Jesus told the men and women of His day and age many parables. Each parable riddled with warnings for the present as well as the future. One of the most well-known parables Jesus told was the parable of The Ten Virgins. Jesus tells us that only 5 of the ten virgins made it into the Wedding Feast. What does this mean? Will only half of the entire world be saved? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to a mystery behind a well-known parable in his sobering message, The End Time Church Pt. 2: The Ten Virgins.
Matthew 25:1-13 Matthew 24:45-51 Matthew 25:1 Hebrews 7:22 2 Corinthians 11:2 Matthew 22:13-14 Matthew 7:22-23 Matthew 25:3 Psalm 133 Mark 9:40 1 Timothy 4:1 2 Thessalonians 2:1-7 1 Thessalonians 5:3 Matthew 25:10-12 Luke 21:24
The End Time Church
The Ten Virgins Parable
1 Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3 For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. 6 But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ 7 Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ 9 But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ 10 And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ 12 But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 13 Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.
Matthew 25:1-13
21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
Jesus told John to write seven letters to the seven churches in Asia. To the last church, John was to warn them against their lukewarmness. This church matches the church of today in more ways than one. So, if we are the seventh church, the church of Laodicea, what does that mean for us? What should Christians in the last days church do? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of how we spend our time during these last days in his sobering message, The End Time Church Pt. 1: The Church of Laodicea.
Revelation 3:14-22 Revelation 3:8b Revelation 3:10 Matthew 15:8 Revelation 1:9a Revelation 3:16-17 Matthew 9:9 Luke 5:8 Luke 19:7-10 Luke 8:2 Luke 9:54 John 4 Matthew 26:40 Galatians 1:18-22 1 Corinthians 15:10 John 14:26 Matthew 24:11 Romans 12:2 1 Peter 1:14 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 John 3:3
The End Time Church
The Church of Laodicea
14 And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation. 15 I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot! 16 So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth. 17 For you say, I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire, so that you may be rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself and the shame of your nakedness may not be seen, and salve to anoint your eyes, so that you may see. 19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’
There’s currently a war going on in the Middle East. Israel is under attack from both sides. It’s even being dubbed Israel’s 9/11, but if Israel is God’s chosen land, why doesn’t He defend it? Is it something that has been prophesied about long ago, or is this just darkness trying to take over? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth in his powerful message, The Battle For Jerusalem.
Exodus 23:31-33 Nehemiah 4:8-9 Psalms 121:4 Daniel 11:14-15 Matthew 24:1-2 Matthew 24:15 Zechariah 1:15 (NLT) Matthew 24:9-22 Psalms 122:6-9
The Battle For Jerusalem
A wasp seated himself upon the head of a Snake and, striking him unceasingly with his stings, wounded him to death. The Snake, being in great torment and not knowing how to rid himself of his enemy, saw a wagon heavily laden with wood, and went and purposely placed his head under the wheels, saying, “At least my enemy and I shall perish together.”
A Fable of Aesop
8 And they all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and to cause confusion in it. 9 And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.
Nehemiah 4:8-9
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
Psalms 121:4
9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. 10 And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. 11 Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. 12 And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. 13 But he who endures to the end shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, 18 and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. 19 And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! 20 Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. 22 And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
Jesus promises us a rest that has yet to come, even though Jesus came to declare the acceptable year of the LORD. So, then, when is the year of Jubilee for us Christians? When is our day of rest? When do we receive all of these promises? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shows us a Biblical mystery in his message, The Year of the Triple Blessing.
