Hey, this is Pastor John Ryan Cantu from PNEUMA Church in Houston, Texas.

Thank you for listening to the message today.

I hope that it blesses you and all those. that you share it with.

God bless you.

God is good.

How many of you know that?

How many of you believe it that God is that God is good?

Has he been good to you?

Man.

Stay stay up here real quick.

Um I just just I don't I don't know.

I don't even know.

I don't even know what I want to say right now.

I just know that God is trying to get our attention.

God is trying to get your attention, somebody, this morning.

Because let me tell you something.

This church Has the attention of the enemy.

We have the attention of the enemy.

He's watching.

He's watching.

And so whenever we have the attention of the enemy, sometimes God has to shake us up a little bit and say, Hey, I I need to get your attention.

I need you to focus on what I want to do, what I'm doing.

I want to realign some things.

And so I'm asking that we would look to Jesus this morning for what He wants to do, not just today.

This is just this is just a Sunday.

God wants to do something in the future of every single person that is here.

He wants to do something.

In the future of this church that is planted strategically here in this community, where the Holy Spirit has ascended like a cloud of smoke in this community where the people worship God.

In spirit and in truth, and we know that miracles happen, and we know that that healing and transformation has been happening.

He wants to get our attention because he wants to keep doing that.

He wants to keep doing that.

So for the next few moments, I want you to lock in as as they say.

But just focus, okay?

Just just focus.

If you have your Bible, go with me to the book of Acts.

Acts chapter 8.

Acts chapter 8.

Just keep y'all y'all can y'all can be dismissed.

I'm gonna can you just play just for a little bit?

I don't have a plan.

I'll probably dismiss you in a little bit, but Acts chapter 8.

Before I forget, because I will forget, I want to give a birthday shout out to my sister Frances, who uh turned 80 today.

Is she here?

Amen.

Praise the Lord.

Mama Francis, God bless you.

I know it's my brother Joaquim's birthday too.

He don't want anybody to know, but it's his birthday as well.

Praise God for another year of life.

We pray many, many more years.

Sister Francis, I'm praying for another 80 years for you, sister.

Acts chapter 8, 9 through 24.

Are we there?

It says this.

It says, But there was a man named Simon who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.

And they paid attention to him from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the power of God that is called great.

And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.

But When they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized, he continued with Philip.

And seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

Now, when the apostles at Jerusalem Heard that Samaria had received the Word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, for he had not fallen on any of them yet, but they'd only been baptized in the name of Lord Jesus.

Than when they lay their hands on them and receive the Holy Spirit.

Now, when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on the apostles' hands, he offered them money.

Saying, give me this power so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.

But Peter said to him, May your silver perish with you.

Because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money.

You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before the Lord.

Repent, therefore.

Somebody say repent.

Of the wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord that if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven.

For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness.

And in the bond of iniquity.

And Simon answered, Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.

Heavenly Father.

I pray for your people this morning.

Cover us.

Cover us.

Cover me, Holy Spirit.

Cover me.

Because I believe what you want to do today is going to make the enemy very nervous.

And whenever the enemy gets nervous, he gets defensive.

And so I pray that you cover your people, cover your children right now, Lord, as they receive this word, Father God, as I speak this word, Father.

Cover us, protect us, Father, in Jesus' name.

And And I pray that we would receive this word, my God, with humility.

But the eyes, my God, of heaven, Lord.

I pray, my God, that it would bring healing and freedom and repentance and conviction in Jesus' name.

I pray.

Amen.

Amen.

You can you can take your seat.

Amen.

How y'all feeling this morning?

Amen.

I entitled the message this morning Bad Intentions.

Bad intentions.

I want to I want to talk to I want to talk to you about something that is is meant to put you on alert.

And make you aware and discerning.

I want to be transparent with you today and kind of let you in on what's been going on in my spirit as a shepherd of this church.

Believe me man, I I wanted this to be a you know a happy you know Thanksgiving sermon, right?

You can never have anything nice.

Um But this word has been very heavy on my heart, and I feel like I just I can't delay it any further.

I know there's people out of town.

I wish you know I wish everybody was was here at the same time, but um we're gonna preach the word.

