guys hurt you. Praying for you brother 🙏🏼
Actually, international students are not eligible for federal student loans. Their tuitions are several times higher compared to domestic students as well and many of them come from wealthy families abroad. So, student loan forgiveness doesn’t apply to non-Americans. Ezekiel 18:7 says “restores to the debtor his pledge”. In ancient Israel, this refers to the practice of a creditor (the person who lends the money, not borrows) taking a garment or other property from the borrower as a pledge that he pays his debts. The debtor is usually poor and in the context, unable to pay his debt but needed the pledge returned anyway. Mostly agree with the other points though.
This is a response to Matthew’s question: I was in a similar position to you, always praying for a girl to enter into my life and never receive it and that led me down regrettable path because instead of what someone went out and searched for it and I got heartbroken and I got my integrity. It wasn’t until I got myself in a whole lot of trouble finally step back and realized this is not worth it. I turned back to Lauren and that loneliness and desire was eliminated because I realize my desire was an emptiness God filled that void. And I spent an entire year, not even wanting to be in a relationship not even caring. I still hoped that God would bring someone in to my life, but I don’t care if he did or didn’t. And after an entire year of been OK with that he brought a girl in my life. That is the best match I could’ve ever needed. Be patient, I know it’s easier said than done but God will give you a choice and and it will be the happy and hardest choice to go through because for me i later realizing I wouldn’t be able to give my entire life to the Lord because my time free time would have to be divided between him and her.
On a lighthearted note, I'd never heard of Keith Green before you mentioned him. Since I'm more ancient than you, I'm right on with this kind of music. Thanks for introducing a "new" Christian artist! And...you completely missed the softball thrown at you about how you like your steak! The correct answer is: "Well done, good and faithful servant!" :D
One aspect I haven’t really heard is that, for those who because of integrity as a Christian will honor their commitments even if it is a hardship, it may be a witness that makes people think “Wow, Christians really are different” and eliminates a stumbling block for taxpayers and people who have sacrificed to pay their debt off. If you have an iPhone and buy coffeee at Starbucks, I would debate your poverty claim, etc
All of the Biblical analysis for question 1 is solid, as usual. As for the moral question, I think the morality of the thing lies with government primarily. Whether you take the money or not, they are going to spend the money regardless, so the sin of theft has already been committed before anyone even applies for this. Ironically the people who would be the best stewards of this money (tithe on it, build the kingdom with it, or just actually free themselves from debt-slavery as intended), won't get much of it because many are unsure about the morality of it, leaving it to the unscrupulous who won't even ask the question and will likely vote for more of this.
I disagree that any sin of theft is committed here. Yes we have to pay taxes but the government taxing the people is not theft. If Joe Biden gets away with giving that money to the banks to clear student loans, that is not theft. That’s just what happens when we as a nation elect the wrong people.
One big issue that I have with this is that it's encouraged to take loans because getting a college degree is worth the investment, but schools don't really teach you about money and taxes and how it really works and end up finding out later on in life when you already owe money.
I think definitionally, the debtor is the one who owes the money. Lord’s Prayer says - forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Our debtors are those who have offended or sinned against us, aka they owe a debt to us that we we should forgive, just as we owe a debt to God that he forgives.
That's what I am thinking, too. We are to forgive spiritual transgressions, not student loans, which are meaningless material play money. But, as Pastor Mike said, a material loan _can_ be a sin if we enter into the transaction deceptively. Our mind's intent is what matters most.
Yes, that’s correct and it’s related to the passage that talks about not taking someone’s cloak as a guarantee of payment or if you do, to return it before nightfall, so they’d have it to keep warm. So, I think he was wrong about his particular understanding on this passage although I agree on his overall point.
@@MT-fk4ky Explain the correlation! You assert student loan forgiveness is related to this “cloak” verses then please articulate how these two are similar. Post the verse, provide commentary on it then show how it’s connected to student loan forgiveness.
@@Failur3i5n0tan0pt1on I’m sorry, I wasn’t clear, I didn’t mean student loans are related, I was just talking about the scripture he was using in Ezekiel 18, being related to Exodus. I think Ezekiel was referring to Exodus 22:26. I was just clarifying because it sounded like he was saying that you can oppress people by owing them money, because he thought the debtor was the one who was owed something. But a debtor is the one who owes. But I think he corrected eventually anyway and it’ll be in the edited video that gets posted. I wasn’t making any comment about whether the two passages are applicable to loan forgiveness,
Two Sunday's in a row, I missed church because nothing looked right on me. That was vanity. Vanity is valuing yourself based on your looks. If you often compare yourself to others and get happy or sad by that measure, then you probably have a vanity problem. If you are also unable to work or serve if you're having a "bad hair day", then you have a vanity problem.
