Sin is usually the bigger deal than the demonic realm. Just to put it in a spot. I don't like to give him and his little minions so much credit. Okay? Because the scripture says that Jesus rendered them powerless, so the only power they have is the power we give them. So if you go into an area like I'm going up Red Lake or whatever, it's no different than going down Minneapolis or Cambridge. It don't feel any different than Cambridge. I know a lot of times if you haven't been there, you're like, it's so evil. No, no, no. I can drive through Cambridge and go, yeah, this is evil. There's something, you know, because there's sin operating there. And so this is what gives permission for the demonic realm to set up. So a lot of times people will go in and the first thing they do is they take authority over things. Well, how do you take authority over things? I just want to think this a little bit. Because we're talking about foundational things for a couple of times in a row. Since I've been preaching, it's more of going back to like, what does the foundation of what we believe look like? So if we're going to address something in the spirit realm, then we have to go back to the foundational thing of how we do that. So a phrase that Christians use is, well, I'll take authority over it. What does that look like? Well, I'll just tell it, it has to go. Well, if you let me look at the word authority, the word author is in the word authority, which means that's not you, that's somebody else. And the authority has been given to us by the author of this will. Right? So we have to acknowledge that all authority comes through him. And we have to be in a spot to receive that authority. We can't just copy something else where we walk into a place and be like, I take authority. Do you have the authority? Did you receive the authority from him? Same way you receive salvation, same way you receive the power to heal. Any of those things receive means to take. Yes, sir, I will take that authority, and then I'll come in here and I'll take with that authority authority over what's going on. And that doesn't always mean a prayer. That means it can mean in your workplace, it can mean just doing something righteous. You're taking authority over something unrighteous. Right? If you know someone stealing or whatever, you're like, I'm going to take authority over that. I bind that in the name of God or whatever. You can, but you might need to go to the office and talk to the boss. You're taking authority. You're being authorized to do it because it's the righteous thing to do. Okay? So I just want to lay that little bit of foundation so we understand that. And when you're dealing with devination, it's like sooth saying it's speaking, saying it's on behalf of God, but it's not. It's predicting future things. It's tarot cards. It's all kinds of different things that we're like we're not into on this spectrum way over here. That's the higher levels of spectrum where you're literally trying to take over something like our government. What were they doing outside of the capital for years already? But they were soothsaying. They were coming up there. There were people dressed like black angels, which was just the demonic realm or whatever. And they were predicting future things over our government. That's more the higher level. You can even go higher in that where we need to sacrifice people or whatever to come to a higher level of sin. So there's more authority in the demonic realm. That's way over here. We operate many times over here and don't know it. We can be divining things. You can divine over yourself by saying, yes, never going to work out. Stop it. Stop talking about your future like, well, that's not divination. That's not, okay, that's on this side of the spectrum. Just because we're not way over here sacrificing something and chanting and doing the things that go along with it and conjuring spirits and all that kind of stuff doesn't mean we're not operating at times. See, it works that way in all forms of sin. It works that way in things that are, you know, not of our father's kingdom. He's so pure that, I mean, if we were just, he was standing right here, you would clearly know any of the small stuff you're operating in it. Well, we consider small because his holiness would just go, and you'd see it. Well, part of worship is to get into his presence. And when you're in his presence, what happens? You're also around his holiness. That's when conviction comes, conveying things from the kingdom of heaven to us comes. You start to see yourself like you couldn't see before. This is why many times people, if you have worship, like we're not even in the heavenly realm worship, we're still way over here. We think at times like we had this really super intense service compared to heaven as I, you know what I mean? This is all right. But for us, we're like, whoa, you know, and especially if you can't go into another church around and try to find that kind of worship where you start to sense the presence of God being in the house, there's churches out there. But I'm saying if you looked in places where it hasn't been, then it'll be like, whoa, we are there. No, no, no, we got a little something, something going on here. But we don't have the heavenly realm fully manifested. That would blow our faces off. I can tell you that right now. So our measurements are off on a lot of things. And we measure ourselves