Amen.

And my challenge to you, I have a challenge to you before we even get too deep in here, um, is that you would listen with discerning ears.

Discerning ears.

Listen with a discerning ear and a compassionate heart for God's church and a readiness.

Somebody say, ready.

To engage in spiritual warfare.

Those three things that I believe that God wants to have us possess today.

It's discernment, compassion for God's people, and a readiness to fight in spiritual battle.

Now, if you're visiting us for the first time, I I um I want you to know because this is going to kind of be a heavier sermon, but I want you to know that that PNEUMA Church is a good church.

Amen?

We're a church that actively seeks to be moved, led, and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

We're a church that calls believers to be holy because that's what God calls us to be.

Um and and and if you know us, you know that that doesn't mean that we're legalistic or religious.

In fact, we might be not religious enough for some people.

Um, but we just have a deep love.

For the Lord.

I have a deep love.

I can't tell you how much I love Jesus, man.

I love Jesus deeply and profoundly.

And because of that, I desire to see a church that is transformed to the glory of God.

And I know that many of you here stand with me on that.

And so again, if you're visiting, we here at this church, we preach the truth.

Amen.

We teach with conviction.

We disciple with intention.

We worship with passion.

And we steward to the best of our ability with excellence.

And I hope that the church would say amen to that.

If um if you weren't here this this past Wednesday at our members meeting, uh first of all, we really miss you.

Um Thank you to those who were able to make it.

Please, uh, I think Sister Claudia, she's got some summary information that we'll have available outside that'll kind of just tell you what we went over.

But what I what I really love most about these members' meetings is that we're able to talk about the impact that that God has been making on on the ministry and I want to kind of share some of you I want to share uh with with that with I'm I don't even know what I'm trying to say.

I want to share that with some of you real quick.

And this all goes into the sermon, by the way.

But look at the impact, man.

We this year, this is year to date, we had 231 people say yes to Jesus.

Amen.

Golly.

Fifty-four uh public professions of faith.

We had 121 people go through a discipleship program.

So this isn't like you know, sitting with somebody one-on-one over coffee.

This is this is people going through a discipleship program that is seven weeks to six months.

This is 121 people.

And over a thousand people reached uh via uh via uh food distribution, clothing, and evangelism.

So praise God for what he has done and for what he's gonna do.

Amen.

That that should, I mean that should, I don't know, that makes me rejoice.

Just just I I rejoice that the Spirit of God is at work here.

God is moving among his people.

I rejoice in knowing that God has put a passion in so many of you to serve.

And he's leading us into the future.

And this is all worthy of celebration, but this is what I need you to know, and I already alluded to it.

The enemy is at work against this church.

Against this church.

And he's at work against all believers, right?

Um the devil is And the enemy of God, therefore he is the enemy of us as children of God.

But this is what I think.

I really think that when there's a group And we're empowered by the Holy Spirit, there will be very intentional spiritual attacks from the enemy.

And this is where we're at.

I don't want to sugarcoat anything today.

This is this is where we're at.

There's been a spiritual heaviness over my life for the past several months.

Like a like a like a cloud like an ominous cloud. that every single day I wake up and I can't seem to shake.

Now I'm not the the enemy doesn't have my joy.

My joy belongs to the Lord.

And I'm still smiling and I'm still praising and I'm still jamming worship music and I'm still serving God with the best of my ability.

But I I will say I am feeling a little spiritually tired.

I don't know if I'm the only one.

Anybody else just feel a little spiritually tired?

And sometimes that's natural and that's gonna happen, but we have to keep on going.

We can't quit.

We keep going, we keep moving.

Because this just kind of comes with the territory sometimes.

And what's more is God has been speaking to a lot of you.

Like all of like different people, random people in the church.

And God has been speaking to y'all very similar things, very similar words.

It's weird.

Somebody this week told me of a dream that they had of a witch that was so stubborn of being cast out.

They couldn't cast it out.

They had to get some help.

Pastor Maggie, uh, a couple weeks ago, she came, she spoke at our marriage conference, and it was a beautiful marriage conference.

At the very end, she gave me, my wife, a word.

