Youth Question And Answer Archive

 

Question: How should I choose what I read?

Answer: Philippians 4:8 gives us some good guidelines for many things, including choosing  what we read. It says, Finally, brethern, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. 

This verse contains some very important questions we should ask ourselves before we read or do anything else. Is it true? Is it pure? Does it praise and glorify God? Can you ask God's blessing  as you read it? If it falls under all of these catagories, then you can safely read it.

 

Question: Is it okay to lie for a good reason?

Answer: Well what do you think? God says, "Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight." Prov. 12:22 It doesn't say lying isn't abomination if its used for a good purpose. God has some pretty strong things to say about lying. 

" The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment."  Prov. 12:19

" Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another." Eph. 4:25 You can't put away lying if you indulge in it for a "good" reason.

 "I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love." Ps. 119:163

 Read your Bible and study out what God has to say about lying. I can't list every verse. Remember God says  "For I am the LORD, I change not"...Mal. 3:6 If it was an abomination in God's sight yesterday, it is today and will be tomorrow and forever. God never changes his principles, even if they are not convenient.  If you feel like its dangerous to tell the truth, ask yourself  this question. "Am I really trusting God by breaking his law, or am I taking matters into my own hands by this.  

   To end this I will give a saying I once read. Those who are given to white lies will soon become color blind. 

 

Question:  What all does the third commandment refer to, and what should we say or should we not say? Is what we say really important?

Answer: This question is one that needs to be asked more often. It is a very big question.  One of the meanings of the third commandment is don't claim to be a Christian if you're not going to reflect Christ's character in your life. This is hypocrisy. 

 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity. 2Tim.2:19

If you profess Christianity, depart from iniquity. 

One of the other meanings for this commandment is, not to use words that are variations of God's name or are his name. Using phrases like, "O my God," or, "for God's sake," are wrong. According to dictionary definition, words like gee, golly, gosh, etc. are variations of God's name. 

Sometimes that God's attributes are used instead of His name. For example Instead of the expression, "for God's sake," you hear, "for pity's sake," "for goodness sake,"  or, "for heaven's sake."

Other words that have sinister meaning, would be "darn"( meaning "damn") and "luck"(according to former occultists a derivative of Lucifer).  If you think about it when we attribute things to good luck we are not really given God the credit for the blessings he gives us. More could be listed but, it is best just to be on the safe side, to follow the advice of Christ.

 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Matt.5:37 

Of course this does not mean you can't say anything except for yes or no, but when it comes to using expressions you better think where they are coming from. I remember when my family had pulled over for something to do with our car, and after stopping to see if we needed help, a couple left with the parting words, "God bless you" instead of the more common phrase, "well, good luck." 

Some may feel a little overwhelmed when they realize that so many of the words and expressions they use are bad. I understand. The habits are hard to break. But I also know that we have a Saviour who was in all points tempted as we are, yet he did not sin. He can help us overcome if we choose to ask Him. If any of you are tempted to say, "I cannot break so strong a habit," then you are saying that Christ does not have the power to help you. Decide to try, ask for help from above, and see what God can do. It will be a battle, but through Christ you can be victorious. Remember, what we say we will have to give a account for: But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned. Matt.12:36,37

All our words will be judged. Let us see that our words are above reproach and that they savor of life unto life.



Question:  According to Genesis 6:1-4, did the daughters of men sleep with fellow human beings or angels from heaven to produce those giants?

Answer: Good Question! After Cain murdered Abel, two groups of people formed. Cain’s descendants formed a worldly wicked people (see Genesis 4:19-24) whereas Seth’s descendants formed a godly people. Seth’s descendants were the “Christian” church of their time

Using the Bible to interpret itself we find that biblically, God’s people are referred to as sons of God.

Romans 8:14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

Hosea 1:10  Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God. (See also 1 John 3:1,2,)

Adam was called a son of God.

Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God. Luke 3:38

So what happened was the descendants of Seth (what was then God’s people) fell away from the principles of their parents. They married unbelieving women, who were worldly and corrupt. This is why the New Testament speaks of “marrying and giving in marriage.” (Matthew 24:37,38) The people before the flood were not following God’s instructions for marriage.  In short, the daughters of men slept with humans who were from Seth’s line and should have been following God.