I just received an email informing me that my student loan of 50k was forgiven. It was a huge burden on me and something I’ve been praying about for years. I count it as an answer to prayer
These days, as long as you don't see who pays for your luxury, all is assumed to be good and just. When in reality, forcing those without college to pay for the privilege of others, is such a childish and arrogant thing. But, of course, those who get to spend their neighbour's money on gender studies find such a system a blessing🤑 @@jeffgillum7094
I actually think we should care about understanding Jubilee in context and applying it to ethics and socioeconomics. Having principles that have some grounding in Biblical practice doesn't mean copy-pasting ancient Israelite culture and economics. Saying some are doing this in a tokenistic or disingenuous way doesn't make the idea wrong, it just means some people are dishonest. There's also just the fact that Jubilee is a significant theme in the Gospels; things like Zacceus repaying the people he previously extorted aren't just happening in a cultural vacuum.
In regards to vanity the world pushes a conformity, while it may be a unique aspect of beauty in you that you are not aware of so, unique may be so beautiful.😍 God Bless
On the debt forgiveness question, I invoke the "law of jubilee" from Leviticus 25:10 ... but then I'm told _"those"_ commandments don't apply to us as they're "burdensome." Wow. What a burden. /s
My husband and I payed over $130k in debt we inquired, using Dave Ramsey principles. We had 4 kids at the time and my husband lost his job in 2011. 2 scripture references we stood on: Prov 22:7 “The borrower is slave to the lender” & Mark 12:17 / Matthew 22:15-22 “Give to Cesar what belongs to Cesar & give to God what belongs to God “
Mark 12:17/Matthew 22:15-22 is discussing Caesar’s or a government requiring its citizens to pay taxes. That same government can also relieve a person of their debts since they have the authority to do so. ROMANS 13:1-4 Jesus was simply stating obey the authority of the government. So, the government is well within its authority to forgive debts of its citizens and Jesus wouldn’t demand his followers not to accept their generosity.
@@ThorfinnSkullsplitter-fz7ff Someone can’t read.👆🏾 That scripture clearly follows the phrase “they have the AUTHORITY to do so.” They, meaning the government, has the authority given them by God to rule and create policy and legislation for their citizens. That includes debt forgiveness. That is what ROMANS 13:1-4 indicates to those of us WHO KNOW HOW TO READ. Now you show how God gives them authority but He commands them not to create laws that benefits their citizens like forgiveness of debts, lowering taxes, handing out stimulus checks, subsidizing child care, etc..
@@Failur3i5n0tan0pt1on That's not in the ESV I'm reading. And how does that show that government has the authority to be the arbitor of wealth redistribution? Which is what student loan 'forgiveness' really is. What you have with this is a corruption of the student loan process. A politician saying 'we will give you money (forgive your loans), and in return you will vote for us'. That is what this is really about.
You’re lying to justify your beliefs. If the current controlling party doesn’t declare its doing this to buy votes then a REAL Christian wouldn’t make something up that hasn’t been substantiated. Christians speak TRUTH at all times not something they want to believe is true. *EPHESIANS 4:25* There is no one man or politician in the US government that controls it all. Do you not know how this republic works? Do you not know about the checks and balances and three branches of government? You need to return to school and get a basic education in civics. Stop with the conservative Republican misinformation and let’s speak scriptural evidence. I’ll use your preferred version to give you an education in LITERACY 101. ROMANS 13:1-4 (ESV) *Let 👉🏾every person👈🏾 be subject* *to the governing authorities.* For there is no authority except from God, and *those that exist have* *been instituted by God.* 13:2 - 👉🏾Therefore whoever👈🏾 👉🏾resists👈🏾 the *authorities* *resists what God has* 👉🏾appointed👈🏾, and *those who* *resist will incur judgment.* 13:3 - For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 13:4 - for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Now, you show me where God LIMITED the governmental authority regarding loan forgiveness or offering ANY BENEFIT (which is what loan forgiveness is) to its citizens? If you believe the ESV presents a different view please show where it does.
