Throughout Scripture, we see the LORD tell us to rejoice. Paul implores us to rejoice in the LORD always. If we’re told to rejoice, then what does that mean to rejoice? How do we rejoice in the LORD? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of rejoicing in his message, Rejoice and Be Glad.
Joel 2:23 Genesis 4:6KJV Nehemiah 2:2 Luke 6:38 Deuteronomy 11:14–15 Luke 4:18–19 2 Samuel 6:22NIV
Rejoice and Be Glad
23 Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for He has given the early rain for your vindication; He has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. 24 The threshing floors shall be full of grain; the vats shall overflow with wine and oil.
Joel 2:23-24
31 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
1 Chronicles 16:31
10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the Lord. 11 Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!
Jesus told many parables explaining who He is, who the Father is, and who we are. The parable of The Vine and The Vinedresser is no different. Jesus tells us that He is the Vine and that the Father is the Vinedresser, but what does that mean for us? What does the Vinedresser really do to the Vine and the Branches? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of the Vinedresser in the second part of his two-part series, The Vine and The Vinedresser Pt. 2: The Vinedresser.
John 15:1-11 John 10:1-2 Matthew 22 1 Corinthians 1:17 Ephesians 4:11-12; 5:9 Revelation 3:19a Hebrews 12:6 Romans 8:7-8; 10:3; 6:22 Galatians 5:22-23a Philippians 1:9-11 Hebrews 13:15
The Vine and The Vinedresser Pt. 2: The Vinedresser
Jesus is the Vine, and the Father is the Vinedresser.
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:1-5
The Vinedresser (our Heavenly Father) prunes us, trims us, and makes sure we’re healthy.
6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:6-11
It’s the Job of the Vinedresser to make sure that the branches on the Vine produce fruit.
Jesus said that He was the Vine, and we are the branches. We all know this verse; we even quote it, but do we understand it? Do we understand what it means to be the branches of Jesus and how it impacts our lives as followers of Christ? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of being the branches of Jesus in his message, The Vine and The Vinedresser: The Vine.
John 15:1-11 Isaiah 43:19 Joel 2:23 Leviticus 23:40 Deuteronomy 12:4-7
The Vine
Jesus Is The Vine
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
John 15:1-11
Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. We can’t do anything apart from Jesus. It’s all through His strength that we produce fruit.
Bear Fruit
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
As humans, it’s difficult to move forward without having the past constantly tugging at us. We want to remember the past, but not to the point that it holds us back. Is holding on to the past that bad? If we remember the past, are we dwelling in it? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of moving forward and its relationship to the past in his message, Look To The Future.
13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 15 Let those of us who are mature think this way, and if in anything you think otherwise, God will reveal that also to you. 16 Only let us hold true to what we have attained.
Philippians 3:13-16
1 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: 2 a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; 3 a time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 a time to seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 a time to love, and a time to hate; a time for war, and a time for peace.
They say if your dreams don’t scare you, then you aren’t dreaming big enough. Our God-given dreams don’t always seem possible. They’ll tell you that it’s impossible. They’ll tell you that you aren’t enough, but what they don’t understand is that if God is for you, then who can be against you? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of pursuing our God-given dreams regardless of whether others believe it’s possible or not in his New Year’s Day message, Against All Odds.
2 Samuel 23:8-17 (CEV) Ezekiel 22:30-31
Against All Odds
31 When the words that David spoke were heard, they repeated them before Saul, and he sent for him. 32 And David said to Saul, “Let no man’s heart fail because of him. Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” 33 And Saul said to David, “You are not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him, for you are but a youth, and he has been a man of war from his youth.” 34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.” 37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”
38 Then Saul clothed David with his armor. He put a helmet of bronze on his head and clothed him with a coat of mail, 39 and David strapped his sword over his armor. And he tried in vain to go, for he had not tested them. Then David said to Saul, “I cannot go with these, for I have not tested them.” So David put them off. 40 Then he took his staff in his hand and chose five smooth stones from the brook and put them in his shepherd’s pouch. His sling was in his hand, and he approached the Philistine.
41 And the Philistine moved forward and came near to David, with his shield-bearer in front of him. 42 And when the Philistine looked and saw David, he disdained him, for he was but a youth, ruddy and handsome in appearance. 43 And the Philistine said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come to me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44 The Philistine said to David, “Come to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field.” 45 Then David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and with a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you down and cut off your head. And I will give the dead bodies of the host of the Philistines this day to the birds of the air and to the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, 47 and that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not with sword and spear. For the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hand.”
48 When the Philistine arose and came and drew near to meet David, David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet the Philistine. 49 And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground. 50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. There was no sword in the hand of David.
1 Samuel 17:31-50
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:37
26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
In the Christian world, we talk about different spirits. We talk about the spirit of Python, the spirit of Jezebel, the spirit of antichrist, and so on. Like all nations, America is also under a spiritual influence. A spirit that’s bent on depopulation, the murder of babies, and removing the man from the equation altogether. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the spirit behind America’s increasing darkness in his fiery message, The Spirit of Pharaoh.
