Witchcraft in the Church - Part 1

Here this morning I want you to turn with me to the book of Galatians and the New Testament. And I've got a message that really was quickened to me last Sunday morning as I did the Lord's Table in our gathering and read from Galatians chapter 3. I was very quickened and when something really lays a hold of me like that I'm compelled to go further. I was just convinced by last Sunday night I must preach on this either this week or next week. I was just convinced that the Lord had something in it for us and you know I've been on this way long enough as a preacher to know that when the Lord quickens something to you, it doesn't come out of your natural mind or your understanding or your intellect that there's an importance in preaching if the Lord stirs something deep within your spirit. That is not the mind. That is not the intellect. It is far deeper than that. So I want to preach to you here this morning maybe on something that may be a bit unusual for some and yet it's a very vital thing. My message here this morning is witchcraft in the church. Reading from Galatians chapter 3 and verse 1. Oh foolish Galatians who hath bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth crucified among you. This only would I learn of you received you the spirit by the works of the law or by the hearing of faith. Are you so foolish having begun in the spirit? Are you now made perfect by the flesh? And then please turn with me as well over to chapter 5 Galatians chapter 5. Reading from verse 16. This I say then walk in the spirit and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh. And these are contrary the one to the other so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if ye be led of the spirit ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, and notice this next one witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like. Of the which I tell you before as I have also told you in time past that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. Let's pray together this morning. Father as I as we come around the word of God this morning I pray that your Holy Spirit would grant that unction that anointing that searches the hearts that deals with each one of us. Father we pray for a brokenness and a contrition before you. My God we not only want to see witchcraft broken and sinners as they convert but Lord God we want to see a breaking of witchcraft in your church. Father I pray that you'd expose this thing of the flesh called witchcraft. This thing that can beguile men within your church. This thing that can deceive men. This thing that can manipulate and control men. That comes out of the soulish realm of man's flesh. That thing that can be very dominating, very intimidating, very powerful that demonic powers take and use. Lord God to take our eyes not the finished work of the cross. Father I pray this morning. Lord God set us free oh God as we meditate on the cross. Set us free as we look with faith to the finished work of the cross. In Jesus mighty name. Amen. My message here this morning is witchcraft in the church. That may shock some of you that haven't heard such a thing before. In younger days and past days I heard at least a couple of preachers preach on witchcraft in the church. But you know what it's very rare today to hear of anyone deal with witchcraft in the church. Usually the only ones who deal with it are the extreme charismatics who get all confused in it and actually abuse it and twist it in a non-biblical fashion. But what I'm dealing with here is a biblical sin, a biblical manifestation of the flesh, a biblical issue within the church amongst believers that can cause great damage. I want to deal here with witchcraft in the church. You see we all know the danger of witchcraft in the world and last night being Halloween night we're all aware of this darkness, this date, this hour, this celebration of Halloween. And I see Christians get very annoyed about it, very irate about it. They're very quick to tell sinners but fortune tellers using the Ouija board, crystal balls, tarot cards, tele-freedom, dream interpretation, astrology, horoscopes, numerology, palm reading, yoga, meditation, mantras, hypnotism, new age meditation, casting spells, wiccan witches, white and black magic, occult symbols, talisman, amulets, crystals, new age positive thinking. They're very quick to say all of these things are an abomination before God and I believe we ought to do that. We ought to warn about the danger of spiritism, ascended masters, communicating with angels, spirit friends, orbs, ghosts, visualization, astral travel, clairvoyance, sorcery, voodoo, mediums, automatic writing, seances, channeling, visions and dreams of the Virgin Mary, and induced trances. We ought to expose all of these things as an abomination before God. You and I know very well that in the Old Testament to be a witch carried the condemnation of being stoned. To be a witch or involved with Ouija boards or the occult realm or witchcraft would bring about your death in the house of God. It is a serious thing to mess around with things of darkness of the occult. Do you know why God drew such a clear line on these things? Because all of these things I've mentioned open up an individual to demonic influence where you begin to delve with Ouija boards. I assure you demon powers move in on that individual. We're not playing games. This is very serious and very dangerous but since I'm not dealing with that this morning, I'm not dealing with all the things I just mentioned. They're abominations. They're hated by God. They're very dangerous and yet I'm going to deal here this morning with something far more wicked, far more dangerous and far more deceptive. My message is witchcraft in the church or witchcraft in the midst of the body of Christ. We know it says in the New Testament in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 1. Listen carefully. Beloved, believe not every spirit but try the spirits whether they are of God because many false prophets are gone out into the world. That's a clear command that we're not to believe every spirit. You're not just to accept every preacher, every manifestation, every prophecy, every manifestation that seems miraculous. You're not just to believe it. You know we live in an hour where we're told that we just accept things. You shouldn't be critical. You shouldn't scrutinize. You shouldn't ask questions. Do you know that's against the written word of God? We are commanded believe not every spirit. It's not talking about your physical body. It's not talking about something natural but when you encounter something in the church that is more than natural, it is supernatural, it is spiritual, that's when you must try the spirits. Is this thing of God or is it of the devil or is it just man? Is it dangerous or is it beneficial? Is it destructive or is it edifying? We need to try the spirits. I'm talking about witchcraft in the church. You see if witchcraft in the church was obvious, we wouldn't need to try the spirits. I've met some Christians in my lifetime and they have actually told me, they say I've got the gift of the discerning of spirits. No one ever deceives me. I can see through everybody. I can tell a deceiver when they walk in the door. That is not the discerning of spirits. That is a Christian who's deceived. Do you realize I can be deceived? Someone can fool me. That's why I need the gift of the Holy Spirit, the discerning of spirits. I cannot tell the difference therefore I need to test. If it was so obvious to an individual, you wouldn't need to try the spirits whether it's of