Yes Mike! I’m so glad you’ll be addressing Doctrinal Watchdog, I really think he may be trying to just stir up drama instead of trying to protect people. He was very rude to me as well when I responded to one of his videos about you.
I'm a general equity theonomist. We are called to hold to the moral law, we keep the ceremonial law in Christ, and we are to keep the civil law in a generally equitable way (by principle).
I view the loan forgiveness this way. It has to be voluntary from the lender as a principle. It cannot be demanded or enforced by the loaner. That is injustice, which God hates. People need to be more careful about what they sign up for and use the things they have paid for. A student taking on a loan, is their own responsibility.
My only issue with the loan forgiveness is that it's forced up people. I agree if people could vote to help people pay off debt that would be wonderful. I wish taxes worked that way in general. If I'm going to have to pay taxes I wish I could choose what my money was used on but I know that's crazy talk 😂
Many degrees are fluffy and useless as well and this has driv n up costs. Students can't get decent jobs based on gender studies, literature or lib arts degrees. I think the colleges with these degrees should be held liable for some of these loans. They have a faulty product they should lose the money not taxpayers. I took 10 years to pay my bachelor's off.
In the spirit of Thinking Biblically (and conceding that it’s hard to answer perfectly on the fly!), I’d love to hear a more discussion regarding the Great Commission. A few of my own fast thoughts, First, the word “nations” doesn’t mean geopolitical entities but “ethne” as I understand it. That is, ethnic groups or people groups in the modern parlance. That may involve crossing borders but it might not. There are unreached people groups in nearly every country on earth. Second, “go” is probably more accurately translated “as you go” from what I’ve read. The implication isn’t then to make a specific trip or move (though it might) but the Great Commission is more focused on “making disciples.” Third, that being said, Matt 28 is only one of several commissioning statements recorded by the Gospel writers and the others seem to capture a sense of traveling to share the Gospel (ex: Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, uttermost parts of the earth). Fourth, if the 1st century church is a trustworthy model for missions, then we see examples of believers who both stay and go. Finally and most important, ALL Christians are to be zealous for the declaration of God’s glory among the nations regardless of whether they are overseas missionaries or not. It’s fundamental to Christianity even though it may play out differently in the lives of different believers.
Agree with you Mike. Also, never loan anyone money you can’t afford to lose. You want to have the mind set that you more and likely won’t get paid back. But, praise God if you do.
In regard to the student loan issue…my own though from a Christian perspective is that God hates lies. So if you have to fill out a form to claim the forgiveness of the loan, and state your reasons, then quite simply, if you have to tell a lie (or exaggerate which is lying) then it is not right and you need to honour & fear God in this.
Mike you do a great job and have helped me to get to know the Holy Spirit....I also like Johnny Mac too Dont worry about the distractions.... God Bless
Hi Mike love what you're doing. Please title these videos in a way that will help more people find you. I.E. pick the most hot button question and make that the title, like "Can only God be perfect? | 20 Questions with Pastor Mike (#85)." Guarantee your message will reach more folks
I know this video is old but I just had to comment.$20,000 is really not *that* much debt. If you pay $5,000 a year, which is a pretty small and relatively easy amount to accomplish, the debt would be gone quickly. Use the snowball method. People pay pff mortgages that are hundreds of thousands at higher interest rates all the time. Take a deep breath and accept responsibility.
1:05:20 So often, God DOES perform miracles right in front of us, but the overcritical spirit discounts the miraculous by ruling it out altogether. To them, if it happens, it wasn't a miracle because, as a rule, miracles can't happen.
The reason you cannot get your student loans forgiven by bankruptcy is that in the early 1970s numerous college graduates were, upon graduation, declaring bankruptcy to rid of their student loan debt. These were private loans from banks, not government loans. To stop this practice, Congress passed a law forbidding the practice. When I was preparing to graduate, we were informed of the change in the law and told to not even think about trying to declare bankruptcy.
Applying and accepting federal loan payoffs is tangentially related to accepting federal grants when you are starting and in college. I am not stating any judgement on either as I haven't given it enough thought.
I have student loans and graduated in 2017. The aid package includes an extensive description of what you do and do not have to repay, and I had both of them for all years. A student does have to accept loan terms before getting the loan funds and complete an exit interview committing to repaying the loan during their graduating term. I hope this helps.