Leviticus 25:13-22 Luke 4:16-21 Hebrews 3:7- 11, 15-4:11 Zechariah 13:6 (KJV) Revelation 20:1-6 Leviticus 25:21 Luke 16:9 Matthew 6:19-21
The Year of the Triple Blessing
The Year of Jubilee
13 In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property. 14 And if you make a sale to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. 15 You shall pay your neighbor according to the number of years after the jubilee, and he shall sell to you according to the number of years for crops. 16 If the years are many, you shall increase the price, and if the years are few, you shall reduce the price, for it is the number of the crops that he is selling to you. 17 You shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God, for I am the Lord your God. 18 Therefore you shall do my statutes and keep my rules and perform them, and then you will dwell in the land securely. 19 The land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and dwell in it securely. 20 And if you say, ‘What shall we eat in the seventh year, if we may not sow or gather in our crop?’ 21 I will command my blessing on you in the sixth year, so that it will produce a crop sufficient for three years. 22 When you sow in the eighth year, you will be eating some of the old crop; you shall eat the old until the ninth year, when its crop arrives.
Today’s Church preaches against lying, stealing, adultery, idolatry, etc. but rarely do we hear messages about the dangers of unforgiveness. We know that God tells us that we have to forgive others, but if we refuse to forgive certain people, is that really so bad? Isn’t it just hurting ourselves on this earth if we don’t forgive others? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the importance of forgiveness in his message, Unforgiveness Pt. 1: The Merciless Servant.
Matthew 18:21-35
Unforgiveness
The Merciless Servant
21 Then Peter came up and said to Him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” 22 Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy-seven times. 23 “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants. 24 When he began to settle, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. 25 And since he could not pay, his master ordered him to be sold, with his wife and children and all that he had, and payment to be made. 26 So the servant fell on his knees, imploring him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.’ 27 And out of pity for him, the master of that servant released him and forgave him the debt. 28 But when that same servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii, and seizing him, he began to choke him, saying, ‘Pay what you owe.’ 29 So his fellow servant fell down and pleaded with him, ‘Have patience with me, and I will pay you.’ 30 He refused and went and put him in prison until he should pay the debt. 31 When his fellow servants saw what had taken place, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their master all that had taken place. 32 Then his master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. 33 And should not you have had mercy on your fellow servant, as I had mercy on you?’ 34 And in anger his master delivered him to the jailers, until he should pay all his debt. 35 So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.”
2,000 years ago, Jesus promised His disciples and all believers that He would one day return for His followers. Each generation of the Church thinks that it will be in their time period, but it has yet to happen. Does that mean that Jesus won’t return in our lifetime? The better question is, if He were to come in your lifetime, would you be ready? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he shows us the dangers of falling asleep at a time like this in his message, Stay Awake.
Mark 13:32-37 (KJV) Philippians 4:8-9 Matthew 24:45-51 Revelation 21:8
Stay Awake
36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. 45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 24:36-51
32 But of that day or that hour knoweth no one, not even the angels in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. 33 Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is. 34 It is as when a man, sojourning in another country, having left his house, and given authority to his servants, to each one his work, commanded also the porter to watch. 35 Watch therefore: for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, whether at even, or at midnight, or at cockcrowing, or in the morning; 36 lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. 37 And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.
Over two decades ago, the United States experienced a terrorist attack that shook the nation and the people, changing America forever. Every year we take time to remember the 9/11 terrorist attack as Patriot Day. America’s foundation was strong enough that it didn’t completely crumble after the horrendous attack on that tragic day. Though America is no longer under a physical attack, she is under a spiritual one. The soul of each nation rests in the hands of the people. If the people are righteous, the nation will be righteous. If America is spiritually under attack, then her people are spiritually under attack. Jesus said that He would build His Church on the rock, and nothing would be able to prevail against it. Who is that rock that Jesus built His Church on? And how do we build our lives on the rock? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the constant attacks of the enemy on our souls in his powerful message, The Firm Foundation.
Ephesians 6:10-12 2 Corinthians 12:10 Matthew 16:18 Acts 10:26 Matthew 7:24–27 Matthew 16:13–17 1 Corinthians 3:10–15 Proverbs 18:10 Psalms 55:22
The Firm Foundation
Build Your Life on the Rock
13 Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. 18 And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of [hades] shall not prevail against it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
Matthew 16:13-19
Who is the Rock?
Jesus is the rock.
24 Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.