God. Notice here in trying the spirits, that means certain demonic spirits can hide themselves or guide themselves or imitate God. They're not God. They're not the Holy Spirit and yet if you don't try them, if you don't test them, if you don't prove them, if you don't begin to ask questions, if you just open yourself, you could open yourself to a spirit you think is the Holy Spirit and yet it is a demon spirit. I'm talking about witchcraft in the church and we read in 1 John 4 and 1, it's because there are many false prophets gone out into the church. You see I hear an utter silence about witchcraft in the church and yet I believe it's more rampant, it is more widespread in the church today than in any other hour. I believe it's widespread and yet no one is warning about witchcraft in the church, in pulpits, in gifted ministries, in local assemblies, in denominations or church associations. We must test the spirit and that's why I feel compelled here this morning as we've just broken bread together in remembrance of Christ's death on the cross. I want to preach to you about the danger of witchcraft in the church. Maybe over the past week you've been warning sinners about witchcraft. Well now we're in the house of God. Now we're the children of God and I want to warn you very seriously, every single one of you, even though you may never operated in this or been exposed to it, I want to warn you of the danger of witchcraft in the church because the Bible does warn us and I've got four points here I want to give you as we look at witchcraft in the church. Point one, the sin of rebellion. In dealing with witchcraft to show you what it looks like in the church, I've got to explain it, define it, I've got to expose it, I've got to show you what witchcraft looks like. You see, witchcraft is not natural, it is spiritual, it is very powerful, it has a dominating influence. You know what witchcraft wants to do? It wants to change things or reveal things. It wants to charm you and it wants to deceive you and I want to show you first of all the sin of rebellion. Listen carefully, 1 Samuel chapter 15 and 22 and the story about King Saul, the first king of Israel. Listen this carefully. Behold to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. This is Samuel the prophet speaking to Saul the king. He's only been king for two years. He was anointed of God, given a position by God, given authority by God, given victory over the enemies of God. When God first found him, he was looking for his father's donkeys wandering about from hell to hell. That was the height of his gifting. That was the height of his ministry. That was the height of his activity and yet when the anointing of God came upon him and God laid his hands upon him and he was separated out as a king, he was raised up and suddenly anointed of God, given a ministry by God, given a position by God, given a title by God and here we have him two years after defeating the enemies of God. Remember he's going out and fighting the enemies of God. He is saying the right things. He is praying the right prayers. He goes into the house of God week by week. He is surrounded by the people of God, but two years after being raised up and anointed of God, we read of the sin of witchcraft and this king of Israel. Do you know where it began? It was the sin of rebellion. You see what the Bible calls rebellion is often what we would call witchcraft. Let me read it to you. 1 Samuel 15 and 23. For rebellion is as a sin of witchcraft and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry because thou has rejected the word of the Lord. He has also rejected thee from being king. Now notice here what Samuel the prophet prophesied from God to the king of Israel. He mentions two specific sins here, rebellion and stubbornness and he actually says that the inward attitude of rebellion is exactly like outward witchcraft, like you're a practicer of witchcraft. Do you know why he connects rebellion to witchcraft? Because witchcraft outwardly comes from rebellion inwardly or let me give you another example here. He says stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. That's a very strange thing. Now notice stubbornness is an attitude of the heart. It is within the heart of man to be stubborn on the inside is the same as being an idolater outwardly. What is an idolater? It is someone who worships an image, a statue, who bows down before a picture and begins to use it for worship. Now all of you ex-Catholics in this meeting this morning, that is an abomination to you. You actually say what bow before a statue, pray to a statue, do honor to an image? No way. That is an abomination to God. God hates it. You converted Catholics that have now come to the real Lord Jesus Christ, you can't even bear the thought that you once went into a little box and confessed your sin to Ben or you honored the host in the mass or that you prayed before a statue. You go this is an abomination. But you know what? That outward idolatry has an inward attitude of the heart. You see very few think stubbornness is an abomination to God. Yet do you realize stubbornness on the inside is like idolatry on the outside? Maybe you've never thought about this before and yet the Lord is very clear here that stubbornness in the heart is exactly like idolatry. You may say I'm not an idolater. I would never use a statue. I threw them out. You know I can remember we all know that story of how Mary here in this meeting lost all her statues the first time Candace went there. She said Keith you should have seen it from from floor to roof just statues everywhere. Well she started come under the conviction of God. She started to inch them inch by inch out of the place. Well her unsaved son Ian helps her by throwing putting them in a bag and throwing them over the wall. Good on you Ian. I can assure you. But do you realize idolatry is only an outward thing? Stubbornness of the heart is an inward attitude. What is stubbornness? Listen to what stubbornness means. It means to be pushy. That's the best definition of the Hebrew word for stubbornness. Stubbornness is like idolatry. What is stubbornness? To be pushy. To press. To urge. To display arrogance. Or to be very hard and callous. In other words you're so hard in your heart that you're overbearing. You know what a pushy person is with their words, their emotions, their actions. Do you know what they're doing? Seven times this word is used in the Old Testament and every single time it's used for emotional pressure to urge someone to do something that you want them to do. You turn on the arguments. You send a little one sentence email. You send a little text. You drop a face. You say it doesn't matter. Do you know what all of that is? That comes out of a hard attitude. A hardened hard attitude. A callous attitude. And you know what it's like? It's like idolatry. You may never have connected idolatry to stubbornness. But stubbornness is you don't care about people. You arrogantly become pushy and you want to move them into a situation of doing your will. You know what you are? You're an idolater in heart. You are committing an abomination before God. Stubbornness is just as abominable before God as idolatry is. But that's not what I want to deal with. I want to deal with witchcraft. Do you see how an inward heart can be identified with something outwardly that we think is an abomination? But let's look at rebellion in the heart. That's what we want to get to. You see you might say witchcraft is sinful. Witchcraft is wrong. I would never operate in witchcraft. I would never cast a spell. But let's go to the heart of the matter. You