against the worst of the worst, not the best of the best. Well, I'm in pretty good shape. Well, sure. If I compare myself to, you know, person who can't walk two blocks and they're out of air and, you know, they got to go rest for two days. Well, yeah, I'm in pretty good shape. But if I compare myself to an Olympic athlete, it's like, I got nothing to say here. There's nothing going on. I'll just stay quiet. You know, it's God is holy. And to wrap our heads around that is we'll take the biggest thing that we've ever experienced and say, it must be that it's still way below his glory. It's still way below in comparison to who he is. So we're always striving for this, like, show me more of you, God. Show me more of you. And that's what opens people up to really be interested in the supernatural because we want to see more of God. And so sometimes we forfeit the things we're supposed to be doing to get the things that we think he's doing. And a lot of people are entering stuff that's actually witchcraft. And it's not God because they're so hungry for the supernatural. We're supernatural beings. So it makes sense that that we're hungry for supernatural things. Amen? I mean, this makes sense. That's that's who we are. That's how we're made. And and so whether we know we're hungry for it or not, we're hungry. So even you say, well, I've never dabbled in anything like that. And how one guy in the, he's not saved, but he was talking to me like that. I have no, I don't have any interest and stuff. But if you're out drinking and getting drunk, you've already entered sorcery. So you were still hungry for the supernatural. If you're sleeping with the neighbor lady, she's not your wife, you're hungry for the supernatural. You're just looking in the wrong place for holy. It's still supernatural though, isn't it? Because there's a high that we get from doing something that's wrong, especially if it's in secret. The effineffin levels go off in our body and it just registers that as I have to have me more of this. That's supernatural. Right? So we're always hungering for the supernatural and we're wanting to move over into the things of God. We come out of that kind of stuff and we're like, okay, so how do I get over? I want to experience the supernatural over here. Well, this can get weird on the way too. I mean, once you're one of the churches down south, once you're feeling like your chickens and you're because God came on you and now everyone's a chicken and I'm not seeing that in the heavenly realm. I'm sorry. Guys, I was able to do anything, but here's what I find is when it gets stupid on steroids, what happens is no good comes of it. It just gets weirder and weirder. Weird produces weird. If you, if God came on you and you were acting like a chicken, you fell over on the floor and you got up and you were never the same again. You were out leading people to Christ. Everything would change. Then I would be like, I want me some of that. But people, you know, in full gospel churches especially, they'll go down under the power, is how we say it, right? Almost like it's a tradition. A lot of times it's not even God because we're so hungry for the supernatural. So puts us in an all or nothing thing where we're like, well, I don't want any of that, you know, or I want all of that, but I don't know how to get there. And it can be frustrating on either side, right? So before we get into really dealing with divination and things like that, then we have to look at the platform of where we came from. We all fell short of the glory of God. Are we saved? Yes. So the restoration, positionally, we're restored to his glory. And why isn't it looked that way? That's because positionally, we're restored to his glory. Just like healing by his stripes, we're already healed. Then why are we limping? It's to get the very thing that we receive now by the kingdom of God to manifest in this earthly realm. Positionally, when I got born again, it doesn't matter what I was into, all that. It was forgiven. I died today. I go to heaven. I wasn't very sanctified at that point. Sanctification is the manifestation of the result of the salvation that I received. And that takes time. Amen. Same thing with healing. Sometimes God's doing a knitting, you're healed either way, but he can do a knitting together is one of the Greek meanings to the word or right now on the spot. Woo, those are fun. But even if you get the right now on the spot, you have to maintain the fact that you received it and guard it. While guarding your heart with all diligence because out of it comes the wellsprings of life and you could talk to yourself out of the healing you just received. That's how supernatural things work. So if we go down and you appeal the onion to get to the main foundational thing we're looking for to start to head toward talking about getting all forms of witchcraft or divination or sorcery and stuff out of this church off of us, we don't go to the creepy realm and freak out and everything's a demon. We go back to foundation. What is the foundation of our salvation? It's the blood of Jesus which came through repentance. Right? So repentance, repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. Let's see here. Oh, it says it so many times over. Just to save time. I could tell you, you could just look up repent and it'll say it so many times over. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. The kingdom is near. What you need is right here. So what's the kingdom? The kingdom is the sphere of his rule, his ways of doing things. So without him, I got the sphere of my rule and my ways of doing things. And it's gross. And even my own righteousness says filthy rags, the Bible says. So I don't got a whole lot going on. But right at hand, close, near to me, it's like right here, the kingdom of God is right here. We invite the kingdom in and where there's a kingdom, there's a king. So we've invited him in and he's the king, he's the ruler. But we don't just say, come on, Lord, change my heart, let the kingdom move in. It's repent for the kingdom of God is here. So repentance we take is a one-time act, but then it's a lifestyle. Americans only like the one-time act usually. I feel so guilty right now. Just get this off me. That feels so much better. I'll go back and do whatever I want. No, no. Repentance says you actually are changing your mind. So the full manifestation of, let's say, you're repenting for harming your body because you were using meth, right? That's a sin against this temple. That's entering into sorcery. Well, I was just asking him to forgive me. God forgive me. And are you forgiven? Yes, positionally. The position you're in is you are now forgiven. But now the blood has to be applied and continued with stay power and continue the renewing of the mind around that so that in the end we're not repeating the behavior. But what we take it as many times is where we're up front and I mean, the more guilty we feel, the more serious we are. I don't know, I could go to jail for this thing or whatever. I mean, we are repentive, right? But then if everything works out okay, the changing of the mind part kind of just wanes. I did, I asked forgiveness. I mean, I took care of that. Always followed in repentance is the change of heart which affects the mind, which affects behavior. So if we just say, forgive me, yes, we've received that. But then we walk away from that, we're out fishing, we're doing whatever. I don't know, we're just hanging out and we forgot how serious this was and how we told him we want this change in our life. But we're not applying anything to change it. That thing will come back around. That thing that's in your flesh is you said, oh, yeah, the blood of Jesus washed you. Betcha I could get you to do it again. Because the mind hasn't been changed. The heart hasn't been changed. So it's the same thing with taking authority. I can come and take authority over something in the house. I can be a father in the name of Jesus. I just bind up what I'm feeling right now. Blah, blah, blah. Well, if there was some type of sin ground in the house, if there was some type of opening in the house, if there was something that was there that wasn't supposed to be, then I need to figure out why, because now we're going to continue to apply this. Because this thing that I just kicked out is not coming back. See, there's stay power. Did I have authority? Did I take authority? Yes, I did. But now I have to fill this place with His presence and take up the space that that thing thought it could have. Okay? So repentance is the thing. And I can tell you it's not a popular subject because we have all kinds of pictures of it that are condemnation. I'm admitting I'm such a loser, such a worm as I. Remember that in the old song? Such a worm as I. Now, I had a really stinky behavior, though. I'm a child of God. I was created in His image, but my behavior stinks. So if something is a worm, it's my behavior. But then I'm carrying my behavior around, so I have to be responsible to wield and steward my behavior. It's like, this behavior is out of control. I'm loved by God, but my behavior out of control. See, it's the old way of saying, hey, why don't you take the garbage out? What is wrong with you? You get in here right now and we tie the behavior, the poor behavior, to the person. Now it's not about the garbage being taken out, it's about you being a loser because you didn't take it out. See, so this is why we get mixed up thoughts about repentance. Repentance in the full version, not just turning all around, means getting new information. Regret the old way did something. That regret power has to be like, oh, I don't ever want to go back there. That's puke worthy. I just, I don't want to do that ever again. Right? Well, what are you going to do about that? Well, I ask forgiveness. I go, but what are you going to do about it now? There's a change of behavior that has to take place. Sometimes those change of behaviors take months. Well, I thought I asked forgiveness. Yes, you did. And positionally, you are forgiven. But now we'll fire together, wire together in your brain. And God's about to unwire that and put in a whole new network. That takes some time. Okay? But what happens is if we say we ask forgiveness, and he is faithful and just, forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Yes, I did that. And all of a sudden we have that same crazy thought. We're like, I must not have asked for real. You know, like a lot of, a lot of people will say, well, that person got saved last weekend. Well, they must not have meant it. Because they went out and they had poor behaviors. I mean, I need you to mean it. We'll tell people when, when they're going to receive Christ, you need to really mean it. And that's going to do what? I mean, when you're throwing up and you're hugging the porcelain