You might also consider that "student loan forgiveness" is technically not loan forgiveness. Loan forgiveness is when the creditor pays the debt with his own money. In this case the US government is not doing that, it is simply _redistributing_ the money of other people who weren't even involved in the loan.
@@friedrichrubinstein that's ain't nothing new. Government use our money for abortions, give Charity to other countries, bail out communities.... I would love to change that... But I don't know...
I don't think these two are mutually exclusive. Honoring one's promise to pay back loans is a personal integrity issue. But the lender has authority to forgive debts any time he wishes; it's not a sin for the borrower to take advantage of the offer.
Just before Biden's student loan forgiveness was announced I received loan forgiveness due to a Public service loan forgiveness program. This plan required working at a public service job for 10 years while making 120 on time payments on the loan. In my case it was working as a 911 dispatcher. This is slightly different then just being given the money, although admittedly I was forgiven more than what Biden is offering.
I am following the same program, and it is fundamentally different than blanket loan forgiveness as we are working specifically in service of the community in positions that generally pay less and serve those most in need while also paying back in general most of what you borrowed but likely not the insurmountable interest that accrued afterwards. We should also recognize that the real issue lies in the unethical costs of education programs of academia preventing individuals who have the desire and ability to better themselves and society at large by obtaining an education and training to work. It’s a much different debt than many individuals who take on debts for much more frivolous things.
Regarding the discussion on question 9, instead of responding “I’m good” I try to say “I’m blessed 😊” It’s a good way to frame the interaction around faith for subtle evangelical purposes. You say that and everyone knows you’re a Christian 😅
Dear bro Mike, I often hear you say "this was for ancient Jews and this was not." It's a new thought for me. I always thought God wanted everything so wasn't in the OT so wasn't an Israeli Jew to become an Israeli Jew. Similarly I was taught that God would want everyone to be a NT believer (Jew and Christian). Could you help me navigate this? Does God really have different rules for different people groups? Thank you.
Hi!! I’m not sure if this is what you’re looking for, but Mike has a teaching on Old Testament law on his channel. It might be a few years old, but maybe the answers is there? Anyway, I hope this helped! Have a nice day!
1 Cor 10"…10And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel. 11Now these things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come." WHOLE PASSAGE 1I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud, and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. 6These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things as they did. 7Do not be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written: “The people sat down to eat and to drink, and got up to indulge in revelry.”a 8We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died. 9We should not test Christ,b as some of them did, and were killed by snakes. 10And do not complain, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroying angel.
God does not have different rules for different ppl. The idea that the OT laws were only for Jews is based on twisting scripture, ignorance of history, and an irrational hatred for Jews. Passages like Exo. 12:49, Num. 15:16, and Jos. 8:35 shows that those laws applied to foreigners as well as the Israelites.
People in aggregate will value a thing very much by what it cost them to attain that thing. If it costs nothing, it will not carry much value. If it costs them a lot, they will value it a lot. If a student has nothing invested financially in his education, he will tend to not take it as seriously. That student will care much less what to study, how long to take to graduate, etc. And prospective employers will feel the same way. That piece of paper showing your college degree will have less value to them! They will be a lot more critical on where that paper is from, a college where the students don’t have to pay for their degrees? Or colleges that are not part of that type of system, where students and their families financed the costs of those educations. If this continues, we will be heading to a two tier higher educational system with the end products, the graduated students, clearly showing the qualitative differences.
‘I NEVER KNEW YOU’ means ‘you never revealed yourself to me, you always kept parts of yourself hidden, you had a private life apart from me, there was no true intimacy, when you were alone you never spoke to me, it was all for show, for other people’ 😔
Hi Mike! Love your ministry. Thanks for answering my question at 19:15. Some additional detail that I couldn’t include due to character limits: In the same Matthew 7 passage where Jesus reveals who He will turn away from His Kingdom, He likewise reveals who He will welcome into His Kingdom: “the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.” How does the Father express His will? Through His commandments. What does God regard as the greatest of all His commandments? To Love Him. With all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Why does Jesus say this is the greatest commandment? In John 14:15, Jesus testifies that if if someone truly loves Him, they will keep His commandments as a natural result of that love. Thus, those that love God will do the will of their Father in Heaven (by carrying out His commandments) and will therefore be welcomed by Christ into His Kingdom whereas those that have never loved Christ will be turned away, as their lack of love prevents them from satisfying the will of the Father- as the will of the Father, more than anything else, is for us to love Him (otherwise He would have designated that something else as His “greatest” commandment rather than loving Him). I share all of this (and asked the question during the livestream) to help remind others listening how central love for God is. All the individuals Jesus will turn away from His Kingdom will have been so occupied with all the "mighty works" they were doing in the name of Christ that they forgot to ask themselves: do I actually love, like deep down madly love, God? I don't want that to happen to anyone.