see Samuel the prophet speaking to King Saul two years after he was anointed of God. Two years when God raised him up and anointed him. And the spirit of God came upon him. Do you know what was found in his heart? Rebellion. Rebellion was in his heart. And the prophet pointed his finger at the nose of that king of Israel. And he says rebellion is the sin of witchcraft. You might say I'd never operate in witchcraft. But what about rebellion of the heart? Do you know rebellion in the heart is very similar to witchcraft. It's power. It's influence. It's ends. What witchcraft is on the outward. Rebellion is in the heart of man. What is rebellion? The word rebellion comes from our Hebrew word for bitterness. You get better over something. You feel a bitterness. You're not happy about things. And you begin to get better. Do you know where that leads you? That leads you to rebellion. Someone who is better with other people. That is the root of rebellion. And you know what? You will affect others. A root of bitterness springs up in one Christian in a church and it begins to affect others. You know why? Bitterness has to be spoken about. If someone is better, they're going to have to share with someone else. They're going to have to tell someone. A better person never keeps it to themselves. It's like a red hot pot poker. They can hardly hold it themselves. It is a very dangerous thing. Now what is rebellion? It's not merely disobedience but rebellion. Witchcraft is like rebellion. In other words, it operates in the very same way. Listen to what Merriam-Webster, that Christian dictionary, how it defines rebellion. Listen. Open opposition towards a person or a group in authority. What's rebellion? You react. Open opposition to authority. God-given authority. Whether it's the word of God. If you find someone in the church and they don't respect the authority of this book, they're not submitted to it. They're a rebel. If you find someone who doesn't respect godly authority in a local church, they're a rebel. If you find someone who doesn't even want to be a part of a church and says, I don't need that, they're a rebel. There's some bitterness in their heart. They hate authority. That's what rebellion is. You react against authority. I won't submit. That could be in a wife towards her husband or it could be in a member of a church. He's not going to tell me what to do. I played with someone just the other night. I was broken, pleading with them, really beseeching them. They had written emails to me about other people, accusations, false accusations. I said, we need to speak. As I spoke to them, they dropped their head and ended up in tears and had no response. I said, come on, brother. Put this right. Don't have these things in your heart. I wasn't out of that conversation more than one hour. They sent me an email saying, I don't like anyone telling me how I should respond to other people. I don't like anyone telling me anything. I was trying to help them. Here they are. They're accusing these folks, sending messages to me. I respond to it and they say, why are you sticking your nose into my business? Hold on. You wrote to me. I'm talking about rebellion in the church. They don't want to hear the word of God. They don't want to hear a preacher tell them what the word of God says. They don't want to hear a brother saying, I care about you. I care about you. Be careful of those attitudes. Do you realize that's rebellion? It's a manifestation of an anti-God nature. Do you know what? Rebellion in the heart is like witchcraft. There is witchcraft in the church and you'll find it in the heart of a King Saul. You could find it in the heart of a preacher. You could find it in the heart of a lovely young girl in the church. We've had this church now for seven years. Do you know what? Let me tell you about the person who manifested witchcraft in this church and our meetings more than any other individual. I won't name them. I don't want you to know who they are, but I can't help but tell you some of the information. You may ask me, was it the drug seller? No. Was it the IRA man who come in? No. Was it the drug lord? No. Was it the prostitute? No. Was it the child abuser? No. I could go through many sins. You say, was it the false prophet? No. Do you know who it was? It was a little girl who hardly opened her mouth. Who was as meek as a lamb. Who got embarrassed if you spoke to her. I believe she operated in witchcraft more than any other person that's walked in our door in seven years. It would shock you to know about the sin of witchcraft. Do you know what it is embodied in? Rebellion in the heart against godly authority. Rebellion in the heart against scripture. I'm talking about something very dangerous. I'm talking about witchcraft in the church is a very dangerous thing. What is witchcraft? It is the practice or the art of discovering hidden knowledge and foretelling future events by visions, strange rituals, observations, or other occult supernatural means. It is this information is usually given in return for money. I'm defining what witchcraft actually is. It is an art, a spiritual art, and it's hidden within the church. I know something. I've got knowledge. I'm hearing from God. A very dangerous thing. When you see it run rampant in the church across a nation or a denomination, do you know what? Money is always involved. Real witchcraft is always attached to money. You see, these predictions are often filled with flattery, lies, deception, or even threats, and are frequently claimed to be the gifts directly from God. Saints test the spirits. Is it God or is it the devil? Witchcraft can operate in the church, and you've got to discern it. Samuel the prophet could point the finger at Saul and say, rebellion in your heart is as the sin of witchcraft. For you to get down and begin casting spells and be involved in occultic things is exactly the same as rebellion in the heart. Do you realize there's something about rebellion in the heart that listens to no one? It shuts your eyes. It shuts your ears. It shuts your heart to authority. I mean the authority of scripture. Rebellion, bitterness in the heart, will close you down from your brothers and sisters speaking into your life. You know what? It is so strong. It's like witchcraft. It's like a power. It's got a spiritual influence within it. How is it that Saul was a victim of witchcraft? You see, he disobeyed God's word. That's what it says there. We're given a definition. Because thou has rejected the word of the Lord, so the Lord rejects you. Do you realize King Saul was rejecting the authority of God's word? You know the story here, where Samuel came and went, what are you doing? You've offered a sacrifice? And what's this bleeding of lambs I hear in my ears? You are going to kill all the Amalekites. Do you know what Saul starts doing? He begins to blame Samuel. You should have come earlier. It's your fault Samuel. It's your fault prophet. Well if you would have come earlier, I would not have committed this sin. If you would have been here, I wouldn't have done this. It's your fault Samuel. He also blames the people. Well the people were going to leave. So I just had to do this. So he blames all the people. But it's not him. It's not him. Then he blames the enemy. Samuel, don't you realize the enemy was coming? And I had to do something. I had to do this. The enemy is coming. So it's the enemy's fault. It's the prophet's fault. It's the people's fault. I believe he was even blaming God. Look at the situation God put me in. Hey, I'm not responsible. God put me in this situation. Here's the enemy coming. The prophet isn't