throne, because you drank too much, you'll repent of all kinds of things. But how much did you really mean it? Because where are you next Friday night? But I can tell you in that moment, are you mean in this? And you go, yes, I will do anything. Because your body feels like it's dying. Because technically it is. You're poisoning your liver. So if we look at it that way, I'm just trying to straighten out repentance a little bit here, because it's not a done deal. And then, then we move on. Positionally, it's done. But then to manifest it, and bring about the change, here we go. I can stand here and say, I receive healing. Let's say Pastor Jim prays for me. And I, and I just say, yes, I receive it. I can feel the anointing. That's so good. I received it, which means to take it. And then I leave and I start throwing up and I got a migraine. And it's like, well, I don't know. I must not have received it. No, I received it. Now my body, which has been touched by sin, is freaking out over what I received. The kingdom of God was at hand. What was in the kingdom now entered my body. And there is a war going on inside. So I don't say, well, I must not have received it. Sorry. I'll have to go back a hundred times and have him pray for me. You know, hit me again with it so I can receive it all again. Did you catch it or didn't you catch it? You got it. Now fight for your right for it to manifest. Right? It's no difference with repentance. I received it. I'm forgiven. True that. Step out of this body right now. I'm standing before the throne of God. Woo. Oh, happy day. But to manifest what I repented of means the heart change. That's that turning around. And why do we believe the turning around happens in that 30 seconds it takes? Like someone came to Christ last night at TBO. And it's like, well, I hope they meant it. Is there going to have to turn that whole ship around right now? Well, no, they meant the forgiveness part and they took it. Now the king who's of the kingdom says, let's get this thing turned around. You keep receiving. Keep letting your mind be changed. I'll take you all the way around. And soon you'll have such a disdain for that behavior. Soon it'll be like, whoa, what was I into? I mean, if you ever think about stuff in your past, you're like, I don't want to talk about it. That's embarrassing. When you were into it, it's like, I don't know if I want to give it up. But then when you're so far away from it, you're like, that's sick and wrong. What was I a part of? So we have to understand that first, because if we approach divination or any of the things we have authority over, and we do the same thing, we just waltz on them there. We don't care if we got stuff going on in our lives as a church. We don't care if we got sin ground hanging out all over the place. Let's just go poke the bear. Because we have authority. Let's just go poke the bear. That could be some backlash from that. You can do it that way. But the change of heart is the most important part. Because then we can stand strong after having done all to stand and say, I actually don't have anything in common with you. You cannot touch me. Now that almost sounds like you're going to perform your way into something. You got to be good enough. No, positionally, I have it. And I'm predicted. But I have to call on the power of God and remind the spirit realm of that. And I know all the junks that's going on the inside of me. That makes me feel completely opposite of having authority. But I received authority, and it's mine. And I fight for my right to address whatever he's having me address. Amen. So the kingdom of God is at hand. And we have a king. If we forget that part, then we have to remind ourselves that's so foundational. I'm not in charge. He's God. And I'm sort of not. I'm part of his family. I mean, if you really want to get something big done in a household, and you got a functional family, and somebody's in trouble, you can say, I'm telling mom and everyone goes, don't. But if you say, I'm telling dad, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. Don't, I'll give you candy. Our kids used to barter with you. So here, let me tell you a joke. I mean, change the subject to whatever you can. Don't, don't, don't, don't tell dad. Because there, there is something about, we know, we know where the authority lies. It's with the father. He's laid this thing out. He sent Jesus. And Jesus has bought the right back for us to go back to all the things of the glory, which one of the meanings of the word glory, is how he does things. So I'm restored back to his glory, but I have no idea how he does things. I just got saved. I repented for the kingdom of God was at hand and now I've been restored back to his glory. Now what is this glory and how does it operate? I have no idea. But things should have went better for me because I gave my life to Christ at summer camp in eighth grade, back in 72. And we'll hang on to stuff like that, but we haven't had the heart change because we didn't know there was supposed to be one. I thought if I gave my life to Christ, we just crossed over. You did. And now the work begins. Okay, so I say all this to point this out. When you go after things of the demonic or things that are... you know, you're going to take your authority over it, make sure your foundation is in place. You can still be jacked up and whacked out, but under the blood because you're aware of it and you know that