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.
Each and every one of the Jewish Feasts remembered a past event and foreshadowed a coming event. The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is no different. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the coming fulfillment of the feast in his message, God With Us.
Matthew 1:21–23 Revelation 21:3 Isaiah 7:14 Isaiah 7:4 Isaiah 7:10–12 Isaiah 7:13–14 Matthew 24:45–51 Matthew 5:9 2 Corinthians 5:4 2 Corinthians 5:5 2 Corinthians 5:10 Revelation 21:4
God With Us
The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)
39 On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. 40 And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43 that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.
Leviticus 23:39-43
Immanuel (God With Us)
The Promise of God With Us
14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:14
23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call His name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).
Matthew 1:23
The Coming Fulfillment of God With Us
3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, is the one day of the year that the Jewish High Priest would go behind the curtain into the Holy of Holies and sprinkle the blood of animals on the Mercy Seat. This was done every year so that the sins of the people of Israel would be rolled over another year. Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he sheds light on the importance of Jesus as our High Priest in his message, Yom Kippur.
Leviticus 23:26–32 Leviticus 16:2 Exodus 26:33 Hebrews 9:6–7 Matthew 3:13–17 John 1:1,14 Romans 8:3 Philippians 2:7–8 Hebrews 2:14–17 Leviticus 16:11–14 Hebrews 5:7–10 Hebrews 9:11–14 Isaiah 53:3–6 1 Peter 2:24–25 John 20:16–17
Yom Kippur
The Day of Atonement
1The Lord spoke to Moses after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died, 2 and the Lord said to Moses, “Tell Aaron your brother not to come at any time into the Holy Place inside the veil, before the mercy seat that is on the ark, so that he may not die. For I will appear in the cloud over the mercy seat. 3 But in this way Aaron shall come into the Holy Place: with a bull from the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. 4 He shall put on the holy linen coat and shall have the linen undergarment on his body, and he shall tie the linen sash around his waist, and wear the linen turban; these are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water and then put them on. 5 And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.”
Leviticus 16:1-5
Jesus as Our High Priest
14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. 16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. 17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.
Rosh Hashana is also known as the Feast of Trumpets. Scripture tells us that the Law was a shadow of good things to come. That then begs the question, What does Rosh Hashana foreshadow, and what does it mean for us today? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to our connection to Rosh Hashana in his eye-opening message, Rosh Hashana.
23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall present a food offering to the Lord.”
Leviticus 23:23-25
1 On the first day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work. It is a day for you to blow the trumpets, 2 and you shall offer a burnt offering, for a pleasing aroma to the Lord: one bull from the herd, one ram, seven male lambs a year old without blemish; 3 also their grain offering of fine flour mixed with oil, three tenths of an ephah for the bull, two tenths for the ram, 4 and one tenth for each of the seven lambs; 5 with one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you; 6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon, and its grain offering, and the regular burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offering, according to the rule for them, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the Lord.
All of us have a mountain in front of us that we’ll have to climb to get to our promised land or our next blessing. The Israelites had to face the Nephilim (giants), Abraham had to face the sacrifice of his beloved son, Jesus had to face the cross, and one day all Christians who are still alive on earth during the time of the Beast and the Man of Lawlessness will have to face The Great Tribulation. Mountains or battles are inevitable, but with God, we can climb them, overcome them, and get to the other side where our blessing awaits us. But why? Why do we have battles in our lives, and how do we overcome them? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he opens our eyes to the spiritual battles before us in his encouraging message, Ziklag.
1Now when David and his men came to Ziklag on the third day, the Amalekites had made a raid against the Negeb and against Ziklag. They had overcome Ziklag and burned it with fire 2 and taken captive the women and all who were in it, both small and great. They killed no one, but carried them off and went their way. 3 And when David and his men came to the city, they found it burned with fire, and their wives and sons and daughters taken captive. 4 Then David and the people who were with him raised their voices and wept until they had no more strength to weep. 5 David’s two wives also had been taken captive, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail the widow of Nabal of Carmel. 6 And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God.
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.
In John 4:35–38, Jesus said to look, the fields are white unto harvest, but what does that mean? Who are the laborers? Are the fields being white a good thing? How do we reap the white harvest? What is the white harvest we are supposed to reap? Does it matter if we reap this white harvest or not? How important is the white harvest? Join Reverend Kenny Yates as he explains Jesus’ analogy in his message, Look, The Fields Are White Unto Harvest.
John 4:35–38 Matthew 9:37–38 Matthew 9:36 Jeremiah 29:11–14a Matthew 9:35 Matthew 7:21 1 Corinthians 3:8–9 1 Peter 2:9
Look, The Fields Are White Unto Harvest
Where Do We Find This Verse?
35 Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest. 36 Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together. 37 For here the saying holds true, ‘One sows and another reaps.’ 38 I sent you to reap that for which you did not labor. Others have labored, and you have entered into their labor.”
John 4:35–38
What is the White Harvest, and Who are the Laborers?
The harvest is the souls of the world, and the laborers are the Church. This is the call of John 4:35-38. We are to be the laborers in His field so that souls might be harvested. Paul uses this same analogy when explaining that it doesn’t matter who planted the seed or who watered the seed; it only matters that the seed is nourished so that it might grow and be harvested.
8He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 9 For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building.
1 Corinthians 3:8–9
Why is This White Harvest Important?
We are all called to do the will of God the Father. In fact, Jesus said that it was so important, that unless you do the will of the Father, then you have no salvation, even if you believe.
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.’
Matthew 7:21-23
What is the Will of the Father?
There’s a reason that Jesus said to look because the fields are white unto harvest. He didn’t just bring our attention to the fields being white unto harvest; no, He was bringing our attention to the desire of the Father. The fields are white unto harvest; you don’t even have to sow the field or even work it, because He (Jesus) did that. He paid the price, and in doing so, He did all the heavy labor. All we have to do is harvest the field of souls by telling them of the good news of Christ Jesus. Why? Because God doesn’t want any of His creation to be destroyed, but He wants them all to have eternal life. This is why He has called us all to be laborers in His field.
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
2 Peter 3:8-10
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
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. 18 Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.
John 3:16-18
So, once more, I will repeat. Look, the fields are white unto harvest. The souls are ready to hear the good news of Christ Jesus. We don’t have much longer on this earth to win souls for Christ. We don’t have much longer to harvest the white fields before us. It’s time to be the laborers that Christ has called us to be. It’s time to win souls for Christ.