here. The people are leaving. God, you put me in this situation. What else could I do? Do you know what the prophet says? This is rebellion in your heart. And it's like the sin of witchcraft. There is a power in it. It is very dark. It is an abomination to God. You know what he said? I have not made supplication yet. I forced myself to do it. I offered the burnt offering. I really didn't want to do it. I really didn't want to do it. Do you know what? He didn't kill all the enemies of God either. He kept the best sheep. He kept all that was good. He did not utterly destroy them. He destroyed all the bad and said, well, this is good. I can bring it. I can keep it for the people of God. God says destroy it all. He says, oh, but it's good. I think it's good. You know what? You're rejecting the authority of God. Now you're deciding what's good, what's wrong, what decision to make, what is right. You now become the authority. You know what? You're a rebel. You're an absolute rebel. Since there are rebels in the church of God, which are practicing witches. You might as well call them witches. They are rebels against the word of God. You know what Saul done? He was using spiritual power. Don't be in any doubts. God is rejecting him now. For the next 38 years, he's going to remain in power as king of Israel. He was using spiritual power, but in the wrong way. He was using the position God gave him. Now he is abusing it. All the knowledge that God gave him, he's using his influence to control others. Listen carefully. He is manipulating others. He becomes intimidating to others. He begins to dominate others. He begins to falsely accuse others. He begins to control the destiny and the life of others. He thinks he has the right to make decision about other people's life, and yet he's a rebel against God's authority. He is anointed of God, given authority by God, given a position by God, and yet he rejects God's word and becomes a rebel. Do you know what he was? He was a witch. He was a witch. You wouldn't call him a witch. I wouldn't call him a witch. The church wouldn't call him a witch, but the Bible and a real prophet of God says the rebellion in your heart is the sin of witchcraft. You know what? You take the power of God, the position of God, the anointing of God, and now you're going to use it as a thing of the flesh. It's your fleshly nature of rebellion. You see, you're not submitted to authority, but you want others to submit to your authority. You're not listening to God, but you want others to listen to what you say. That's what rebellion is. And you know what? I want to tell you, it's witchcraft. It's witchcraft. Do you realize that rebellion in the heart will lead you directly to witchcraft? That's why it is as the sin of witchcraft. Most people who get into rebellion, they begin to use a spiritual power to influence others. They use spiritual words to influence others, either to harm them or to bless them. And yet it's not the power of God. It's not the spirit of God. Much later, many years later, near the end of Saul's life, in 1 Samuel chapter 28, we read about King Saul. Now listen, at a time where he had made a law in the land and he had cut off every individual that used familiar spirits and wizards out of the land. He had them killed. He had them removed. But you know what? In chapter 28, we find Saul disguising himself. And because God won't speak to him, God won't bring a prophecy to him. There's no word from God. He's saying, God, I want you to speak to me. Do you know Samuel, a prophet, left him all those years before? 38 years, no prophet of God. 38 years, no man of God to speak to him. What a tragedy. What are we dealing with? Witchcraft. God does not operate or speak to a person operating in witchcraft. You want to use witchcraft? You want to use rebellion? You want to use possession? I assure you, God will reject you and not speak to you until you repent. Do you know what King Saul done? He disguised himself and he went to the witch of Endor. He went to her, a woman that used familiar spirits, demonic spirits. This King of Israel that began with rebellion in his heart, a day came when he was finally led to go knocking on the door of a witch and say, call up a spirit that I might know what to do. He sought direction from witchcraft. He went knocking on the door of witchcraft. Don't tell me that rebellion isn't dangerous. Don't tell me rebellion isn't a spiritual power. Rebellion uses all the things of God within the church and yet it's a rebel against God. There's a spiritual influence that can damage the church. That's the first thing. The second thing, the sin of spiritual mixture, the sin of spiritual mixture. I'm going to have to watch my time here and cut across the field, but the sin of spiritual mixture. Listen, Joshua chapter 13 and verse 22. And we read there, Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, that's the word, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among them that were slain by them. This is a time where Israel under Joshua, Moses is now dead and Joshua leads the armies into Israel and amidst killing all of the enemies to oppose God's people going into the land, there was a man called Balaam and it says here he was a soothsayer and they killed him with the sword. They slew him. They killed him. Now that seems very straightforward. He was a witch. He was a witch. He was operating in witchcraft. So they killed him with the sword. The sword of the spirit will destroy witchcraft. But that isn't the whole story. Remember my point, the sin of spiritual mixture amongst God's people. If we just said he was a soothsayer, they killed, there's no problem. But I've preached on this before and you know it. I've given you before 15 marks of Balaam. Do you know the Bible calls him a prophet? Listen to these 15 things very quickly. Number one, God really visited Balaam. He had real encounters with the real God. It wasn't false. Number two, God spoke to him and he spoke to God. Number three, God spoke through him. All of his prophecies, I mean 100 percent were from God. They were all from God. Number four, he had a 100 percent success rate in his prophecies. Number five, he had knowledge of God's character and ways that the heathen did not have. Number six, God restrained him from doing some things that were sinful. Number seven, he obeyed the commands from God. Number eight, he waited upon God for direction, for guidance. He was praying for guidance. Number nine, he proclaimed remarkable blessings upon God's people Israel. And he could not and he would not curse them. Number 10, he was called a true gifted prophet. Number 11, the spirit of God came upon him and he began to minister. Number 12, he experienced supernatural manifestations. Number 13, he witnessed a unique miracle that no one else experienced from in the Bible. He's the only one and it was a miracle from God. Number 14, an angel came and revealed itself from to him from the presence of God. And number 15, when rebuked by an angel, he fell upon his face and he asked forgiveness of God. Now I'm talking to you about a man operating in witchcraft. The Bible says he was a soothsayer and God's people slew him with the sword. And yet look at him. I once asked a good friend of mine, a very discerning man, a man who listened great preaching, and I said, brother, I want to tell you about a prophet. And I listed these 15 points. I said, would you go with me to hear this prophet preach? And he said, oh yes, brother. He said, oh yes, he sounds like a mighty man of God. Who is he? I said, he's Balaam, the false prophet. And as his mouth hit the ground, he couldn't believe