you're a work in process. And some things you're not even aware of. I mean, there's always going to be some things that we're messing around with that we're not even aware of. They're wrong. So when do we ever get to take authority over anything? Well, we received that authority and the authority that's in us is because of the king and his kingdom. He's authorized us, right? So his kingdom is in here and we get a memo from the king and he says, I want you, I'll authorize you. Go over there and take authority over this. I want you to get authority over what's going on in your mind. I'll authorize that for you. Huh? I'll send help for you. I'll do those different things for you. So there's a... there's a way to look at this that I think in Christianity we just want things to be done. Can't we just get it done? Well, we're a work in progress always. So when it comes to the demonic realm, many times we won't touch that because we're a work in progress and I'm still messed up and I can't do and la la la. Right? You know, one of the biggest things that gives you authority is repentance. What? Right? Some came against us right now and I mean it was so demonic, we'd all say, I bind you and I take authority. But you know what? There's a bigger authority if you just hit your knees and say, Lord, is there anything here? I just ask forgiveness and I choose to forgive that person or that thing that, you know, a person that's projecting something toward me. Lord, just loose them free. I just ask Lord that your salvation power come. So salvation means to take the limits off. The demonic puts the limits on. That's the damnation part. Right? This is basic 101 Christianity, but we're trying to put it in a form before we start going after divination. So a big part of lifting something off your family is repentance. Why do I always got to say sorry? The only sorrow that really counts before God is the sorrow unto repentance. Talks about that in first Corinthians. There's a sorrow unto repentance. If you're dealing with somebody who's hugely narcissistic, now I say this as a counselor. I say people, and I've heard me say this before, people throw around the word narcissism like crazy right now. They're like, he said, no, that I can't go with him. He's a narcissist. Well, a true narcissist is somebody who at a high level, they can't repent. It's so scary. Psychologists, psychiatrists are saying really there's no, you can't even try to re, why are their mind? Because you can't get any repentance in. And you know the number one reason is because they feel like they are the all because all or nothing thinking is there and that's immature. So because they are the all, they can never say they are the lesser because then all of their all is gone. They're truly the most biggest loser there ever is and the most rejected. They have a high fear of rejection. So the projection of the all is so big and they have to keep it so big that they can't repent. Some churches are like that. No, we just love God. We're just, no, you're acting like a narcissist. How do we know that? The altars are empty. They don't know what a secret place is and the altars are empty. In fact, we plan the church buildings around how close we can get the chairs to the front because nothing really is going to go on up here anyway. Jam the chairs tight together because nobody's going to turn around and face their chair on their knees and repent of anything. We don't have that going on. That's old school. That's foundational to freedom. Repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. So something's wrong in your life. Let the ruler take care of it. Put yourself under repentance. Let the blood of Jesus smooth that thing out, right? Make it wider than snow and then stand up in your authority. What gives you the authority? You can't touch this. I have nothing in common with you. So we're going to delve a little bit more into this, but I can tell you a lot of times right now there's new people coming to Christ and this happened to me and I watched it happen over the years where you come to Christ and you're like, yes, finally I'm going to be free and all hell breaks loose. And you're like, I thought we just changed kingdom. Like I thought, well, when God moves everything moves, the light came on and what was already in the darkness you now see was there the whole time. But you're like, where did this come from? That's generational. I've been in the family for years. How come I couldn't see it because it was in the dark and now the light is going beaming on. Here we go. Take a look at that. Well, now what are you going to do? It requires repentance. I did when I got saved at the altar. See, so then we don't feel like we have authority. So we'll have to go to somebody who has authority and then we'll blow up Pastor Verne's phone. Can you take authority over this? Can you have authority over this? Can you? Yes, he can. But the greater authority comes when the kingdom of God is revealed inside of you and starts ruling your own heart. And you begin to realize, ah, I am the temple of the Holy Spirit. Same spirit that raised Christ from the dead dwells in me. Oh, he's quickening my mortal body right now. I have nothing to fear. Show me God how to have authority over this. Authorize me. Well, you got to have your mind changed and how you're thinking so you're not still participating in it, right? And there's all kinds of things that go around