Matthew 7:24-27
Jesus is the rock that we, His Church, must build our lives on because He is the rock that cannot be moved.
4 As you come to Him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame.” 7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” 8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Jesus is the living rock, the cornerstone, that is the firm foundation of the Church to build our lives on, but the stumbling block of all who refuse to believe.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Global Burden of Disease study estimate that almost 800,000 people die from suicide every year. That’s one person every 40 seconds. This statistic alone should make every person’s eyes open to the real pandemic overtaking our nation, suicide. Suicide has been downplayed more and more in our culture by calling it a beautiful tragedy or saying that the person is finally at peace. We even go as far as to rename suicide and defend that that person is now given the chance to die with dignity. Our culture is shifting further and further to the acceptance of suicide as a cultural norm, but what does God say? Does God have an opinion on suicide? Does the Bible talk about suicide? Is suicide a sin? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he brings awareness to the heartbreaking subject in his somber message, Suicide, A Real Pandemic.
Deuteronomy 30:19 Acts 3:13–15 Judges 9:52–54 Judges 16:29–30 1 Samuel 31:3-6 2 Samuel 17:23 1 Kings 16:18-19 Matthew 27:3-5 Job 1:6 Job 2:9–10 Job 3:1–12 John 10:10 (NKJV) Romans 6:16 1 Corinthians 6:19–20 1 Corinthians 6:20b
Suicide, A Real Pandemic
Suicide Statistics
The reason suicide is a real pandemic, is because suicide is increasing in our society today, especially in our younger generation.
Data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics shows that suicide rates in youth aged 10-24 have increased by 57% between 2007 and 2018. This is a rise from 7 in every 100,000 people to 11. The U.S suicide rate within all age groups was 14 people in every 100,000 in 2018. More than a quarter of young adults reported seriously considering suicide in the last 30 days.
Suicide is a real pandemic, according to the CDC. As if these stats weren’t enough, the CDC stated:
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the US. Suicide rates increased in nearly every state from 1999 through 2016. Mental health conditions are often seen as the cause of suicide, but suicide is rarely caused by any single factor. In fact, many people who die by suicide are not known to have a diagnosed mental health condition at the time of death.
3 The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. 4 Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. 5 And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. 6 Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together.
1 Samuel 31:3-6
23 When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he saddled his donkey and went off home to his own city. He set his house in order and hanged himself, and he died and was buried in the tomb of his father.
2 Samuel 17:23
3 Then when Judas, His betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, 4 saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” 5 And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself.
We, here at HoldToHope, believe that suicide is a spirit, as we believe every sin has a spirit behind it. 1 John 4:1 tells us,
4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
We believe that it is a Spirit of Suicide that plants the seed that someone is worthless, hopeless, doomed, or disgusting in their head. Therefore, finding relief would begin in the mind. It all starts with changing your thoughts. But how do you do that? You have to make a conscious decision to change your thoughts. Then you fill your mind with scripture to tell you the truth that you are not worthless. That you are loved. You are beautiful. You are wanted. You are not disgusting. You are a Child of God. Don’t fall prey to this pandemic of suicide
Verses For Suicide Prevention
Don’t be another statistic in this growing pandemic of suicide. Allow Jesus, the Word of God, to fill you and heal you inside and out. May the LORD mend your broken heart and heal your wounds as you read these verses. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Verses For Depression
18 The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.
Psalms 34:18
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation 6 and my God.
Psalms 42:5-6a
8 By day the Lord commands His steadfast love, and at night His song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God.
Psalms 42:8-11
Verses For Anxiety
11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
5 Let your reasonableness [gentleness, your trust in God] be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand [the LORD is with you]; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:5-7
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God [bow down and worship God, spend time with Him] so that at the proper time He may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you.
1 Peter 5:6-7
25 Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?
28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
Verses For Self-Hate
1 But now thus says the Lord, He who created you, O [insert name], He who formed you, O [insert name]: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
Isaiah 43:1-3a
16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him.