Exodus 1:8–14, 22 Exodus 1:15–22 Mark 16:15–18 Exodus 5:20–21 1 Peter 2:9–10 Revelation 9:1-6 Luke 10:19
The Spirit of Pharaoh
Pharaoh (King of Egypt) in the Bible
8 Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who did not know Joseph. 9 And he said to his people, “Behold, the people of Israel are too many and too mighty for us. 10 Come, let us deal shrewdly with them, lest they multiply, and, if war breaks out, they join our enemies and fight against us and escape from the land.” 11 Therefore they set taskmasters over them to afflict them with heavy burdens. They built for Pharaoh store cities, Pithom and Raamses. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and the more they spread abroad. And the Egyptians were in dread of the people of Israel.13 So they ruthlessly made the people of Israel work as slaves 14 and made their lives bitter with hard service, in mortar and brick, and in all kinds of work in the field. In all their work they ruthlessly made them work as slaves. 15 Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah, 16 “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.” 17 But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live. 18 So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?” 19 The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.” 20 So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong. 21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families. 22 Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”
On November 11th, we celebrate and honor the brave men and women that fought for our freedom. Veterans were willing to give up everything, including their lives so that we could have the opportunity to have everything. They believed that freedom was worth fighting for. They believed that you were worth fighting for, just like Jesus believed you were. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of the spiritual battle surrounding us in his message, Worth Fighting For. Happy Veterans Day.
2 Samuel 22:2-4 Exodus 15:3 Isaiah 42:13 Psalms 24:8 Psalm 110:1 Ephesians 6:12 John 15:12-13
Worth Fighting For
Am I Worth Fighting For?
So many of us have doubts about ourselves and our worth.
Jesus Believes You Are Worth Fighting For
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
Romans 5:7-11
21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— 22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and are justified by His grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by His blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in His divine forbearance He had passed over former sins.26 It was to show His righteousness at the present time, so that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
Romans 3:21-26
You were, are, and always will be worth fighting for.
During this season, the world seems to get darker and darker. This time of year is when the world celebrates Halloween, All Hallow’s Eve, or Samhain. Many Christians will take part in trick or treating (or Trunk or Treating), dressing up, or decorating their homes in dark and creepy decorations this Halloween. If Halloween is about darkness and horror, what does the Church have to do with it? If it’s just a tradition, is it okay for Christians to celebrate and participate in Halloween, or is it opening spiritual doors? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth behind this gruesome holiday in his message, Halloween, A Tradition or A Door?
1 Samuel 16:14–16 1 Samuel 14:47–48 Matthew 12:28 Matthew 11:12 1 Samuel 14:47b–48 Numbers 31:12 Numbers 31:14–16 1 Thessalonians 5:22 (KJV) 1 Corinthians 8:13 1 Samuel 15:23a
Halloween, A Tradition or A Door?
The Tradition of Halloween (All Hallow’s Eve or Samhain) in the Bible
The origins of Halloween are in the occult, specifically the pagan festival of Samhain. Therefore, why are Christians celebrating this pagan festival? Because if it is pagan, then it isn’t of God. If it isn’t of God, then it is evil. Therefore, why are Christians celebrating and participating in Halloween if it’s evil?
14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17 Therefore go out from their midst, and be separate from them, says the Lord, and touch no unclean thing; then I will welcome you, 18 and I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
John Ramirez’ Five Reasons Christians Shouldn’t Celebrate Halloween:
1. Gives Devil Legal Rights 2. Eternal Mistake 3. Important Satanic Holiday 4. Grieves Holy Spirit 5. Demonically Cursed Candy and Costumes
Opening Spiritual Doors
20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!
Isaiah 5:20
20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil. 23 Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Thessalonians 5:20-23
43 When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none. 44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. 45 Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.
Today our society pushes self-love and self-acceptance. We teach our kids from a young age to just be who they are. While this may seem like a positive and motivational practice, the results are a self-pleasuring, conceited, vain, and hard-of-heart generation. So, does this mean it’s wrong to love ourselves? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of dying to self in his message, Lovers of Self.
1But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2 For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4 treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.
2 Timothy 3:1-5
24 Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done.”
Matthew 16:24-27
The Importance of Destroying Being a Lover of Self
31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die [to self] daily.
1 Corinthians 15:31
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.12 Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
Eternity is no longer just a far-off idea that won’t come to pass for a very long time. Eternity is knocking at our door. It’s right around the corner. Our eternity is being decided right now by us. Every action we make and every word we speak dictates our eternal dwelling place. Jesus warned us that there are only two options for our eternal dwelling place: eternal life and eternal death. Jesus also promised us that where we spend eternity will be up to us. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of our choices in this life as it directly dictates the next life in his message, The Eternal Promises of God.
John 3:14-21 Revelation 12:12 Revelation 12:11 1 John 4:19 Romans 5:6–10 Psalms 1:4 Ezekiel 33:4-5 Acts 18:5-6 Psalms 9:6-7 Matthew 8:12 Matthew 13:40-43 Mark 9:43-48
The Eternal Promises of God
God’s Eternal Promises
The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths (Sukkot)
33 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the Lord. 35 On the first day shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work. 36 For seven days you shall present food offerings to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall hold a holy convocation and present a food offering to the Lord. It is a solemn assembly; you shall not do any ordinary work.”
Leviticus 23:33-36
Eternal Dwelling Places
31 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 Before Him will be gathered all the nations, and He will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 And He will place the sheep on His right, but the goats on the left.
34 Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.35 For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, 36 I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? 38 And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? 39 And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 40 And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.42 For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ 44 Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ 46 And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.