She gave a word to our leadership that said that there is a spirit of witchcraft happening against the leadership.

On Pastor's Day, Luis Ventura, all the way from California.

Beautiful service.

But then he says, I saw a snake wrapping around this church trying to squeeze the life out of it.

Those are just the most recent ones.

Now if you're visiting here today, you're probably telling yourself, we gotta go.

What are we doing here?

I'm telling you, I just want to be honest with you this morning.

I ain't gonna sugarcoat anything.

This is what's happening.

But but but let me say this as well.

And and if you're a member of this house, you you know this to be true.

All of these ominous words that have been given over this house have been preceded by words of blessing.

Because God is doing something in this community God is doing something at this church.

We are making noise against hell.

We're seeing salvation and deliverance and healing.

People are forgiving people that you would have never thought they would have been forgiving them years ago.

We're seeing transformation.

We're seeing prodigals return.

We're seeing the next generation step up.

Pe We're seeing growth like we've not seen it in a very long time.

This church has been promised expansion and growth and generational blessing.

I I love it when people come in here, and every single time they tell me there is something good in here.

I don't know what it is, but there is something powerful.

I can feel it.

There's some people who have no idea that it's the Holy Spirit, but I do.

It's evident that God is at work in this place, and so I have to believe That we have the attention of the enemy.

Blessing doesn't come without burden sometimes.

It doesn't come without oppression.

And it doesn't come without a fight.

And that's where we're at.

I'll tell you, man, even coming to the sermon, I I had to pray.

I always pray, right?

Over the word that I'm gonna preach.

But this one was more like God protect me as I give this sermon.

Protect me.

Because I know the devil sees my notes.

Got his name written all over.

Protect me.

This morning I'll tell you that last night I was feeling anxious.

I went to bed.

I was feeling anxious.

Felt like my heart was racing.

I didn't tell my wife because I didn't want to freak her out.

And I knew that if I said it out loud, I was going to make it myself worse.

On the way to church this morning, I was I was sweating.

I was like, man, what's up?

What's what's happening?

I genuinely believe that there is a spirit of oppression because the enemy is angry.

He wants to cancel everything that God started in this ministry, but I declare today that he won't.

He he wants to tear down in a day what what what what God built through generations, but he won't The devil wants to steal, he wants to kill, he wants to destroy, he wants to take our joy, he wants to go after our children, he wants to stir division and cause confusion and resentment, but he won't Why?

Because greater is the God that we serve who is in this church than that lying devil that is in the world.

And I need the people of God to rally around that truth that God is good, and that He's been good to us, and there are blessings in store for the generations that come.

I'm not I'm not I'm not even talking about I'm not talking about wealth I'm not talking about new buildings and and and new LED walls that we've been try trying to get but you know I I believe in Jesus' name those are coming too but But what I'm talking about is there is fruit here.

There is fruit here that has gone back generations and it's going to continue.

And I believe, you know, I believe that in the kingdom of God as believers, we are called to break generational curses.

Well, the enemy wants to begin generational curses He wants to break generational blessings, but where the Spirit of God is, there is freedom.

And where the people of God are, and we stand in unity, we can come against the schemes of the enemy.

I'm I'm fired up today.

My my my my my uh words are going faster than my thoughts.

Let me slow down a sec Church, we we have the victory.

God has the victory.

Right?

The victory's already been won.

The song says it.

We know who wins this fight.

It's already been written into the story.

Hate it when Christians are like, well, I don't know if God's gonna do it.

He already did it.

Walk in that confidence.

But this is this is what I need to pass on to you as believers as we go through this life as we battle evil, we have to do our part as well.

You hear me?

We have a fight in this.

We have to take up our cross and walk.

Jesus, he's not gonna carry you.

We gotta raise up, take up our cross and walk.

We gotta take up our word.

We gotta know this word.

We gotta stop being strayed and lied to by YouTube prophets.

We we we need to know what God is saying.

We have to lift up our brothers and our sisters when they're weak and when they're down.

We have to lock arms in unity.

And we're not fighting against each other.

We're fighting against the devil.

And we have to fight the fight that is before us.

