Greetings to all visiting the Youth Corner. The Lord wants you to remember Him in the days of your youth. It is hard to do anything you don’t know how to do. The Lord said, His way is easy and His burden is light. It is true that it’s not hard to live right. You just need to know how. For this cause, God has given you pastors to feed you with knowledge and understanding. The Lord said, all shall be taught of God and after hearing and learning you can come to Jesus Christ. We want to encourage you to hear and learn more about the Lord Jesus and as you hear and learn become doers of the word of God. By doing this, you can receive at a young age, the full benefit of God. You shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 Do you have a question about what to do? On the day of Pentecost, after the people heard the word from Apostle Peter, they asked a question saying, men and brethren what shall we do? We know that many young people are being pushed and driven between right and wrong and many times are at crossroads in their lives. At this point, it is good to ask Godly counsel on what to do. For this cause, we have a program entitled, "Ask Elder Vic."  Be encouraged to ask me about the plan of salvation or questions that will edify your soul.  Please feel free to email me at pastorvistajeffries@thetruechurch.org or youthcorner@thetruechurch.org.

May God bless you is my prayer in Jesus name.

Elder Vista Jeffries

QUESTION: I have a few questions concerning celebrating the holidays. I know the truth and no longer celebrates, but my family does. Would it be wrong if I still go to the family gatherings, but do not participate in the celebrating? I can still be around them but not participate in the activities they are doing. Is this okay?

QUESTION: If a person doesn't speak in tongues, then how can they pray in tongues?  I do know that our Pastor encourage the congregation to pray in tongues.  I really want to know because I do not want to be lost.

Elder Vic: Paul declared in I Corinthians 14th chapter beginning at the 14th verse, if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful.  He went on to say, I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. When you bless with the spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say Amen at thy giving of thanks knowing he doesn’t understand what you are saying? After these sayings, Paul instructed that it’s better to speak five words with understanding than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue or language.  When you pray you should pray with understanding and if the language you speak is English and you are in a room full of English speaking people the way to pray with understanding is to pray in English. If there were Spanish speaking people in the room and you spoke Spanish, pray in Spanish that you may edify. When they spoke in tongues on the day of Pentecost they were not told by Peter, James or John, to do so.  Preachers  teaching  the people to do so today, are teaching something that the apostles didn’t teach, according to the scriptures.  Jesus taught his disciples to pray in Matt 6th chapter and tongues was not a part of his training to his disciples. Who could be more effective in prayer than Jesus and he Apostles? Peter went to raise Tabitha from the dead. He kneeled down and prayed; and turning to the body said, Tabitha arise. She opened her eyes and when she saw Peter, she sat up. (Acts 10:40) He raised this woman from the dead and the scripture doesn’t teach that he had to speak in an unknown tongue to do it. When Jesus raised Lazarus in St John 11th Chapter, he uttered a few words to the Father, starting at the 41st verse and Lazarus came forth. It’s not recorded that he went off into some unknown tongue or repetitious prayer. The leaders of this people cause them to error and they that are lead of them are destroyed. (Isaiah 9:16)

May God Bless 

QUESTION:  I have a question concerning marriage. I understand that if a person got married at a young age and if the marriage ended in divorce, he or she can not remarry as long as his or her spouse is living. Here is a hypothetical situation so that you understand what I am asking . Jane and Tom gets married, but Tom was previously married to Sue. Therefore Jane can get remarried because even though Tom was her first husband, Jane was not his first wife. Is this correct?

Elder Vic:  It is true, that a person in a situation where they have married someone who was previously married and the 1st wife is living, that husband is not that woman's husband. That husband belongs to his 1st wife and and the second wife has not had a husband of her own. The bible teaches that every woman should have her own husband and every man should have his own wife. (I Corinthians 7:2) In the book of Mark the 6th chapter and the 17th verse Herodias is described as Phillip's wife even though Herod had married her. John was beheaded for pointing out to Herod that it was not lawful for him to have her. A woman in this case is not bound to that husband and is free to get her own husband who does not have a living wife. I hope this is helpful.

QUESTION: Is it OK to fear or be afraid of something?

Elder Vic: It is OK to fear the Lord for the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. (Proverbs 1:7) To fear God and keep his commandments is the whole duty of man. (Ecclesiates 12:13)  We are to serve God in Holiness and Righteousness without fear. We should not fear evil. The Lord told his disciples; fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (II Timothy 1:7) The Lord Jesus came to destroy him that hath the power of death and deliver us from this fear of death that has kept us in bondage. (Hebrews 2: 14 &15) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. (I John 4: 18) In my conclusion, David said in the 23rd Psalms, Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff thy comfort me.