Genesis 6:1-4 is a warning to youth today. It is recording one of the sins that caused the flood. The idea that the sons of God were angels was not upheld by many Christians* in the past.  The devil has brought in this idea to hide the sin of believers marrying unbelievers. God wants youth today to learn from mistakes made by others in the past so that they won’t repeat the sins that brought on the flood.  We should be making our decisions not by who looks nice, but by the directions in the word of God.

2 Corinthians 6:14, 17-18  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

One Bonus Note: The giants mentioned in the land are actually mentioned before the connection of the sons of God and the daughters of men suggesting that people were much larger before the flood.  (They also lived longer so this would make perfect sense. Gen.5)

*See Below


*WHAT OTHER WRITERS HAVE SAID?

Geneva Bible Translation Notes

Genesis 6:2 That the (a) sons of God saw the daughters (b) of men that they [were] (c) fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.

(a) The children of the godly who began to degenerate.

(b) Those that had wicked parents, as if from Cain.

(c) Having more respect for their beauty and worldly considerations than for their manners and godliness.

John Wesley

The sons of God - Those who were called by the name of the Lord, and called upon that name, married the daughters of men - Those that were profane, and strangers to God. The posterity of Seth did not keep to themselves as they ought, but intermingled with the race of Cain: they took them wives of all that they chose - They chose only by the eye: They saw that they were fair - Which was all they looked at.

Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary

the sons of God saw the daughters of men — By the former is meant the family of Seth, who were professedly religious; by the latter, the descendants of apostate Cain. Mixed marriages between parties of opposite principles and practice were necessarily sources of extensive corruption. The women, religious themselves, would as wives and mothers exert an influence fatal to the existence of religion in their household, and consequently the people of that later age sank to the lowest depravity 

Question:  Did dinosaurs exist?  And if they did, then they could only be 5-6000 years old max, right?

AnswerYes, I believe dinosaurs existed. Some of the dinosaurs look like lizards that we have today except they are just a lot larger. Before the Komodo dragon was discovered in 1910, most people would not have believed a lizard that large could exist. Since reptiles never stop growing, imagine if something like a modern chameleon had the opportunity to grow for several hundred years, without interruption. It could in some ways resemble a triceratops, and since they have found fossils of giant dragonflies, etc. this is highly probable. The Bible tells us there were giant humans before the flood (Gen 6:4) so why not giant reptiles. Some of the dinosaurs could also have been the result of the people before the flood messing around with genetic engineering like the scientists do today (Matthew 24:37-39). 

And yes, the dinosaurs would not pre-date creation. Some people have studied the genealogies in the Bible and have discovered that the earth is around 6,000 years old so the dinosaurs would only be as old as the earth. 

I believe that both Behemoth mentioned in Job 40 and Leviathan mentioned in Job 41 were some sort of dinosaurs that God created.

Behemoth was some large vegetarian animal. The closest animals we have that fit the description would be an elephant or hippopotamus, but neither of these fit verse 17. “He moveth his tail like a cedar: the sinews of his stones are wrapped together.”  If you were to pick how to describe an elephant’s tail, you would compare it to a rope, and a hippo’s tail though it is fatter is too short to be compared to a tree. This description only fits some sort of dinosaur like the Apatosaurus (once called the brontosaurus).


 If behemoth and leviathan were both dinosaurs, than that means that some dinosaurs were still living in Job’s day, which was after the flood (see Job  22:15, 16).This would place dinosaurs as living only about 4,000 years ago and also living at the  same time as mankind, (a fact which evolutionists never want to admit). There are scientific finds that show dinosaur footprints as well as human footprints all in the same rock layer. Of course, the evolutionist try to hide these finding because they disprove their teaching that dinosaurs became extinct millions of years before humans evolved, but the findings are still there.

  I do believe that the ugly, stupid (little-brained), grotesque-looking dinosaurs that man created by amalgamation (genetic modification) were destroyed in the flood. But however you look at it, we will have a lot of science about dinosaurs to learn when we get to heaven.

Question:  The Bible says that there will be false Christs in the last days. How can we tell what is the real coming and what is a false Christ? It says “if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect,” and I don’t want to be deceived!

AnswerThe last days are days when the “Father of lies” the devil, increases his work of deception. This is why when asked about last day events Jesus first words were, “Take heed that no man deceive you.” Jesus continued to speak about false christs. “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matt. 24:4, 5)

It is evident to one that reads the 24th chapter of Matthew that deception will be a major player in the final events. Yet God does not leave his people without a key to avoid being deceived.

