Questions & Answers Page 1

Questions and Answers from the 2018 conference.

  • "WHAT ARE SPECIFIC THINGS A YOUNG MAN CAN BE DOING NOW TO PREPARE TO BE A GODLY HUSBAND AND LEADER OF HIS FAMILY?"

    • 1. FIRST WE  MUST ESTABLISH THAT WE CANNOT BE WHAT GOD WANTS US TO BE, BY OURSELVES. WE MUST HAVE GODS HELP.

    Jer. 10:23
    O Lord, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps.

    This is one of the hardest things to accept. WE cannot direct our own steps. Our modern humanistic society tells young men you can do it, get a life, make something of yourself. Go for the American dream, you can have what ever you want if you work hard. 


    IF MATERIALISTIC THINGS IS ALL YOU WANT THEN THERE IS SOME TRUTH TO THAT IN AMERICA. 


    BUT YOU ASK WHAT CAN I DO NOW TO BE A GODLY HUSBAND AND GODLY LEADER OF YOUR FAMILY? 


    MONEY CANNOT MAKE YOU A GODLY MAN OR BUY TRUE LOVE.


    ONLY GOD CAN PROVIDE THESE THINGS:

    Ps. 37:23
    The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.


    Pro. 3:5-6
    Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.


    Pro. 28:26
    He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool.


    FIRST OF ALL WE MUST ESTABLISH WE CANNOT DO THIS BY OURSELVES.




    • 2. WE MUST HAVE A NATURE CHANGE TO BE PURE:

    Ps. 119:9
    Where with all shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 


    When Nicodemus came by night seeking answers to life’s greatest questions and Jesus’ answer was this.


    John 3:3
    Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.


    2 Cor. 5:17
    Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.


    Eph. 4:24
    And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.


    WITH A NEW NATURE YOU CAN THINK ON PURE THINGS:

    Phil. 4:8-9

    Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whosoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of a good report, if there be any be virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have learned, and received, and heard.




    • 3. WHAT YOU CAN BE DOING NOW:
    Pro. 24:27

    Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field and afterwards build your house. 


    HERE IS THE BIBLICAL ORDER:

    • 1. Prepare your work.

    • 2. Then build your house. 

    The proverb enjoins a man to look well to his resources before he undertakes to build a house and establish a family.

    In Bible days a suitor had to purchase his bride from her parents by paying a dowery. It was therefore necessary to provide a certain amount of wealth before contemplating marriage.


    Things to start doing now: 

    • 1.   Hide Gods word in your heart, and pray always without ceasing


    • 2.   Start paying your Tithes and supporting your Church and Missions.

    • 3.   Put your heart in your education, finish high school.

    • 4.   Make plans to attend Bible School at least go spend 9 months seeking Gods will.

    • 5.   Go to community college or tech school, live at home and forward your education.


    • 6.   Work hard and save as much money as you can, learn to invest.

    • 7.   Get your vehicle paid for, buy a nice bedroom suit bring something to your marriage.

    • 8.   Consider buying an older home or a lot and work toward paying it off. You may never live in it or build on the lot but it will be an investment for you.
    • 
9.   Avoid wasting time and money on useless worthless things.

    • 10. Don’t live only for the present, have the future and bigger picture in mind.




    • 4. COMMIT YOUR FUTURE INTO GODS HANDS.

    2 Tim. 1:12
    For I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him.

    I was single until I was 37. If you had told me at 20 that I would be single for 17 years longer, I would have said no way. After I excepted the call to preach, I began to prepare for the day I would marry and Evangelize on my own. I paid my tithes, taxes and supported ministry and missions, then I saved all I could and when Shauna and I married I was able to pay cash for a truck and trailer. No not NEW ones, but nice and it took so much pressure off of me to start out debt free. I know this will not be possible for everyone, but neither is it impossible, it is something that can be done.  I did it and with Gods help and so can you. 



    I WILL END WITH TWO OF MY FAVORITE VERSES THAT I STOOD ON IN MY SINGLE DAYS AND STILL STAND ON THEM TODAY:


    Ps. 37:4-5
    Delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall bring it to pass.


    Pro. 23:18
    For surely there is an end and thine expectation shall not be cut off.


    BE CONFIDENT YOUNG MEN THAT GOD HAS A PLAN AND PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE.