Listen, because what the devil can't kill, he will divide.

What the devil cannot kill, he will divide.

He will confuse so that we forget the goal.

He will disarm so that we have no effectiveness in ministry.

He will dishearten.

So that we no longer have the urgency or the passion or the will to do the work that God has called us to do We have to be intentional against the bad intentions.

We have to be Peter's against the Simons.

The Bible doesn't tell us a lot about Simon the Sorcerer, but um ancient literature does In fact, the uh early church fathers wrote a lot about Simon.

He was really a big deal in his time.

He was said to have amassed a large following in Rome with his magic.

He's said to be the founder of many heresies that would later confuse the church.

He's said to have led many Christians astray during his life.

He said to even have claim to being God and having divine powers.

But at some point, the Bible says that he apparently converts.

Verse 13 says, even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized, he continued with Philip, and seeing signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed.

I got your attention?

How many of you know that you can believe and be baptized and still have the wrong heart?

You you can come into the house of God and be amazed at the wonders of God.

You can be amazed at what God is doing.

You can be you you can attest to the miracles that God is doing in other people's lives, and you can still have the wrong intentions.

And all these years later Many scholars doubt that Simon actually had a genuine heart.

Every Sunday, you know, when when we lead you into the prayer of salvation, I'm I'm make sure to say That this has to be done with a genuine and a sincere heart.

She'll know.

Don't don't don't take listen don't take salvation lightly.

Don't take salvation lightly.

Just because it's free doesn't mean it's cheap.

And we so cheaply just raise our hand sometimes saying, yeah, that sounds good.

I'll give my heart to Jesus.

My girl just gave her heart to Jesus last week, so it makes sense.

That's not how it works.

That's not a genuine heart.

That's not sincerity.

You don't say yes to Jesus thinking that his life that your life is going to be made easier as you walk with Christ.

That's not it.

Salvation is something that you surrender to.

Jesus is to be Lord over your life.

And so if you have any other intentions or any other reservations, Listen, you can fool the people in the church for a while, but you will never fool God.

See, Simon convinced the apostles that his salvation was genuine.

It says it even Simon believed and was baptized.

The Bible says that he even continued with Philip.

He was allowed into Philip's circle.

Philip brought him in close.

Maybe to disciple him, to nurture him, to have him see what God could do.

To empower him with the Holy Spirit.

He continued with Philip.

See, the enemy isn't afraid to be where the action is.

If the church is growing, if if if if people are believing and they're getting saved, if miracles are happening, if deliverance is happening at the altars, if people are lifting their hands in worship.

That's where the enemy wants to be.

He wants to be where the church is.

Because if he comes to steal, kill, and destroy, he can't steal what doesn't belong to him.

He can't kill what's already dead.

And he can't destroy what isn't standing.

But the church belongs to Jesus.

So he wants to steal the sheep from the good shepherd.

The church, we are alive in Christ.

How many of us are alive in Jesus Christ?

And so the enemy wants to come to kill those who are alive in Christ.

We stand firm on the rock that is Jesus.

And so the enemy wants to come and tear that down to destroy it.

The enemy wants to be where the action is.

It's that spirit of the Antichrist that the Bible says is already at work.

And and he's he's not out there just hanging out in the world.

He's in the church.

That's that's that's that's where his mission field is.

If you're gonna be a missionary, you don't you don't go to the most populated place where there's Christians.

You go to the place that needs Jesus.

And so when we think about the spirit of the Antichrist, when we think about the devil, his mission field is in the church.

We don't know how long Simon continued with Philip.

The Bible doesn't really tell us how close he became with some of the apostles.

I can't even say that that his conversion wasn't genuine.

Maybe it was at first, but there was still something in Simon that needed to die that didn't die.

There was something that Simon brought with him into his faith: spirit of greed, spirit of selfishness, and probably a spirit of witchcraft All of these are antichrist.

And I think there's too many people, not not think, I know there's too many people who bring in pieces of their former life.

As they start this new one with Jesus.

Think about your life for a second.

Think about it.

Think about when you said yes to Jesus.

What did you bring with you into this new birth?

It wasn't meant to transfer.