it. 15 marks of this Balaam the prophet. And yet he was a witch in the house of God. He was a witch in the house of God. So much right, but so much wrong. He's such a dangerous man that in the Old Testament, Moses, Joshua, Micah, and Nehemiah all warn about him. Or over into the New Testament, Balaam in the Old Testament become a spiritual movement within the early church of the first century to such a degree that Peter, Jude, and John rise up and speak about the Balaamites coming into the church. They had become a movement. It was no longer a man in the Old Testament. It was not a spiritual movement that had come into the early church. And Peter, John, and Jude rise up and begin to preach against it and warn against it and warn the church. Do you know what this Balaamite movement looked like? It had angelic visitations. It had miracles. It operated in prophecy, dreams, authority. It operated in the gifted ministry of the prophet. And yet, you know what they warned about? They warned about the doctrine of Balaam. It is a false doctrine. It's a doctrine of compromise, and it's a confused mixture of the real and the false. They warned about the heir of Balaam going in the wrong direction, the council of Balaam. How? Balaam gives you the wrong advice. They talked about the way of Balaam, the greed of Balaam, the compromise of Balaam. What was so wrong? If all this was right about Balaam, what was it that made him guilty of the sin of witchcraft? Where did he go wrong in all of this? Let me tell you. In the story in Numbers, what it actually says is that Balak, the king that wanted to destroy Israel, moved him from hill to hill. And listen to what Balaam said. He asked King Balaam, now if I'm to curse the people of God, he loved the number seven like some charismatics do. You know all these charismatic prophets in America. For New Year, they always have a prophecy. This is God's message for the New Year. And they take the Hebrew and the Greek, and they take the number of that year, and they tell you what God's going to do. That is witchcraft. Do you realize it? That is witchcraft. That has nothing to do with biblical teaching or sound doctrine. They love the number seven. Well, Balaam loved the number seven. He said, Balak, listen to me. It's seven altars, seven oxen, and seven rams. It's got to be seven. Make sure it's seven. God won't operate. There won't be any prophecy. There's got to be seven, and it's got to be on the hills. And it says in Numbers 24 and 1 that he used enchantments. That means incantation or the repetition of words. You've got to speak a blessing. You've got to use the right words. I've got the ability spiritually to do this. Well, in Joshua 13, 22, it says he was a soothsayer. He used magic arts. He was a man who fell into trances. But you know what? He was a witch. In under, behind all of that, he was a witch. Do you realize that he was a man for money? For money, he would use his gifting. For money, he would use spiritual power. For money, he would sell the highest bidder. Do you realize a lot of the preachers of this hour, they're witches in the pulpit? You can pay them. They'll change the message. They'll compromise the message. Remember his doctrine was, I can't curse God's people. And then I'm going to lose out on all this money. He changed his message. And he said, you young Israeli men, nothing wrong with you going out with a worldly Midianite girl. Nothing wrong with that. You can be like the world, go where the world goes. You can speak like the world, listen to the world's music, and it'll all be fine. Do you know what you're dealing with? You're dealing with a witch that's calling himself a prophet. Third of all, I hope you're understanding what I'm dealing with here. I'm talking about something in the house of God, witchcraft in the house of God. Third of all, unconverted converts. You say, brother Keith, what are you talking about? Unconverted converts. How can you be a convert and yet unconverted? I'm talking about a type of convert who really isn't converted, but they're accepted in this hour on this generation. Let me take you to Acts chapter eight and verse nine. It says there concerning Samaria and verse nine, but there was a certain man called Simon, which before time in the same city used sorcery and he bewitched the people of Samaria. Notice this is time, this small community of families, of people, of society. This man called Simon used sorcery and he bewitched the people or he deceived the people. He was operating in a spiritual power. He's a pagan. He's an unseen man. He's a man who is using sorcery and he affects the entire city of Samaria. Listen, giving out but himself was some great one. When you get anyone saying, do you realize I've got these guests? I'm tired of it. Some of these cranks, as soon as they tell me, do you know I've got the gift of discerning spirits? I know they don't. I know they don't. You know, as soon as they tell me, do you know I've got the gift of healing? I know they don't. I'm telling you a hundred percent of the time, it's been that humble Christian that says, let's look to the grace of God and laid hands on me. And I was instantly healed, instantly healed. They were humble. They never told me about their power. They said, let's look to a great Christ. And I got healed and I was healed. But those who give out, do you know I'm a great one? Be sure they're not. Be sure they're not. Now listen to this man. He's an unseen man to whom they all gave heed from the least to the greatest. This man is the great power of God. And to him, they had regard because that of a long time, he had bewitched them with sorceries. Here is a man using sorcery and he bewitches an entire city, an entire community, every single family. He's using sorcery, witchcraft, words. He is evoking a spiritual power. He is predicting the future or he is blessing, cursing. He is able to influence their lives. He is able to tell them what to do. And it says to him, they gave regard because that for a long time, he bewitched them with his sorceries, an entire community dominated by witchcraft. But listen, we know the story how Philip the Evangelist came down to that city, how he came down doing miracles, healing the sick, preaching Jesus Christ, preaching the kingdom of God, and that the entire community of Samaria experienced a revival. I mean, thousands are getting born again. Instantly, he begins to preach. He's a man alone and he begins to preach in the high street. Hundreds, thousands are getting born again. The sick are getting healed. Demon possessed are getting set free. The entire spell of witchcraft and of sorcery is broken in that entire community by the ministry of Philip the Evangelist. What a dynamic ministry. But listen in verse 13, it says, then Simon himself believed also. He didn't want to miss out on this movement, I can assure you. He believed also and he was baptized. Who baptized him? Philip baptized him. And he continued with Philip. Do you know what that means, continued? It means that every time you saw Philip the Evangelist, Simon was always there, every meeting. Philip, where are you going? Well, I'm going down to Tommy's house for a meeting. I'm coming with you. Do you want me to carry your notes? Do you want me to carry your bag? Hey, I'll take you for lunch afterwards. And he was on the front row of every single meeting in Samaria. You see, he believed being baptized and now he is there in the church following Philip around and watching with wonder. I mean, he's awestruck. He is awestruck. And he is watching Philip doing miracles and signs and wonders, which he'd never seen the like of