    Have Great expectation, Work hard, Hope to the end. There is a reward and your time is coming, prepare for it.  START NOW!


    -Bro. Jimmy Millikin

  • "There is a lot of foods that are harmful for your body, why not smoke?

    Jesus turned water into wine and that can't be grape juice."

    First of all, by saying, “smoking is just like eating a Twinky”, I think you may be comparing vipers to ants. True, both may bite, but one has the sole purpose of toxicity: I don't recommend you stand in a pile of ants, but nicotine is a class of its own when it comes to poisonous results.


    In fact, according to a 2014 article published by Politifact, tobacco is more addictive than marijuana.


    And, according to counselonchemicalabuse.org , it is just as addictive as heroin.


    1Corithians 6:12
    ...I will not be brought under the power of any.


    Paul, here is literally speaks of addiction. Why poison your body with something so addicting?
    Just ask someone who has tried to stop without God's help. They'll tell you how binding it is.


    Remember also:

    Proverbs 20:1

    Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.


    Many people have been confused by this. They say, “After all, didn't Jesus turn water into wine? And isn't wine served at the Lord's Supper?”
    Listen, the wisest man that ever lived said this:

    Proverbs 23:31
    Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.


    You say, “Why don't they say what they mean? Is it fermented juice or not?” Let me ask you, why don't we say what we mean? Suppose I'm riding home from church and it's a hot day in the middle of summer and I say, “Sis. Estis, let's pull over and get a drink.” Well, I hope she knows I mean lemonade.

    But suppose an alcoholic says to one of his friends on Friday right after work, Let's go get a drink”, what do you think he means? That word “drink” is just a generic word. We deserve context; your classmates would certainly demand context; so why can't we give God's Word context when referencing the question of fermentation.


    Let's do a word study: There is a word in Hebrew called “shêkâr”

    Proverbs 20:1

    Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: 


    Strong drink or “Shekar” is raging... it is literally a brawler. Strong drink, which is an alcoholic beverage, in the bible is universally condemned. A Christian is not to have anything to do with “Shekar”.

    There is one exception to this:
    Proverbs 31:6
    Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts.

    This strong drink was given to a person who was ready to die; in just the same way that we would give a narcotic to someone on his or her deathbed, perhaps an infusion of morphine, “Shekar” was used for medicinal purposes. “Shekar” was used as a narcotic or an act of mercy to someone who was in

    extreme pain on their death bed. Today we would never use morphine for recreation and relaxation.


    They did not have morphine, but they did have “Shekar” or strong drink.


    But in the same context, look at the same chapter that reads this:

    Proverbs 31:4

    It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: (shekar)

    Pro 31:5 Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted.


    What does God say? If you are in a responsible position, you are not to be a drinker. That is as clear as black print on white paper can be. Mark it in your bible, “shekar” is prohibited, except as a narcotic on someone's deathbed: someone who is ready to die, who is in extreme pain, and that is an act of mercy.


    There is another word, “tee-rosh”- “tı̂yrôsh” . In our bibles, it is interpreted “New Wine” or sometimes simply “Wine”. And that word means plainly: Grape juice. It is not referring to that which would make someone drunk. They have many vineyards in the middle east, and they drank juice as much as we would drink water.


    Here is an example:
    Proverbs 3:10
    So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.


    That is, when you squeeze the grape, that which bursts forth, is called New Wine. That's fresh grape juice.


    Here is another word: “ya-yan”. That is also translated wine. This word means that which does or does not intoxicate. It's the most frequently used for for wine For example: 

    Isaiah 16:10b

    ... the treaders shall tread out no wine in their presses; 

    The word here is Ya-yan, and it is the freshly tread-ed out grape juice. That would intoxicate no one.


    But then again, Proverbs 20:1 Wine (Ya-yan) is a mocker, strong drink is raging:

    Here it can mean, “that which is intoxicating”; so you're going to have to find out from the context.


    In the NT, the word for wine is: “Oy-nos”.


    Jesus turned water into “oy-nos”. Here, the word is a Greek word meaning wine and it too means that which is intoxicating or is NOT intoxicating. The word can translate to “Ya-yan” or “Tee-rosh” but never translates to the word “Shekar”. When you read the word “wine” in the NT, you can only know by the context, whether or not it could make someone drunk.