@@jimmock1155 Saved by faith. If someone doesn't have true love towards God, they don't have true faith in God. Faith necessarily involves accepting Jesus for who He is, and who He is (among other things) is the supreme treasure of the universe- so everyone with faith treasures Him in their lives according to that which He is (i.e. the supreme treasure). As Jesus said, whoever loves (i.e. treasures) father, mother, wife, sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, or even his own life, more than Him is not worthy of Him. To more directly answer your question, anyone who does not love God will not be saved- though not necessarily because of their lack of love of God, but because what their lack of love for God reveals about their absence of true faith in the actual person of Christ.
7:15 No, it's not different if the majority decide to "forgive" those debts (which steals from the person loaning the money). It's theft if 51% of people take your property in the same manner as if only 1 person takes your property. It's Matthew 20:15a (in the parable of the workers) "Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money?" That means that the owner of the property is the only one who gets to decide what to do with the property. Or, more simply, "You shall not steal." So, no, the majority has no moral or Christian authority to steal from property owners.
@@hello855 Bingo! Taxation is theft. It's basically impossible to define "theft" and not including taxation, at least without a specific exemption. Look at 1 Samuel 8 and you'll see God's opinion of the State, and note that taxation is a punishment for disobedience! And yes, you should (generally) pay your taxes, Romans 13 and "render to Caesar", but none of these commands say that taxation is a good thing. We should submit to taxation as one submits to being slapped, stolen from, and enslaved (Matthew 5:38-42)!
Bankruptcy doesnt affect student loans because there is no collateral attached to student loans. If you dont pay your mortgage, you declare bankruptcy to mitigate bad credit history and the bank takes the house. If you default on student loans...they can't take your brain. Also, keep in mind the morality of those type of debt forgiveness extends further beyond just the student. College costs have skyrocketed, college staff population has increased, as well as the administrative costs. This is all due to the guaranteed loans that students take out. The costs rise to match the influx of cash, and so people are forced to take out large loans to even attend college unless you are wealthy already. So loan forgiveness here has great negative impact on future generations, and affects the poorest and least advantaged of us all, and this is one reason why I find this move by the govt to be deeply immoral and irresponsible. Its vote-buying with your money, plain and simple, whether you like it or not.
If policies ended with loan forgiveness, this might be true. But all this means is that people should continue to push for reformation of the education industry, just like people pushed for the reparation of the ramifications of those issues (which the loan forgiveness is). The idea that this is immoral is more than a bit silly though. EVEN IF a borrower actively decided not to pay back money they are lent (which is indeed immoral), there’s nothing wrong with accepting forgiveness. Additionally, there’s nothing wrong with the government choosing to use its money to help people. And no, it’s not Taxpayer money. It’s formerly-taxpayer money. It is now government money. They are allowed to do with it as they see fit. Something I have to challenge people on about this student loan issue is whether they’d have any opinion on it at all had their politics not influenced the conversation. I’m inclined to believe no.
On the Good man issue I agree with the how are you doing? Good. But a person that gets called good must also guard their heart and mind lest pride creep in.