before. Well, do you know who comes down next? Peter and John come down to lay hands on the people that they might receive the baptism and the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit wasn't fallen upon them as yet. And as Peter and John lay hands upon them, the Spirit of God falls upon them individually. I mean, Simon, the converted sorcerer, now he's in the church. He's a member of the church and he's watching them lay hands upon them. And as hands are laid on each head, the Spirit of God, he could see them receive the Holy Spirit. That means there's outward evidence when someone receives the baptism and the Holy Spirit. And you know what he done? He went over to Peter. Listen to what happens. It says in verse 19, Peter, give me also this power that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this manner, for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. Repent therefore of this thy wickedness and pray to God that prevention, the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. For I perceive the thought in the goal of bitterness. Notice that word bitterness. What's bitterness? It's rebellion. It's rebellion. Simon was still in rebellion and in the bond of iniquity. You know what he's saying? Simon, you were never truly converted. You were never truly born again. Yes, you believed when you saw the miracles, but no repentance. Your heart is the same. Your attitude is the same. Simon the saucer just came into the church. He still wants power. He still thinks it can be bought with money. He still thinks he can manipulate God with money. And what does Peter say? Repent, repent. Do you know in this 21st century, I believe the church is filled with many unconverted converts. You know, one of the miracles of this church here in Limerick, I look at Hannah's life and we all know Hannah's testimony, how before coming to Christ and hearing the gospel, she spent years in occultism. She carried around a glass skull. If you know anything about Hannah and you plan to meet her, you better put a GPS in her hand to make sure she gets there. She's not good with their directions. And so in the occult realm, she had that glass skull and it acted as a GPS. It would show her where to go. It would guide her. There was power in that. She was involved in that Reiki healing, where people would literally get healed. And yet it wasn't the power of God. Guidance from a spiritual power, healing from a spiritual power, knowledge from a spiritual power. But you know what? When she got bored again, all of that is gone. I assure you, you better put a GPS in her hand because that glass skull isn't leading her to where she's meant to be. But you know what? There was a day when she came to the city and looking for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit led her to someone preaching on that high street and led her to an old fashioned church where she was going to hear about the Christ that she so much loved. One of the great miracles of Hannah's life is all of that power stopped the minute she got saved. Since then, she's prayed for the gift of the Holy Spirit, all of those nine gifts, but she's never tried to pretend. She's never tried to manifest those things. And you know what? I do believe God will grant them unto her, but she didn't imitate. She didn't bring that in from the world, all those powers and gifts and use them in the house of God. No, sir. She realized the gift of God could not be bought with money. That repentance was the foundation of all of this, that she would rather have Christ without power than to have power with witchcraft operating. Do you realize what a miracle that is? I believe in the whole charismatic laodicean age we live in. There are many with bitterness and rebellion in their heart against authority and they're operating in gifts. You remember when Paul went to Philippi in Acts chapter 16 and verse 16, and he went there to preach the gospel, a small town of Philippi on the outskirts of Europe. And it says, and it came to pass as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed. In other words, she was controlled with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. Now look at this little lady. She's a soothsayer making money out of these gifts. And the spirit of divination possessed her. She was utterly under the control of it. Listen to what happens here when she met Paul. The same followed Paul and us and cried saying, these men are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation. Do you realize in the small community of Philippi, and this went on for days, every time Paul and the young preachers went out on the street, here comes this little lady. And you know what, with utter respect, she said, these are the servants of the most high God. Listen to what happened after that. And this she did many days, but Paul being grieved. You see, you may ask, why didn't Paul deal with it immediately? Why didn't he cast the spirit out the first day? Why didn't they know what spirit was operating? Or what about Philip at Samaria? Why didn't he know that Simon was not a true convert? Why didn't they know that? If he's a great man of God, why not? You know why saints? Because we know nothing of our own self. Do you realize I have no discernment of my own self. I'm not pretending. I'm not walking around with the gifts in my pocket. I am a weak vessel. So was Philip the evangelist. So was Paul the apostle. They never acted out of presumption or assumption. They never did this. They were committed to being led by the spirit of God. Listen, but Paul being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Christ, come out of her. And he came out the same hour and she lost all of her powers to tell the future. This is what witchcraft is. I believe there's many people in the church. They can tell the future. They can prophesy over you. They know things about you. They have dreams. They have visions. They have words of prophecy and they're nothing but witches. Nothing but witches. The source is not the Holy Spirit of God. You know what? When Paul knew it was right to deal with it, I'm grieved in my spirit, not in my mind, not even in my emotions, not in my soul. I am grieved. I believe this was a deep grief, deep down in his spirit. And there was a gift of the Holy Spirit operated. And he said, no, I know what this is. This isn't just a woman. This isn't just a woman saying something. There is a spirit behind this. And you know what? I fourth and finally, let me finish here. A sin of the flesh in the church, a sin of the flesh in the church. I'm talking about witchcraft in the church. It's a rebellion. It's a rebellion in the heart. But look with me in Galatians chapter three and chapter five, again, witchcraft is a sin of the flesh in the church. You may say, so witchcraft is always a spiritual power. It's always supernatural. No, no, it's not. Listen in Galatians chapter five. What it says, no, the works of the flesh are manifest. In other words, there are outward works of the inward flesh of man, that the flesh, the old nature, the Adamic nature, the fallen nature, the depraved nature of man, that nature, when it manifests or shows itself forth in an individual's life, there are outward works. And he begins to list them. Adultery, that's the flesh manifesting, fornication, idolatry, but he also says witchcraft. In other words, when the flesh manifests itself, witchcraft comes out in that life. If ever you see an individual, whether it be a Saul or a Balaam or a Simon, and you see witchcraft begin to operate, do you know what you're looking at? It comes out of the flesh. Do you realize the flesh is very dominant, very