Matthew 24:23-27  “Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.

“Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

Revelation 1:7  Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

Matthew 26:64  “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven."

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17  “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

Acts 1:9 -11 “ And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."

The verses in the Bible are very plain in describing the Second Coming of Christ. Here are some characteristics of the REAL coming of Christ that the Bible points out.

1. It will not be secret. Every eye will see it at the exact same time.

2. He will come in the clouds.  He will come in the same manner as he was taken up.

3. He will not need to touch the ground, since the righteous dead and living will meet him in the air.

4. The righteous dead will be resurrected.

5. Those that crucified Christ will be resurrected to see him coming.

Here are a few more points to keep in mind. The fact that Christ’s coming will not be secret is plain. But the devil may try to counterfeit a visible coming by leading people to believe that everyone seeing it on TV or the Internet will fulfil the “every eye will see him” simultaneously.  There is a flaw in this reasoning. To think that the Creator of the universe would trust such an important mission to media which is known for deceiving the people, is rather foolish. Even today, what you receive over TV or internet cannot be trusted. Fake news stories are published every day on satire sites (and sometimes even on real news sites). Even e-mails from friends and family cannot be trusted, because in a world of hackers, an e-mail purporting to be from a friend may actually be from an enemy. If we cannot trust the TV and internet today, do you think God would expect us to trust it later?

Additionally, when the devil personates Christ (there are other false christs preceding this, but this will be the capstone of the deception), he will come as people would expect Jesus to come.  The devil has read all the descriptions of Christ in the Bible and he will most likely try to mimic them. He will walk among earth as Jesus walked, “healing” the sick, pretending to raise the dead, and helping the poor.

To the casual observer the counterfeit coming may seem to have all of the true characteristics, but it will be missing at least one of the true characteristics.  We can be sure that the one true characteristic the devil’s counterfeit will be missing is exaltation of the Bible and Law of God as infallible and un-changing. Instead of exalting the Word of God, and the Law of God, he will try to convince men that it has been changed.  He will use this to get his own agenda across. The Scriptures will be the only discerner of the true versus the false.  If we do not want to be deceived, we must study the Bible and follow everything it directs us to do.  If we do our part and strive to do what is right, God will not allow an honest- in- heart person to be deceived.

Question:  Does the Bible forbid all alcohol consumption or just the excessive use of it?

AnswerIn answer to your question, here are several reasons why I believe the Bible clearly prohibits all alcohol consumption. 


 1.  There is abundant and direct Biblical testimony that the use of alcoholic drinks is unwise while unfermented grape juice is a blessing.    
Prov. 20:1  “Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.” 

Prov.  23:29-32  Who hath woe? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine.  Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.   At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

 Isaiah 65:8  “Thus saith the LORD, As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one saith, Destroy it not; for a blessing is in it: so will I do for my servants' sakes, that I may not destroy them all.”

2. The Biblical record shows that Jesus refused alcohol.  Jesus could not have turned the water into alcoholic wine.  He is not a bartender.   It would be hypocritical to make something that you yourself would not use.   Mark 15:23  And they gave him [Jesus] to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.

3. No one would argue that there are no drunkards in the world, so obviously alcohol causes many to stumble and fall and ultimately be lost according to these verses.  Is it then Christian to advocate something (especially for church use) that may cause someone to ultimately be lost?

Rom_14:21  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended or is made weak.    Stumbleth or offended—enticed to sin,  Weak—bad for health   (“offended” is translated “falleth” in the  1534 Tyndale Bible,  1535 Coverdale Bible, the 1568 Bishop’s Bible, 1549 Matthews Bible],

Rom 14:22  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.

1 Cor. 5:11  But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.

4. In the Bible, those who drink and encourage others to drink are condemned as evil and hypocritical.  Mat 24:48-51  “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;   And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;   The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,   And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Hab 2:15  “Woe unto him that giveth his neighbour drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!”

5. The very nature of alcohol eliminates the idea of temperance,  since large portions of those who drink a little cannot stop.  