Wasn't meant to cross over.

It was meant to die.

When you repent of your sin, you leave it behind you.

That's all you're that that that's that's not just the stuff that you do, it's the stuff that you struggle with.

It's a commitment to every day kill the flesh Simon wasn't willing to do that.

He brought pieces of that former self into his new life.

And when we do that, it's like a cancer that takes over.

That if we don't deal with it immediately in the presence of God, it's going to start to kill us.

It's gonna start to contaminate us.

Simon, the Bible says that he was a magician.

That was his thing.

He was used to to amazing people.

The amazing Simon.

I don't know if that's what they called him But he's he's used to being the center of attention.

He's used to being called a God.

The text says it several times that people would pay attention to Simon.

He had a platform that he profited from.

And so one day he sees the amazing power of the Holy Spirit.

And he wants to use it for himself.

He's even willing to pay some money to buy this power for his own glory.

And when Peter sees what Simon intends to do, he calls him out and he tells him to repent.

So earlier I said that I want to challenge the church to discern, to have compassion for God's church, and to be ready to fight.

Peter shows us all three of those things in his confrontation with Simon.

So verse 23 says, For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.

Okay, can we talk about discernment real quick?

Still with me, right?

There's a fine line between discernment and skepticism.

You hear me?

Very fine line Some of you some of you think you have discernment.

What you really have is skepticism.

Discernment is done with wise caution.

With care, using scripture as the authority, being moved by the power of the Holy Spirit with the flesh aside.

Skepticism is done with a natural doubt.

Or distrust or dislike.

And it's way more flesh-led than spirit-led.

You're skeptical about people that you don't like.

You're skeptical about people that you don't trust.

Discernment and skepticism, they they they look alike sometimes.

I I I'll be honest, I have the tendency of being skeptical.

Especially if I don't know you.

If I don't know you and you give me a word, I don't know nothing about you, I don't know your fruit, I don't know your character, my flesh wants to be skeptical.

Also, whenever you're telling me a story of an experience that you had that's being told to me just to serve a point that you're trying to make, I'm skeptical.

I have to actively tell myself to discern.

Because yes, I don't want to believe everything in everyone, but I also don't want to dismiss the Holy Spirit.

And so when it comes to things of the spirit, church, listen, when it comes to the things of the spirit, we have to be discerning.

This is where the enemy loves to play.

He loves to play in between discernment and skepticism.

This is where he causes confusion.

Is this is this the spirit of God or is this a feeling that I'm having?

Is this God saying this or is this me saying this?

Is this a word from God or is this a word from man?

Does this need to be cast out or does it just need to be corrected?

Is this faith or is this foolish?

The devil loves it.

He loves to bring confusion to God's people.

And believe me, he will do this.

He will work so hard in so many areas of your life to bring confusion.

Your personal life, your work life, your church, your ministry, your marriage.

Why?

Because if he can confuse you enough, that means you're not making any progress.

There were two words that I got from two different people recently outside the church.

They said Pastor, there's a spiritual attack of confusion happening against your church.

When I heard that, my blood boiled.

I was enraged because my first thought was, confusion is not from God.

That's from the devil.

The devil's out here playing games.

He's trying to delay progress because I know that boy sees what's going on in church in this church.

I know he sees the healing.

I know he sees the salvation.

I know he sees the prodigals coming back to Jesus.

I know he sees my family, my cousins returning to the feet of Jesus.

I know he sees it.

He's trying to delay the progress.

And so if we can if we can be so confused as to what's going on, we're not focused on the main thing.

Man, I hate the devil.

Man, I hate that oh I hate that devil.

He's a liar.

And he's after the sheep.

He's after the people of God.

We need the people of God to discern.

We need the people of God.

The people of God.

Look to the person next to you.

Tell them, you.

This ain't just for the pastor.

Pastors, leaders, we can't do all the work.

This is for the church.

See, Peter tells Simon, he says, listen, he says, I see your heart is not right.

He says, I see that you are in the gall of bitterness.

I see that you are in the bond of iniquity.

God spoke this to me as I studied.

He said, in order for the people of God to discern, they need to be close enough to see.