My problem with it is the universities who allow loan sharks in their business offices to take advantage of students who want to enroll. My problem is with the guidance counselors in high school and universities "guiding" students to take out student loans. These people have become representatives of loan sharks to pressure students into student loans. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't get kickbacks. Let's face it, the university gets their money so they don't care how the student is getting the money. High school guidance counselors are often pushing students into college that they can't afford. Or they help them get minimum scholarships and tell them they can cover the rest with student loans. My problem is the loan sharks who start charging usurious interest rates and late payment fees when the student isn't on time with their payments. That should STOP! I had a family member whose college loans quadrupled over 10 years because she couldn't keep up. This girl made good grades, worked all through high school and college, got married to a USAF man when she graduated college and they have 4 children. He is still in the military, nearing retirement and they were drowning in her college loan debt. A reasonable interest rate is one thing, but doubling and tripling the interest rates is usury. I also blame parents for not exercising wisdom and allowing their teenagers to take out college loans. Or, worse yet, co-signing for the student to take out a loan. DON'T DO IT! Your credit will be ruined too. If they cannot afford to go, don't go. Or go locally to a college you can afford. They need to learn basic adult responsibilities, how to make well thought out decisions, and how to be patient and wait, make sacrifices. These are part of growing up too. A college degree is not a right, it's a luxury. If you can't afford it, stop, pray, work and go when you can afford it. If you are able, capable and have a job, pay your own debts. Don't put it off on the rest of us with taxpayer dollars being spent to get you out of your responsibilities. If you have become disabled, are out of work, or the interest rates have you so enslaved you will never get out of debt, then pay what you owe with reasonable interest rate. If they come and take your home, you car, then start again. But make more careful decisions next time. But college debt forgiveness is passing on your irresponsibility to those who are being responsible and that's not right.
Re: "Is it biblical for a Christian to apply for student loan forgiveness?" The question should be reworded this way: "Is it biblical for a Christian to apply for any type of loan forgiveness from the person who gave them the loan, if the loan giver tells them that they can apply?" This gets to the heart of the question, bypassing political theory and partisan positions. The answer is Scripture neither commands you to not accept debt forgiveness if offered to you nor reject debt forgiveness if offered to you. At most we can say that there is a biblical foundation for forgiving debt and accepting debt forgiveness if offered, but Scripture doesn't command either. The reality is that the issuer of the debt is within his right to offer you debt forgiveness, and you are within your right to accept or reject the offer of debt forgiveness. And since the Federal govt is the legal entity that issued you the debt, then it's perfectly biblical to accept an offer of debt forgiveness by the Federal govt. However, if your conscience is against debt forgiveness then you're bound by Paul's command in Romans to obey your conscience and reject the debt forgiveness. On the other hand, if your conscience is at peace with accepting debt forgiveness then you are free to accept the debt forgiveness. Scripture neither forbids accepting debt forgiveness nor commands rejecting debt forgiveness. You must follow your conscience in the matter, per Paul's teaching to us.
Mike. I must call out something. The slip between interest and usury, is only 150 years old and was pushed into the culture by the people wanting to commit usury. It means charging extra, not charging excessive extra; it's charging extra at all. It is a sin to demand payment for lending. "But what about the risk" then it is a sin to run an economy based on stock risking.
THANK YOU for touching on sexual immorality!!! It is a HUGE deal, and it is GREATLY ignored in much of the church world. I haven't seen statistics, but I would venture to say that easily more than half of American "Christians" see nothing wrong with fornication and cohabitation before marriage. And this lends itself to the ambivalence in society concerning all other forms of sexual sin, because most people won't call fornication sin, and so they have no grounds to call the other forms what they are: sin
I think you handled this subject (loans) well. As an American I completely disagree with loan transference. However as a Christian I'm not so sure. I tend to still lean against it, but i am not as certain.
I have a question. I am in a United Methodist Church currently seeking disafilliation from the UMC over matters of false teaching, lack of accountability, etc. You may be aware of this mass exodus. I know the Lord desires unity in His Church, and those that oppose us leaving will often appeal to this truth for reason why we are in the wrong. Is there ever justification for disunity when dealing with false teaching? Do passages such as Matthew 10:34-39 or Acts 15:39 (or any other passage you can think of) in your mind speak to the notion of "unity at all costs" being of highest priority? Thanks for your insight and all you do
In regard to #3, it's likely that the longevity of people was due to the puruty of their DNA code. As mutations accumulated after the fall, lives became shorter. It's just a hypothesis, but it would indicate that people would mature similarly to what we know and just be strong and healthy for hundreds of years.