A single glass of wine may open the door of temptation which will lead to habits of drunkenness.” --{Healthful Living pg.  113}  

“40% of teens who began drinking at 13 years of age or younger developed an alcohol addiction later in life. This can be compared with the following:10% of teens who started drinking alcohol after 17 years of age developed alcohol dependence…  The younger you are when you start drinking, the greater your chance of becoming addicted to alcohol at some point in your life. More than 4 in 10 people who begin drinking before age 15 eventually become alcoholics.” 

http://inbalancecontinuum.com/outpatient/about/statistics


“According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), in 2015, 15.1 million American adults (6.2 percent of the population) had an alcohol use problem.”  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/157163.php

Almost 1/3 of those who drink alcohol have some sort of an alcohol problem--“SAMHSA’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) – 2014 (PDF | 3.4 MB) reports that in 2014 there were 139.7 million current alcohol users aged 12 or older, with 23% classified as binge drinkers and 6.2% as heavy drinkers. About 17 million of these, or 6.4%, met criteria for an alcohol use disorder in the past year.” https://www.samhsa.gov/atod/alcohol

“Alcohol is America’s drug of choice. No other substance is abused more often in this country than alcohol. One in every 12 adults suffers from alcohol dependence. This is a startling figure. Over 17.5 million Americans are alcoholics.” 

https://www.quitalcohol.com/information/why-is-alcohol-addictive.html

 These and many more reasons show why the Bible teaches it is better just to avoid alcohol altogether

  For a more extensive answer on this topic as well as some interesting details on how unfermented grape juice was preserved in Bible times  visit our webpage "Wine" as used in the Bible

 

Question: What does  God mean when he says His thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not His ways? (Isaiah 55:8)

Answer: God was trying  to get us to realize that what we think and do is not always in the same pathway as what God says is good. He tells us,"Ye are they which justify yourselves before men; but God knoweth your hearts: for that which is highly esteemed among men is abomination in the sight of God." (Luke 16:15) Many things even professed Christians think are good are abominations in God's sight. Certain forms of music, movies, unhealthful foods and drinks, some internet sites, programs,and chat sites, immodest clothing, and even some forms of education which are educating in the wrong direction, can be things that men justify, but God calls an abomination.

Remember: "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man,but the end thereof are the ways of death."  (Proverbs 14:12)

Also, character is what you do when no one is looking.  "But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart."  1 Samuel 16:7

 

     Question:  Does the Bible have any advice on choosing friends?

Answer: The answer is yes. The Bible gives us good advice on choosing our friends, and it also shows what happens as a result of having either good or bad friends. An example of a good friendship would be that of David and Jonathan. A bad friendship would be that of Samson and Delilah. 

 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,  (2 Cor. 14-17)

 The results of being friends with people who don't believe like you will typically "rub off" and you will become like them. By beholding we become changed.  Choose only for your friends those who are truly following Christ. You can witness to those who aren't, but don't choose them for friends.

A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)

  Just Remember to make Jesus Christ your best friend. He will not forsake anyone who loves him. And you can be certain he will not be a bad influence on you. After He is your best friend, you can ask him to show you his friends, and you can be safe in choosing them for friends. 

 

Question:  Some say that the reason jewelry wearing is condemned in verses such as 1 Timothy 2:9 and 1 Peter 3:3,4 is because the wearing of jewelry came from the occultic and idolatrous pagans. Is this true, and what constitutes jewelry?

Answer: Yes, it is true that the wearing of jewels came from the pagans. In the Bible jewelry is connected to idolatry.

  Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments... And they gave unto Jacob all the strange gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and Jacob hid them under the oak which was by Shechem.  Genesis 35:2,4


 In her book Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated, Cathy Burns quotes some witches, who say, "Jewelry's origins lie in magic.... Jewelry is a way to have magic on your body..." (pg.293, 294)

Something some of you might be getting ready to consider, if you are of marrying age is whether a wedding ring is jewelry or not. In The Occult Sciences it says, 

"It may be pointed out that wedding rings are a remnant of the magic rings." (pg. 320)

In Revelation it is Babylon the Mother of Harlots that is represented as being "...decked with gold and precious stones and pearls...." (Rev.17:4)

"In this connection, I would like to share an incident. About 25 years ago a returned missionary from China spoke at our church  and related the following. He had been in China for seven years, and had upon return to this country for furlough he immediately noticed something different about the American women. In the seven years that he had been gone, many of the women had adopted the popular fad of painting their faces (makeup).  In China, the prostitutes were the only women who painted their faces, wore ear rings, and had long painted fingernails. This was the means of identifying themselves to their men-partners in sin. The shocking thing to the missionary was that the American women had taken on the custom of the heathen harlot." (Masonic and Occult Symbols Illustrated pg.310)

The question was asked, what constitutes jewelry? In Timothy mentioned in connection with the gold and pearls, was also broided hair and costly array. The message is not just don't wear, ear rings and necklaces.  We are to avoid the appearance of evil. (1Thess. 5:22) Extravagant hair styles, fancy metallic watches or hair things, expensive clothing, etc. are no better than the ear rings. In all your dress you should be modest, not drawing attention to yourself, but let your adorning be " the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." (1Peter 3:4) 


Question:  Why did the Pharisees and teachers of the law have to oppose Jesus concerning healing on the Sabbath and other issues related to the law of Moses.