    That's why we look to the OT: Proverbs 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. ..: and know this kind of wine we are to shun and leave alone.


    Jesus turned water into Oy-nos. Is that the kind of drink that would make someone drunk? OF COURSE NOT.


    Jesus knew the OT: Habakkuk 2:15 Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also,


    I think Jesus knew that! I think Jesus knew, or remembered, what He spoke to Solomon to write in Proverbs 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.


    If you think Jesus would have produced something that contradicts the commandments of the Old Testament, remember, He did not come to destroy the Law! Jesus provided refreshments for the party, He provided “Oy-nos” and because I know the character of Jesus and the context of the scriptures, I can conclude that this was not “Shekar”: this was not intoxicating wine.


    Some people say, “Didn't Jesus serve wine at the Lord's Supper?” No—sorry He did not.


    The same people that are so focused on the wine of the Last Supper evidently never consider the bread of the Last Supper? How do we have the Lord's Supper? With unleavened bread.


    Unleavened bread is bread without fermentation in it. It is bread without yeast. Why? Because leaven in the bible, is a type and picture of sin. The Old Testament feasts were made without leaven. It was a symbol of Sin. What is fermented grape juice? It is grape juice with leaven in it. It is juice with yeast in it. That's what the fermentation is.


    Do you think that the element of the bread would not have fermentation in it, yet the element of the wine would? For the Type to be consistent, it must be one or the other. There are two symbols but they reinforce the same thing. You can't have a body without blood and what is the point of having a blood without a body? Someone cant say to a law enforcement officer, “Sir, believe me...I know I have been driving with alcohol in my blood but there is no alcohol in my body. Trust me.” No, the two must be congruent.


    Our Lord is not telling us to drink fermented wine at the Lord's Supper. Didn't Jesus say, “This is my blood”? You cannot convince me that fermented, rotten grape juice is a symbol of the saving blood of Jesus Christ.


    No, Jesus used “the fruit of the vine”. Remember, Jesus is our Great High Priest. In the OT, the Priest were absolutely forbidden to drink wine. In fact, Jesus refuses that kind of wine. When Jesus was on the Cross, they gave Him to drink “wine mingled with myrrh.” What was “wine mingled with myrrh”? That's what we call Strong Drink! 

    Isaiah 5:22 Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink:


    What did Jesus do with it? He received it not. They were giving it to Him as a narcotic. It would have been legal under that circumstance. But Jesus even refused that. Later on, they offered Him vinegar on a sponge, He took that; but not the fermented drink. He refused it.


    You can do all the fancy-footwork you want to. You can talk about Jesus turning water into wine and Jesus drinking wine at the Last Supper and all the rest of it, but you cannot convince me that is what Jesus did or intended to do. When the refreshments ran out He refreshes the people with Oy-nos. And the ones who were there said, “We've never tasted anything so good in all our lives!”


    -Bro. Zane Estis

  • "I am a junior firefighter at my local fire department, and am very interested in pursuing a career as a firefighter or in law enforcement. Both are very necessary services in our communities. But they are also very demanding, working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year meaning I would have to miss church from time to time. What is a Holiness young man to do?"

    Of all the tens of thousands of choices a person make in a lifetime few have more implications than a career. I place it third on the list of importance. First is accepting Christ, second is choosing a spouse and choosing a career is third.


    When choosing the direction for a career there are a few things to consider.

    1. Am I making this decision prayerfully? Am I willing to seek good Godly advice from my parents and pastor? It is better to lose out on the career ladder of success than to be out of the will of God.

    2. How will this career affect me spiritually? Will I be able to handle the pressure of the job?

    3. How will my career choice affect my family? If a career constantly takes away quality time from a spouse and children it will eventually deteriorate the foundation of the home.


    A career that will keep a person from church on a regular basis cannot please God. In Exodus 34:14 the Bible tells us “For thou shalt worship no other god: for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God”. A career has the potential of becoming a god. A career, hobby or many other things can come between us and God. God becomes jealous when he witnesses that taking place. The saying is true He is Lord of all, or not Lord at all”.


    The writer of Hebrews warned us not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together. In these last days we are witnessing the decline in church attendance at an astounding rate. Paul also said when he was writing to the Galatians “Ye did run well; who did hinder you that you should not obey the truth” I am sure we can insert the word “what” for “who”. It is the business of Satan to place stumbling blocks in our path of life. But once again Paul penned the words “Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices”.