We've got to be so in tune with the word.

We gotta be so in tune with the with the spirit.

We gotta be in step with the spirit.

We gotta be so locked in With our brothers and our sisters to see what the devil is trying to do.

You can't discern from a distance, you can't discern from a feeling, you can't discern because you don't like her.

You can only discern when you're close enough to see.

Fighting against the the evil spirits, it began with discernment.

Number two, Peter showed compassion for God's people.

This one was a little bit more indirect.

But whenever we're dealing with spirits that only have bad intentions and they're trying to attack God's people, we have a duty to respond.

We have a duty to respond because our compassion for God's people.

So Peter tells Simon, he says, you have no part in this, Simon.

You can't continue with us if you're here just for self-serving reasons.

You can't participate in ministry when your heart is not in the right place.

Come on, somebody.

You can't you can't preach the word when you're in sin.

You can't teach what you're not living.

When you do ministry for the wrong reason, somebody ends up getting hurt.

And you know what?

God is so good that he might use you anyway.

But just because God can use you doesn't mean the church should.

I'm gonna say that again because you need a clap for that one.

Just because God can use you does not give me a right to use to use you.

Because I don't I don't have the mind of Christ, I don't have the sovereignty of God.

God doesn't need to be careful when He's using you.

I do.

I have a I have a friend who was uh at their church.

They were doing uh discipleship groups at his church.

He he he uh he goes to a pretty big church, mega church And there was a he said there was this lady who was leading a discipleship group, and the people loved it, the women loved it.

And she was teaching the word, and people were learning, people were being discipled.

At some point this girl starts to teach something that isn't in scripture.

She she she's she starts to talk um to these believers about how she believes that the earth is flat.

So she's indoctrinating them with flat earth conspiracy.

Now, if you believe that the earth is flat, you're not in sin.

It's silly though, right?

But I I I don't I don't wanna I don't wanna strike a nerve because I know it's becoming more and more popular.

Um So so so he says this girl starts teaching um on this flat earth doctrine.

And that's that's not what we're doing here.

If she wants to talk about that, that's fine.

But we're we're discipling people With the scripture.

This is not the time.

And and so she said, um, or this this person said that when they tried to to put a stop to this group and confront this person, This person said there was a lot of pushback because they liked the group.

They said we're we're learning We're we're getting fed, we're learning the Bible.

What's the big deal?

So you get some Christian flat earthers out of this.

This is where the enemy causes confusion.

Listen, he shows you a little bit of fruit, but he doesn't show you what's rotting.

Man.

We have to have enough compassion for the church to not be okay with a few people showing fruit when the majority are rotting.

This is what the devil is so good at.

And I'm speaking from a leadership perspective.

I'm speaking from a pastoral perspective.

When I'm trying to discern, and when I'm trying to say, okay, this is right, this is not right.

There's always somebody on either side that says, Hey, but but but look at look at the little bit of fruit.

But they don't talk about what's rotting.

The enemy is so good.

He's so good at what he does.

He brings a little bit of fruit.

Because maybe that'll be enough for you to keep keep fanning the flame of the devil.

Because if he shows you a little bit of fruit, you're like, eh, this is obviously from God.

He doesn't show you what's rotting.

It might have been that Simon had a small ministry at one point where a few people received the gospel and they accepted Jesus.

It might be that a few people could point to the few uh good things that he did.

But the early church fathers say that this man was responsible for so much confusion in the church.

So we have a responsibility to protect our fellow brothers and our sisters.

We have a responsibility to be on the lookout.

And I said this last week.

We have to know how to deal with the sinner apart from the sin.

We we cast out the sin, but we tell the sinner to repent.

Because even that's compassion.

Peter didn't just have compassion for for the church.

He had compassion for Simon to tell him to repent.

Repent, Simon, so that God doesn't do what I know He probably wants to do.

Repent.

When you're dealing with an evil spirit that is at it at its core, ill-intended, we have to have discernment, we have to have compassion for God's people, and finally.

I'm I'm almost done.

We have to be ready to fight.

I had two warriors ready to go.

We have to be ready to engage in spiritual warfare, guys.