powerful. There's something almost supernatural about the flesh. The flesh can seem like it's got supernatural power. And what is witchcraft? You want to influence people. You want to control situations. You want to have knowledge. You want to know the future. You want to gain power or credence with people by what you know, and you use it. The flesh uses it for its own end. Do you realize how deadly and dangerous the flesh is? Do you know how many times you've been facing witchcraft and you never realized it? You're dealing with the flesh and it's trying to manipulate you. It's trying to influence you. It's trying to control your life. Now, in the light of that, turn with me to Galatians chapter 3 and verse 1. And we mentioned it last week, and I just had to bring you this message in the light of what we said last week about witchcraft in the church. Galatians chapter 3 verse 1. And listen, who were the Galatians? They were a whole group of churches in the province of Galatia. These were churches Paul raised up through preaching, doing miracles, healing the sick. God raised up many churches, not just in one time, but many times in the province of Galatia. And Paul is now writing to them maybe five years after they got born again and raised up these churches and thousands came to Christ. Listen to what he says. I mean, these were real churches, real believers. Oh foolish Galatians. Do you know what foolish means? Unintelligent, not using your mind, no logic. As soon as you find Christians who don't use their intelligence, you know, we're meant to sanctify our minds. We're meant to have our minds renewed. We're meant to use our brain. If you go into any meetings and they say, don't think, don't look, just close your eyes. Just open yourself. You'll open yourself to witchcraft. It's very dangerous not to use your mind. You know what? I'm to engage my mind. It's a spiritual act. I am to use my mind. I am to use my intelligence. The intelligence is not fleshly. We are to have it renewed and we're to use it. And they say there, oh foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? Paul is talking to these churches saying, who have bewitched you? Do you know what had happened to these Christians? They had started to turn against Paul. Paul says to them, he says, hold on. I can remember the day you would have pulled out your eye and given them to me. You love me so much that if I didn't have an eye, you would have pulled out your own and give it to me. That's how much you love me. And he says, what happened that now I tell you the truth and you become my enemy? You hate me when I tell you the truth that you used to love me. What actually happened? Do you know this happens all across the body of Christ? Paul was an apostle commissioned by Christ. He raised up the churches. He blessed them. He preached truth. He lived right. He never made money out of them. He was a man of God. He was holy. He never manipulated. He operated in the spirit of God. But do you know what now he's writing? Oh, foolish Galatians, who had bewitched you? Who had bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? Do you know something had happened to them? What is this witchcraft that had come to them? Notice the word witchcraft. The Galatians weren't operating in witchcraft. They were victims of witchcraft. These were churches, Christians, who had actually someone else had operated in witchcraft against them. And it wasn't pagan sorcerers. And it wasn't wiccan witches. Do you know who was operating in this witchcraft? Were preachers who came to the Galatia to try and turn them against Paul. They were victims of witchcraft. What does witchcraft mean? Listen very carefully before we close this meeting. To operate in witchcraft is you begin to malign. You begin to slander. You begin to speak against someone. Do you realize when someone comes knocking on your door and speaks against a genuine believer or a genuine church or a genuine preacher and begins to slander them or speak against them, it could be witchcraft. It could be witchcraft. Why did I say that? Because the soul realm, that fleshlock, remember, it's a manifestation of flesh. Witchcraft is a manifestation of the flesh. And those preachers who came to the churches at Galatia, they came with an agenda. They begin to slander Paul, to speak against Paul, to blacken Paul. You know why? They wanted to go up in estimation. They want him rejected and they want to be received. They blacken him and they begin to exalt themselves. This is witchcraft. Do you realize they're using the power of words, the power of influence? Their flesh is rising and they're trying to control you, trying to lead you, trying to promote their own agenda. But not only that, witchcraft is to mislead by pretense or deception. It's to fascinate people by using magic arts to charm them or to praise them, to bless them. Hey brother. Hey sister. I just so love you. Can I pray for you? I think God's got a call on your life. I think God's really going to use you. You know, God told me something about you. They'll charm you. Since I'm telling you what the word bewitch means and if all these churches, I don't know how many churches there were, men walked right in and bewitched those churches and began to influence them. Oh, they never turned against Christ. They didn't throw their Bibles out. But these men come adding. Do you know what they said to them? They said, do you know you bunch? You aren't doing it all right. We've got more truth for you. Do you know there's blessings and curses? Do you know you've got to go back to Deuteronomy and you've got to start breaking generational curses? Do you realize, you know those who teach the breaking of curses in the church, they're all through it. There's only one place in the entire Bible, sorry, in the entire New Testament mentioned by any apostle in the New Testament that talks about curses and blessings and it's Galatians chapter three and it's in the context of being bewitched. If you read a bit later in Galatians chapter three and listen to this, Paul says in verse 10, for as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse. It's the only place where an apostle teaches about the curse of the law and of the curses of the Old Testament coming upon believers. For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse for it is written, curse it is everyone that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law. But that no man is justified in the sight of God is evident. The just shall live by faith. You know what these preachers are telling them? Oh yes, you're to be born again. Yes, washed in the blood. Yes, we believe in the cross. Yes, we believe in the apostles of Jesus. Yes, we believe that Jesus was the Messiah and died for our sins. But you know what? You've got to keep the Old Testament. You've got to keep the laws. If you break any of them, there's curses on your life and we've got a ministry for you. Do you realize this is all through the church in our day? New ministries coming into the church. You know what Paul says? You've been bewitched. You've moved away from obedience to God. You don't even live right anymore and you're running after these false teachers and you're turned against me. You're not gracious. You're not loving. You're not holy. You're actually living in sin and yet you're saying we need to keep all these things. We need to break curses. We need to enter healing. We need deliverance. We need special ministry. We need prophecies. We need to be slain in the spirit. All of this had come into the church. You know what Paul's answer was? He said this could never have happened to