Answer: The Pharisees had taken the law of Moses to an excess. They had made up their own traditions and attached them so closely to the law of God that most people did not know what the law of God really said, and what the Pharisees had made up. Jesus came to exalt the law of God and break down the traditions of man.

Matthew 5:17, 18  Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

The Pharisees considered it a sin to do good on the Sabbath, but in doing so they forgot that God was a God of Love and his law love. The whole reason for the law is because of love. We don’t kill someone because of love. We don’t worship false gods because we love God. In the same way we are to keep the Sabbath because we love and trust God, but the Pharisees did not realize the underlying principle of love.

Romans 13:10  Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Christ, in healing on the Sabbath, was not doing something for pleasure or business (Isaiah 58:13), but was doing something to relieve a suffering human and glorify His Father. He therefore made it plain that the spirit of the law which is love, as well as the letter is important. He also rebuked the Pharisees who would help an animal before they would help a human.

Matthew 12:12  How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well on the sabbath days.

When they were exposed, the Pharisees and teachers of the law became angry.

Christ never abolished the law or the Sabbath but sought to teach that charity is just as important as the letter of the law. He also did away with the self-righteous traditions of the Pharisees that had no basis in the word of God.

Matthew 15:8, 9  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

 Thus the religious leaders who prided themselves as being examples of the law, but who were some of the farthest from it in spirit, opposed Jesus Christ whose character is revealed in the law.

 

 Question:  How do I become an Evangelist? And what good strategies can I use to succeed in Evangelism ministry.

AnswerThe Bible gives a story of the Evangelist Philip (Acts 8:26-40). Reading it might give you some pointers. Philip followed the leading of the Lord and had God direct him what to do.

The first thing I can point you too is to continually ask God for wisdom. If you are doing his work he will guide you.

James 1:5  If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.

Evangelism involves both preaching and teaching, but also working with people one on one, or in their homes.  Some of your methods will vary depending on who you are reaching. Try to find something that you hold in common with those you wish to reach. Christ did this, and He was the greatest evangelist. For example all people have in common that they have physical needs, this is why Christ often used health and healing as an entering wedge.

Matthew 9:35  And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

Christ also used the surroundings that the people were familiar with, to teach them spiritual lessons, such as comparing a sower, or calling Himself the Bread of Life.

Christ told stories to illustrate His points. He taught in parables.

Matthew 13:34 All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:

Recently we went to an event, where we attended 3 different presentations by three different speakers. The man who interested the people the best was demonstrating medical techniques, and called people up to help him. The other one who kept the people extremely interested worked his facts in with many stories. The man who just read statistics and facts bored everyone, and lost many people’s interest. This is one reason why Christ taught in parables to keep people’s attention.

I am not sure where you are, and what you have to work with, but I do know if it is available to you, “pictures are worth a thousand words.” Power-points can be helpful. Charts can help, and real objects (such as seeds, rocks, depending on sermon subject) for demonstration make a talk more interesting.

Remember that when you give a sermon or talk it could be the last one someone in your audience will hear. In every sermon  be sure to uplift Christ as the world’s savior, as well as give an appeal for people to turn to Christ.

2 Corinthians 6:2 … behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Question:  How is the woman of Rev 12, the Church, giving birth to Jesus when Jesus actually gave birth to the Church?

AnswerIn order to answer this question first we must look into who the church really is.

The church existed before the time of the disciples. In fact, the Bible tells us that the church existed back when Israel came out of Egypt.

Acts 7:37, 38  “This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear. This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:”

The church (although today there are misconceptions about what the term means), is simply a term for God’s people. Christ told us that “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. " (Matthew 18:20) This is the recipe for what constitutes a church.  Thus in every time period God has had a church, even prior to the formation of the Christian Church with the disciples.