John 3:16-17
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.
Romans 5:8
Verses For Hopelessness
37 For nothing will be impossible with God.
Luke 1:36
27 But He said, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”
Luke 18:27
12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through Him [Christ Jesus] who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:12-13
Verses For Feeling Alone (Loneliness)
20 We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. 22 May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in You.
Psalms 33:20-22
13 I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.
Philippians 4:13
4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
Jesus is famous for saying that the Truth will set you free (John 8:32). So, here’s the Truth. Suicide is a real pandemic. Suicide is a sin that leads to eternal death. Suicide is a lying spirit. Anyone can overcome the Spirit of Suicide through the redeeming blood of Jesus. No weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17), if you put your faith in Christ and build a relationship with Him, through His Holy Spirit.
If you’d like peace, say this prayer with all of your heart and believe it with everything in you, regardless of what you see with your eyes or feel within you at this moment.
Dear Jesus,
Please forgive me for any sins that I have committed knowingly and unknowingly. Please redeem me by Your blood that was shed on the cross for my freedom. I accept Your forgiveness, and I declare You as LORD and Savior of my life. Thank You for Your forgiveness. By Your stripes, I have been healed. The chastisement that brought me peace, was upon You. Thank You for Your healing. Thank You for Your peace that passes all understanding that You have given to me, LORD Jesus. Please help me to remember every day that You, LORD Jesus, love me and have a plan for me. Help me to remember that I am not worthless nor was I created by accident. I am divinely designed by You, the creator of all things. Please fill me with Your presence so that You never seem far away.
The enemy doesn’t come as an evil man dressed in all black; the enemy comes as our deepest desires. Temptation seduces us with empty words and promises until we give in temptation and are lulled asleep by the enemy as Delilah did to Samson so many years ago. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the signs of the enemy trying to lull us into a spiritual death in his message Sleeping with the Enemy Pt. 2: Samson.
The enemy lulls us to sleep so that we don’t even realize that we’ve spiritually died and the LORD has left us. Don’t succumb to your Delilah as Samson did. Don’t allow the temptation of the enemy to overcome you so that you are lulled asleep.
1 Samson went to Gaza, and there he saw a prostitute, and he went in to her. 2 The Gazites were told, “Samson has come here.” And they surrounded the place and set an ambush for him all night at the gate of the city. They kept quiet all night, saying, “Let us wait till the light of the morning; then we will kill him.” 3 But Samson lay till midnight, and at midnight he arose and took hold of the doors of the gate of the city and the two posts, and pulled them up, bar and all, and put them on his shoulders and carried them to the top of the hill that is in front of Hebron.
4 After this he loved a woman in the Valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up to her and said to her, “Seduce him, and see where his great strength lies, and by what means we may overpower him, that we may bind him to humble him. And we will each give you 1,100 pieces of silver.” 6 So Delilah said to Samson, “Please tell me where your great strength lies, and how you might be bound, that one could subdue you.”
18 When Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called the lords of the Philistines, saying, “Come up again, for he has told me all his heart.” Then the lords of the Philistines came up to her and brought the money in their hands. 19 She made him sleep on her knees. And she called a man and had him shave off the seven locks of his head. Then she began to torment him, and his strength left him. 20 And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the LORD had left him.21 And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison. 22 But the hair of his head began to grow again after it had been shaved.
We live in a society that is ever-evolving and changing. The lies of the world are so deceiving that they even lead the elect astray. They convince you that the sins aren’t so bad. What if they’re right? What if you don’t sin but don’t stop or warn others from sinning because it’s their own life? Is it okay? Do you have to separate yourself from all sin, or is it okay to be friends with the world? Does that make you an enemy of God? Are you playing with sin? Are there dangers to playing with sin? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the Truth in his powerful message, Sleeping with the Enemy Pt. 1: Jehoshaphat.
Sleeping with the enemy is playing with sin. The dangers of playing with sin can cost you everything, including your life.
3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”?
James 4:3-5
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.”