QUESTION: How do I witness to my peers?

Elder Vic: The best witness a person can give is a life or an example of what God can do in a young persons life. Jesus' life was the light of men. (St John 1:4) Jesus told his disciples to let their lights shine to allow men to see their good works and cause them to glorify God. If we live the life God called us to live, which is holy, then doors will come open for us to give an answer to every man or peer that asks you about a reason of the hope that's in you. (I Peter 3:15) In doing this your witness won't be about what you've heard but rather what you've experienced and received of the Lord. The Lord Jesus said, We speak that we do know and testify that we have seen. (St John 3:11) May God give you the power of his spirit that you may be a witness for Jesus Christ. (Acts 1:8)

QUESTION: How does a person go about departing from old friends, when they are attached to them?

Elder Vic: When you go through the process of being changed and taking on God by the new birth, you become a new creature and old things are passed away and all things become new. These new things are of God. (I Corinthians 5:17). Many times through the process of becoming a new creature, old friends will depart from you and you will gain new friends in the Lord. I am reminded of II Corinthians 6:14 as it states, be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers and it goes on to say in the 17th verse, come out from among them and be separate, saith the Lord. When you began to let your light shine, old friends won’t recognize the new you. They will remark about how you have changed and don’t enjoy the things you used to enjoy with them. They may begin to speak against you. (I Peter 4:4) There will be the same difference between you and your old friends as light and darkness. We both know that light and darkness don’t stay together. I will end this answer with a question asked in the scriptures, Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3) Make this changes God requires of you in your life and those friends you need to let go of will let you go.

QUESTION: Why did God make the Devil?

Elder Vic: The Lord hath made all things for himself: yea even the wicked for the day of evil. (Proverbs 16:4) The devil is there for the punishment of evil doers. Paul the Apostle delivered two men over to Satan or the Devil to teach them not to blaspheme. (I Timothy 1:20). In I Corinthians 5:5, Paul judged that a man was to be given over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh for a wrong the man had done.

QUESTION:  Why was Hell made?

Elder Vic: Hell was not made for man but for Satan or the Devil. According to Matthew 25:41, it was prepared for the devil and his angels. The Devil came into the earth and began to deceive the people and those who are deceived shall have their part in the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:10). Since so many began to follow the devil to hell, the Bible states, it had to enlarge itself and open her mouth without measure. (Isaiah 5:14)

QUESTION: What can I do to get the Holy Ghost at 15 and get sin out of my life?

Elder Vic:  God’s spirit is a gift that is freely given by God to them that obey him. Many times people say they desire certain things naturally such as; houses, cars, jobs and degrees, however they aren’t willing to make the sacrifice to obtain these things. God has made it possible for all the obedient to receive his spirit. (Acts 5:32). Stop doing the things you know are wrong. This is called repentance. The Apostles told the people to repent and be baptized for the removing of their sins and then they would receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38). Many people have been baptized, but have never repented or stopped doing the things they know are wrong. This is why they have not received God’s free gift. Peter told the people on the day of Pentecost, the promise is unto you and your children. Please don’t exclude yourself from this gift and salvation because you are a child. Instead, save yourself from this untoward, hell going, generation. (Acts 20:40) I was a sinner. I told lies and said profane things. That has all changed for me. I remember at about 13 years old, I declared to myself that I would stop using profanity. I knew better and had been brought up under the gospel. One day on the school bus someone had said something corrupt and I was asked  what was said. I repeated the whole corrupt saying. I felt so guilty within myself. I told myself,  you said you were going to stop cursing. I haven’t used foul language since. I can testify, a young man can cleanse his ways. (Psalms 111:9)

I want to encourage you to make the sacrifice to receive the Holy Ghost. We often quote, (Romans 12:1), “ I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind. Many young and old people are influenced by peer pressure and the desire to fit in with others. This desire is to please the flesh. There are others who don’t allow peer pressure to get to them, but still do the things to please the flesh and have a worldly or fleshly mind. In order to be the Lord’s disciple and have his spirit you must deny yourself, take up your cross or sufferings everyday. (Luke 9:23). The Lord denied himself, he didn’t do his own will but declared to the father, when it came time to die on the cross, not what I will but what thou wilt. (Mark 14:36). Make the sacrifice and obey not only your parents but God (the Word). As you obey, ask God for his spirit and he will give it to you.
(Luke 11:11-13).

I hope this has been a blessing to you.