The other portion of your question requires setting a foundation of when exactly it was when Jesus Christ came on the scene.  The Bible is clear that the Son of God has always existed. He never had a beginning. (Micah  5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” John 8:58  “Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.”)

However, the Son of God was not always a human. (John 1:1-3 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.” John 1:14  “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”)

Although the divine nature of Jesus Christ always existed, His conception in Mary marked the beginning of His human nature. Thus although He (Jesus) has always existed, the church (God’s people) were already in existence when the human form of Christ was born as a baby in Bethlehem. Because Mary was part of the church at that time,  the church could symbolically give birth to the human form of Christ, even though as a divine being, Christ was in existence before the church every existed.

Question:  Help me understand how people "sinned WITHOUT the law (Rom 2:12). Isn't that evidence that the 10 commandments didn't necessarily exist before Sinai?

AnswerFirst, please read the context of Romans 2:12.

Romans 2:6-16  "Who will render to every man according to his deeds: To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life: But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath, Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;  But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God.

 "For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;  (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel."

The context of Romans 2:12 is dealing with judgement. It is clear that the Gentiles are those without the law and the Jews are those with the law. This is because the Jews were the ones blessed with a copy of the written law, while the Gentiles had no written record of God’s laws. The law of God existed prior to Sinai because God said Abraham kept His law, but it was not written down until the Ten Commandments were given at Sinai.

Genesis 26:5 “Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.”

God judges according to the amount of truth a person has had access to, so the Jews who had access to a written record of God’s law were held more accountable than the Gentiles who had never seen or heard the law of God, and were relying on their own judgement of what is right and wrong.

Acts 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:”

Those that are “without law” are those without the written law because the law is binding upon all men whether they have seen it or not. Many who may have never seen the Ten Commandments still believe stealing, murder, and adultery to be wrong and don’t do these things. Those who have seen and heard the law of God and choose to break it have greater sin than those who may do the exact same sins but do not know about the law of God. In other words, God will take into consideration what men know and don’t know when He judges them. 


Question:  Is taking tea and coffee a SIN according to the Bible and what does the SOP say about it?

AnswerIn answer to your question, the Bible does not mention tea or coffee by name. Rather it gives the principles that taking part in practices that destroy your health is sinful. 

Cor. 3:16, 17  "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are." 
Cor. 10:31  "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." 

Caffeine is found in both coffee and tea has been found to raise blood pressure, increase the risk of heart attack among young adults, increase chance of miscarriage (even what the parents drink before conception can affect this), and interfere with calcium absorption, just to name a few of the side effects. It is considered a drug and cannot be considered harmless.  Tea also contains a drug called theobromine. 

As to what the Spirit of Prophecy says on this topic, here are a few of her quotes below.

"Tea and coffee drinking is a sin, an injurious indulgence, which, like other evils, injures the soul. These darling idols create an excitement, a morbid action of the nervous system; and after the immediate influence of the stimulants is gone, it lets down below par just to that degree that its stimulating properties elevated above par."  {CD 425.3}

"Satan is taking the world captive through the use of liquor and tobacco, tea and coffee. The God-given mind, which should be kept clear, is perverted by the use of narcotics. The brain is no longer able to distinguish correctly. The enemy has control. Man has sold his reason for that which makes him mad. He has no sense of what is right.{CCh 101, 102}

"Tea, coffee, tobacco, and alcohol we must present as sinful indulgences."  {LDE 81.1}  

"Never take tea, coffee, beer, wine, or any spirituous liquors. Water is the best liquid possible to cleanse the tissues."  {CD 421.3}

"Tea is poisonous to the system. Christians should let it alone. The influence of coffee is in a degree the same as tea, but the effect upon the system is still worse. Its influence is exciting, and just in the degree that it elevates above par, it will exhaust and bring prostration below par. Tea and coffee drinkers carry the marks upon their faces. The skin becomes sallow, and assumes a lifeless appearance. The glow of health is not seen upon the countenance."  {CD 421.1}

"The habit of drinking tea and coffee is a greater evil than is often suspected. Many who have accustomed themselves to the use of stimulating drinks, suffer from headache and nervous prostration, and lose much time on account of sickness. They imagine they cannot live without the stimulus, and are ignorant of its effect upon health. What makes it the more dangerous is, that its evil effects are so often attributed to other causes."  {CTBH 35.2}