you if you'd kept your eyes on Jesus Christ. Look what it says in chapter three before whose eyes Jesus Christ has been evidently set forth crucified among you. Every time we break bread we're remembering Jesus was crucified. It is a finished work. You've been set free from the power of hell. Every curse has been broken over your life. You're set free. You don't need special ministry. The blood of Jesus Christ. The name of Jesus Christ. I'm born again by the grace of God. It's not by my holiness. It's not by my works but it's by the grace of God. Saints I'm telling you that these churches had an influence a spiritual movement come in amongst them and they started to blacken Paul in the gospel. Grace isn't sufficient. You need to do this. You know we need to go back to our Jewish roots and we need to wear a skull cap and if you're going to pray right and God's going to hear you you need a special Jewish prayer shawl and you've got to use the name Yeshua. Do you know what that is? Someone is playing with you and using witchcraft. They're coming in and saying what about your inner hearts? That was dealt with at Calvary. No no no no. You need special ministry. Was your mommy a witch and your father a drunkard? You need that broken over your life and they'll they'll hover their hand over you. I had it done to me and they're cutting these things. They wish their hand up and down your back and they say I want you to renounce this sin with your words. This is bail of my doctrine witchcraft. It's all got to do with words and actions and movements and and strategies and spiritual warfare and not one apostle in the New Testament used that. Do you know every teaching strategy that we have blowing through the church today and they say you need to do this and you need to say this and this is how you pray and you can't find it here? You know what Jesus said? He said when you pray say father in heaven hallowed be your name. Start there. Start there. They're praying to the Holy Spirit. Show me a verse for that. Show me a verse for praying. Holy Spirit show me a verse. There's not one. So why are they all praying to the Holy Spirit? Not once in the New Testament does anyone pray to the Holy Spirit. Do you realize we've created words, actions, spells, incantations just like Balaam. We're going to influence. We're revealing the future. We've got knowledge. All of this since I'm talking about witchcraft in the future or sorry in the church witchcraft in the church and you know so many in the church they're operating out of the flesh. They've got rebellion in the heart and I want to tell you if you've operated in this you need to repent today. You need to repent today. You need washed in the blood. You need to say forgive me God that I use the power of my soul. I use fleshly words. I use the things of God to manipulate and control. Do you know you husbands could abuse your wife and you're operating a witchcraft. You're dominating. You're controlling. You're threatening. It's witchcraft. You ladies could turn on the tears and emotion and say you don't care about me. That's witchcraft. Your children in your own home could begin manipulating you. It's witchcraft and there you are tolerating your little rebel child. I tell you if I had 10 children not one of them would be a rebel in this home. I can assure you. I can assure you there won't be any rebels in this home. All that manipulation. Do you know what it is? It's the power of the flesh trying to influence you and get you to do what it wants. It's a flesh. That isn't a Christian spirit. That isn't the Holy Spirit. It makes you feel guilty. It begins to use you since I'm telling you about witchcraft in the church, in the home, in the family and it is deadly and you know what where you tolerate fleshly witchcraft manifest in your flesh. You go if I say this it's going to affect them. This will hurt them. This will get them. I'll say that and walk away. That's witchcraft and you know what it always leads to the influence of the devil. The devil always comes in and you remember with King Saul it says when the spirit of God left him a evil spirit from God came on to him and tormented him and I believe many in the church today because they played with rebellion in the heart and manipulating lies. You know what a evil spirit comes to torment them and that's why there's so much worship in the church today. Get young David to come here. Play his heart. It's the only thing that eases my soul. The church today don't want the rebellion dealt with but they want young David the young shepherd boy with anointing. Ease my demons. Here as we finish can we have an altar call here. I think Candice is going to go back to the piano here and just where you are just for a moment as Candice just plays we're going to I'm going to pray here. We're going to ask the Lord to protect this church. He has protected it since. He has protected it from witchcraft from men. One man who came into this church and he was here for three months three months he was in this church and he presented himself as being gifted of God knowledgeable a preacher that he knew God as much as any man in this city and I went on a mission to Africa preaching to prayer leaders in South Africa and the day I got in the plane he began to send me emails. He knew I'm not going to be here for three weeks and you know what the final the straw that broke the camel's back was. He wrote that I've got an email I've got about 20 pages of emails from him on my computer here. 20 not 20 emails 20 pages of emails from him over the next three weeks while I'm trying to minister to people in Africa and in Kenya and you know what the final straw was he said do you realize I had a sit there in that church of yours unless a Christian say three years only three years I'm say 30 years he's only say three years and on a Sunday morning I had a sit there in the church and I had a lesson to him can you imagine and he got so offended he's never been back in this church again never been back I didn't put him out everybody was very nice to him but you know what he got so rebellious do you know what that man wanted with his words and his actions he wanted to preach in and in three months being in this church I never let him preach and you know what he tore when he went he took other people with him took at least five people out of this church over the next couple of months since that's witchcraft that's rebellion but I still say he wasn't the worst it was that little girl who sat there with an embarrassed face she operated in witchcraft in this church we don't tolerate manipulation you've got something to say to me you say it to me you've got something to say to your brother don't you manipulate don't you use emotion don't use hidden words and language you've got something to say me say say brother I need to speak to you praise God I'm listening I'm listening carefully father I do pray for my friends my brothers my sisters I plead the covering of the blood of Jesus Christ over every single one of them this morning my God I pray oh God that you protect us like Samuel of old show us the rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft like Paul has told us that that that witchcraft is a manifestation of the flesh of man that slander that manipulation that trying to influence it is a dark demonic thing and there's no place for it in the house of God father we repent for using our emotions for using our words for something that wasn't the Holy Spirit of God would you forgive us would you protect us as a church and thank you for saving us from many that would abuse us amen just for a few moments here just make your