that and then rule it. Oh, well, then it's going to be war. And sometimes it gets worse before it gets better. And this is what I found. The more that I repented, the more I went back and did the sin. When I first got saved, it was like, I'm never going to do this. Of course, I'd make a lot of vows based on my own energy, which was like nothing. Because if I could do it on my own, it would have been done already. But, you know, in that moment, you really made it. And so I would ask forgiveness and the next thing you know, I'd be doing the same thing I was and more condemnation comes. It's how the con man dams your nation. He puts a limit on you and you're a nation. He shuts you down. So we're not going to do that here. We're just going to understand how the kingdom of God works through repentance. So let's stand. So here's what I learned. Thank the Lord for someone in my life and leaders in my life that instead of, you know, binding everything and taking authority over, they're like, let's go back and clean that up a little bit. Let's get the foundation laid in that area a little bit. And then you can rule it. Because Genesis says sin, it's creeping around at your doorstep, right? And it's you who has to master it. Well, I just asked forgiveness. Jesus took care of all that. Yeah, he took care of the sin ground. He took care of the power of it that it has to take you to hell or keep you presently living in the hell you're in. But now the mastering part is like, no, my mind is going to be the mind of Christ. My heart is going to be changed in such a way that I think like him, act like him, and you have nothing in common with me. Right? So Father, we just come before you and we ask you to show us how to repent. Some things just need a little dab. You know, oh, sorry, Lord. But there's a sorrow that comes almost can have a grievous feeling of things that have been in our family for generations. We're so fed up with it. We're so done with it. And it needs the power of repentance to bring salvation power to start driving that thing out. So we stay in repentance looking for the manifestation. The attitude of repentance is I not only said I'm sorry, but I'm willing to do whatever it takes to change. And so I just need to finish what I was saying before. We had some pretty intense stuff happen. Right before we got saved, my brother was in a horrible car accident. And we thought he was gone. And my other brother, not long after that, stood up from the kitchen table. We were seven years old, fell over. He had toys in both hands, split his the bone in his leg this way. So he had to be in traction. They didn't know what they were doing. So his leg would be doing this. He'd be screaming. It was horrible. Right? And then we're like, we need God. The more we headed toward him, our house caught on fire. I mean, I could just keep naming stuff and you'd be like, well, where was God during office? He was turning the light on. That wicked stuff was there the whole time. And I did the one time repentance that said, I'm switching kingdoms. But then the rest of the repentance says, you're coming and bowing to this king. I repent of that sin. You come over here and bow. Every knee is going to bow to the king of my heart. Every compartment is going to bow to the king of my heart. And I address it. God forgive that area. Bring it forward. So it got worse before it got better. It was rocky, especially if you're the first one out. Nobody's been saved before you for generations. And suddenly you're that person like, uh, yeah. And the demonic realm goes, where do you think you're going? Where do you think you're doing? We didn't know. We ain't doing this. But if you know how the enemy works, that's why I'm explaining this, then you'll keep on keeping on. You'll keep bringing it to the altar with your sacrifice of praise. Because at that time, you don't feel like praising. That's what makes it a sacrifice of praise. I will serve you anyway, God. Rent my heart. Change me. Change the foundation of how I operate. See, these are the kind of prayers that should be the major most of the time. Because we're always in process of change. And then the end result is we take authority over something. The end result, healing manifests. The end result, these other things take place. Especially in full gospel churches, we have this backwards. Like something's wrong. My mind needs to be changed. I don't know. Hurry, run. Pray for me. There, I must have received it. No, I guess it didn't mean it. Oh, I guess it didn't happen. I guess I'm not that kind of person. I get... And it's this mind game, rather than work out your own salvation, work out your own salvation, the limits are being taken off in my life. I'm working it out with him. I'm working it out with his blood. Every day there is now therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Christ is not Jesus' last name. It's the anointed one and his anointing. I am in the anointing of God. Huh. So shut your pie hole and quit condemning me. Everything that's going on in my life, I'm pulling it up and I'm bringing it to the altar with my sacrifice of praise. Lord, I praise you. I praise you. It's hurt so bad. I praise you, God. I praise you in the storm. I praise you. I praise you when things are going great. I praise you. But this thing is going to bow its knee. That's the Christianity that needs to be lived out before you go and take an authority over witchcraft.