    Jesus himself stated “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you”. Providing for the family is required, but never forget God still is able to supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory! A career is not the most important thing in life.


    I want to touch briefly on some issues I have personally witnessed in the careers that you have asked about. A lot of times a person may end up spending more time with members of the opposite sex than they do their own spouse. It is not healthy for a marriage or single person to share housing (even though in separate quarters but in the same building) or in a confined area for extended hours together.

    Infidelity and fornication runs rampant in the careers of firefighters, EMS personnel and law enforcement. Co-workers become too familiar with each other which can lead to conversations and actions that are not becoming to a Christian. Even though these are needful careers, a person must be aware that they also can drag a Christian down if he does not keep his spiritual walk fresh. Thank God there are Christians who are doing these important jobs and witnessing to a lost world at the same time.


    Lastly, Peter said “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour”. What is a  holiness young man to do? A holiness young person is to stay vigilant in all areas of their life because there is a reward at the end of the journey!!!


    -Bro. Doug Phillips

  • “I have wondered & have heard this question asked by other young ppl. How do I Live a life totally sold out to Christ when other Christian young people in our churches don’t have the same mindsets, goals, desires, convictions, & standards? The reason for this question is because sometimes other young people don’t understand why you want to be sold out to Christ, why you do certain things, & other’s don’t care about having the Godly lifestyle. It is sometimes hard to live an example of a Godly life to others when the mindsets are different.”


    That’s a great question!

    I think the simplest answer is, we can’t watch or be swayed by the crowd. We must keep our eyes on Christ! Hebrews 12:2 says, “Looking unto Jesus, the Author and the Finisher of our faith...”

    An example from the Bible would be Daniel and the Three Hebrew Children. No doubt, Thousands of other Jewish young people were also carried away captive into Babylon. They’d probably all been raised religious. However, their attitude seemed to be, “When in Babylon, do as the Babylonians!” “Don’t get Fanatical!” “Everybody else is doing it!” “We’re in a different culture now. Just go with the flow!” I think it’s interesting though, none of their names are mentioned in the word of God. They were “No Names!” It’s almost as if the Holy Ghost said, “Their identity isn’t even important”. They left no eternal mark. However, Daniel and the Three Hebrew Children did! They stand out because they stood up! The World tries to put the pressure on us. (Sometimes that pressure is even felt in our youth groups). The voice of the enemy says, “Don’t live too Holy - You’ll stand Out!” God says just the opposite. “You Might stand out - but you’ll be outstanding!” Your name will be written down as well. (In the Lambs Book of Life). Daniel and the Three Hebrew Boys “Purposed in their heart that they would not defile themselves....” We can’t control what the crowd does, but we can control what happens in our heart.


    Sooner or later, we’re going to have to “stand alone”. II Cor. 5:10 says, “We must all appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ..” We won’t be judged on a curve or on what our entire youth group did. We’ll be standing all alone to give account for our individual deeds. If we’re going to stand alone on that day, shouldn’t we be willing to stand alone for Christ now? Pleasing him is all that matters.


    A New Testament example would be Revelation 3. “The Church at Sardis”. As a whole, they were dead. They had “a name” that they lived, but were “dead”. Thank God for Rev. 3:4! Christ said, “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy”. There was a Remnant in Sardis! “The Remnant had the Remedy!”      


    I love the phrase you used in your question: “Sold Out!” We are often frustrated because folks won’t “buy in”. (To our Beliefs, Standards, and Holiness Message). Just remember: You can’t get folks to “buy in” when they’ve never “sold out”. Just continue to set the example. Stay sold out in your soul!


    In Rev. 3, we also read about the Church at Laodicea. (It was the last church mentioned and gives us a picture of the last day church as a whole). What was their prevailing trait? They were “Lukewarm”. Not Cold, but not hot either. Just stuck in the Miserable Middle. Living Lukewarm lives. Christ’s warning for them was, “Because thou art lukewarm....I will Spew thee out of my mouth!” There’s only two options in the end. We’re going to be “Spewed out” or “Sold out!” Stay sold out for God no matter what others around you are doing.


    - Bro. Jerry Pascarella