Like we we gotta we don't battle against flesh and blood.

I know it looks like it sometimes.

I know it feels that way sometimes because that person gets under your skin.

I know it feels like you're fighting your spouse.

But there is a spirit.

There is a spirit trying to wedge itself.

The Bible says that we don't battle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers and the authorities and the powers.

Of this darkness in present age and against spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.

That is what we fight against, church.

And can I tell you that sometimes a fight is gonna be ugly?

Sometimes people are gonna get hurt in the process.

That's the reality, man That's the reality.

People get hurt in the process of spiritual warfare.

Sometimes people will get uncomfortable when deliverance is happening here at the altar.

Sometimes people will get offended.

But church, we we don't fight people, we fight spirits.

We had a conversation this week, uh Pastor Pastor Danny and I.

How do we handle you know like the crazy stuff that you see in some in some churches?

When there is a manifestation.

We everybody in here believe in demons, right?

I gotta see your hands.

Let me see.

Okay.

Everybody here believes in demons.

Okay Why are we afraid when we see a manifestation in the place that we're doing spiritual warfare?

We have to be ready to fight.

And and I'm not saying like let's be excited about it.

I feel like there's some ministries that are like they're excited about uh uh demonic deliverance, like I bring all the demons in here.

No, I but But we have to that that that comes with it.

Because if we're going to uh if we're gonna lead people to Jesus and if we're gonna keep set the captives free That that comes with the territory, and so we have to be ready to engage in the fight.

And it might look ugly and it might make you uncomfortable.

And if you gotta take your children out, I totally get it.

But I'm tired.

I am sick of the enemy attacking God's people.

We have to fight back.

And if you're here today, listen.

Can we stand real quick?

I wan I want to get your attention to the pa the last three minutes.

If you're here today and you are carrying a spirit please please hear me if you're carrying a spirit of witchcraft if you're carrying an antagonistic spirit against god's people If you're carrying a spirit that seeks to cause confusion, if you're carrying a spirit of perversion, if you are preying on the children of God, the men and women of God meet To rise up in this house and fight against every scheme of that lying devil because the devil isn't welcome at PNEUMA.

And so here's my call, here's my call this morning.

Here's my call this morning.

I need the church to stand in unity today, to fight against whatever has come against God, God's people in this church.

That's what I'm asking us to do.

To stand in unity.

As if we are about to do some frontline battle.

It's very hard to cast out a spirit that is discreet and that doesn't want to manifest.

It's very hard.

You know, the disciples didn't know that Satan had entered Judas.

They had no idea.

For all they knew, Judas was one of them.

And so right now we're going to pray, but I want to cover us in prayer first.

I want to cover our children in prayer.

I want to cover every leader and every pastor.

I want to cover every member of this house.

Holy Spirit, fall upon your people, my God, as you have given us the power to cast out what is evil, as you have given us the power.

And the authority to look at Satan in his face and say, I rebuke you.

You are not welcome in my home.

You are not welcome in my children.

You are not welcome in my marriage.

You are not welcome in my finances.

And you are not welcome in In my church, holies Spirit, cover your children in Jesus' mighty name so that we will not cower against a lying devil.

Come on and together we are gonna make the enemy nervous.

So So this is what I need right now.

I want every if you're a prayer warrior, if you stand in that confidence as a child of God, I want you to make your way up to these altars.

Come on, come on, come on.

Don't wait, don't wait.

If you know it, if you know that you are a prayer warrior, you are a man, a woman of God.

Knows how to pray, knows how to cast out devils.

I need you up here.

And we're gonna stand in unity this morning as we pray.

Over every spirit of the enemy, every spirit that has evil intent, every spirit that is trying to cause confusion, every spirit that is that is that is prideful, every spirit that is angry.

Every spirit that is trying to harm, every spirit that is trying to cause sickness.

Come on, I need you to pray.

I need you to lift up your voices, people of God.

Come on, come on, come on.

Come on, lift up your voice.

Lift up your voice.

Lift Thanks for listening.

If you'd like some more information on PNEUMA Church, visit us on our website at mypneumachurch. org.

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Thanks again and God bless.