Good point. I think this also answers the oft-pondered question: Did Adam and Eve's children intermarry? The answer, according to what we know of Genesis, is probably yes. But what of it? It's only something that we have identified as a problem due to genetic mutation from generations of in-breeding among royals in certain societies, which again only happens when genes are mutated. . Imagine if a son was born to Adam and Eve and then after growing up he moved away for 50 years. In the meantime, Adam and Eve have other sons and daughters (which Genesis says they do). An entire generation could be born and grow up. Original son comes back and see his 20 years old sister whom he never knew growing up and for all intents and purposes is a stranger to him. How would that be any different from any of us meeting someone for the first time? Too, they're both mature adults and have super awesome genetics that even after the fall are orders of magnitude better than what we have today, so they all still look like vibrant, young, healthy adults. . The laws in Leviticus against incest only come into play thousands of years after the fall, after the gene pool had undergone generations of mutation. Most likely, there would be zero genetic issues with people with near flawless genes intermarrying, and no "ick" factor if they were separated by distance and time. *shrugs I don't know, but seems to make sense.
@@sidwhiting665 Even without being separated, there would be no stigma to marrying a brother or sister. It would have been normal, healthy familial love. A man would be taking care of a sister he loved by marrying her.
God made some sort of intervention in human longevity around the time of the Flood. Genesis 6:3. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that God had his hand on the process. (Perhaps he shortened our telomeres.) Some Christians want to explain away the long ages by using some numerical trickery; why not just assume the Bible means what it says? They're trying to insert man's ideas into scripture, the same as trying to insert millions of years into it. Of course Adam and Eve's children intermarried; they were not other people. But they would have thought it was totally normal.
@@bbgun061 It seems perfectly logical the think that before the flood, the atmosphere was highly humid, which would filter out a lot of cosmic rays, which cause a lot of mutations. I know that underground aquifers opened up along with the rain, but for it to rain that much, there must have been a lot of water in the atmosphere.
33:50 yaknow ive felt content in life, in some ways. Ive gotten obsessed over this very thing but more just the concept. I never thought I needed it to have my life fulfilled, I just like to set goals and do them, that was one of them, but now its not one im perusing, rather patiently waiting for. Regardless, my point is that ive been fine with what I have in life, and living for God. Whats weird though, is that I find this means I dont tend to do much. Like I try to do things... but, I struggle to do things that I have to rely on other people for. Because im content, I dont pressure myself into making sure things get done, so I dont really care if the people I rely on to get said things done dont do anything to help that get started. And maybe I should put more effort in?
A college degree isn't something you can repossess. If you file for bankruptcy the bank or other loan providers can repossess your home or car to help offset the loan but they can't take your degree.
Mike: in regards to your question about why people who declare bankruptcy have trouble with student loan cancellation: I saw that one of the big reasons is that the bank can’t “take” back your education, so it’s a huge loophole potentially for new grads to just declare bankruptcy real fast then go on debt free with a great career.
Hi, Mike. Alway enjoy the show so much. I heard you say you will be answering or expending energy on someone taking what you say out of context. I too, have someone that ruins my reputation in private conversations with people. He attempts to lead people astray about who I am. I have advice to not use the energy to entangle yourself with that. If you are going to do a video about something like this, could you do it on repercussions of damaging someone's reputation and the consequences? Blessings.
Q19: I've had a brief internal oddity relating to vanity at one point, where I became aware that my distinctly middle-class vibe has a certain effect with poor people. I briefly considered making myself less presentable, but quickly concluded that this would be virtually the same sin as vanity: Altering my appearance to cause people to believe things about me that aren't true.
Was wondering if you could do a video on how to think biblically about climate change and environmental regulations. The earth was made for humans to live off of but we are also meant to be good stewards. How does that apply today?
Say I loan money to someone in need and while I can afford to loan the money when it is asked for, I require the repayment for a future bill (children's college fund). But then let's say someone in my family unexpectedly passes and I inherit a good deal of money. I no longer need the money for that future bill and the person who needed the loan is able to pay it back but remains financially insecure generally speaking (single mother with an unsupportive father). Is it wrong for them not to repay the loan if I tell them that the loan is forgiven? Of course not. If we are to give the government what it asks of us (render unto Ceasar) as a righteous duty, how then is it unrighteous to benefit from that same government when it gives money back? This seems like the story of the drowning man being offered help repeatedly by strangers but insists God send angels to rescue him and eventually dying. This is an opportunity for the person in debt and the government will be sure to get that money back from them in the future. It's the same approach I took to pandemic stimulus. Sure the government was giving me "free money" (money I neither needed nor was immediately responsible for) but I also knew that the government would get it all back from me and more in future taxes. I would have been foolish to not take the money and put towards something useful (invest it, be charitable with it, etc.).
