This Does Not Go Together

Summary

Change Church Podcast

Host: Pastor Dharius Daniels
Episode: This Does Not Go Together
Date: November 17, 2025

---

Episode Overview

In this powerful message from the "Detox" series (Week Five), Pastor Dharius Daniels tackles the subtle ways spiritual life can be diluted by beliefs and traditions that don't belong in the Christian "cup." Using Matthew 15 as his foundational text, Pastor Daniels explores the dangers of mixing Christianity with superstition, spiritualism, or sorcery—pointing out that these combinations ultimately weaken authentic faith. With relatable stories, scripture-backed teaching, and a warm, invitational tone, he challenges listeners to examine what "ice" might be watering down their walk with God.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Spiritual Challenge Is Not Condemnation

• [00:00] Pastor Daniels opens by encouraging listeners to see God’s conviction as an invitation for healing, not condemnation:

  “Whenever God shows us something that's wrong, he's not just showing us what's wrong. He's showing us what he wants to fix. He's a good father.”

2. Context: Miracles Precede the Confrontation

• Pastor offers a recap of Matthew 14 to set up the events of chapter 15, noting three consecutive miracles:
  • Miracle of Multiplication: Feeding thousands with two fish and five loaves ([05:51]).
    • Quote:

      "A miracle of multiplication comes after God gives you a revelation of underutilization… I'm gonna show you how to take your not enough and how to put that not enough into my hands."

  • Miracle of Acceleration: Jesus walks on water and invites Peter, showing how God can make up for lost time ([08:45]).
    • Quote:

      “Just because they started sooner than you doesn’t mean you will arrive later than them.”

  • Miracle of Motivation: People seek to touch Jesus’ garment, motivated by another’s testimony ([11:50]).
    • Quote:

      “I’m not jealous. I'm motivated. I heard he did it in Mark 5. He'll do it in Matthew 14.” ([12:47])

3. The Wrong Addition Weakens the Faith

• Relates a personal story about a friend who orders ginger ale with no ice ([02:17])—explaining that adding the wrong thing (ice) makes the drink weaker. This becomes the central metaphor:
  • Quote:

    “The wrong addition eventually leads to subtraction. Sometimes, when you add the wrong thing, you lose the right thing.” ([02:17])

• That same principle applies to faith: when tradition or other “ice” is added to Christianity, it’s weakened.

4. The Pharisees: Focusing on Traditions, Missing Transformations

• [14:28] After witnessing miracles, religious leaders challenge Jesus about traditions (hand-washing), ignoring the miraculous.
  • Quote:

    "They're not celebrating the miracles. They're criticizing the methods. They're not focused on the transformation. They're focused on the tradition." ([16:03])

• Pastor Daniels underscores that the Pharisees' problem wasn't about hygiene, but about adding extra requirements (“ice”) that God never mandated—symbolic of spiritual syncretism.

5. Syncretism: Adding What Doesn’t Belong

• [20:09] Defines spiritual syncretism as blending Christianity with incompatible beliefs, diluting biblical truth.

  • Quote:

    "Syncretism doesn't ask you to abandon Jesus. It just asks you to add to him what doesn't belong… It’s rooted in the unconscious assumption that Jesus is insufficient."

• He warns that what looks Christian may not actually be Christian if it’s diluted:

  • Quote:

    “You just put some stuff in here that took the fears out your faith.” ([21:29])

6. Ice Check: What’s in Your Cup?

Pastor asks the congregation to examine three key areas that can function as spiritual "ice":

a. Superstition ([23:42])

• Believing in luck, rituals, or omens for outcomes rather than God's sovereignty.
• Practical examples:
  • Fears about Friday the 13th, black cats, splitting the pole, knocking on wood ([23:52])
• Quote:

  “Superstition is a symptom, not the sickness. My superstition revealed I had a deficit in understanding the sovereignty of God.” ([24:38])

• Challenges the notion that random events can control destiny:

  "Friday the 13th does not have any special power over my life. And black cats can't shift my destiny... What God has written for me cannot be erased by a black cat." ([26:46])

b. Spiritualism ([27:12])

• Pursuing spiritual guidance or power through forbidden means (mediums, psychics, seances, horoscopes).
• Scripture references (Deuteronomy 18; 1 Timothy 4) warn against these practices.
• Pastor points out the lure:

  “Demonic ideology doesn’t show up looking like demonic ideology.” ([29:43])

• Horoscopes and similar practices may seem “accurate” but can undermine responsibility and the power of transformation:

  “Horoscopes make your personality permanent and gives you an excuse not to evolve... You did not develop trust issues because you were a Capricorn. You developed trust issues because somebody betrayed you and God needs to heal it.” ([35:01])

• Quote:

  “Everything spiritual ain't godly. But because it's spiritual, it can be supernatural, and because it's supernatural, we think it's godly.” ([30:22])

c. Sorcery ([36:43])

• Manipulating outcomes via magic or forbidden rituals (white/black magic, voodoo, etc.), trusting in self over God.
• Even "low-level" forms (seeking justice or protection outside of God) are self-reliant and dangerous.
• Warns this opens the door to "demonic harassment" (not necessarily possession) manifesting in nightmares, intrusive thoughts, or unexplained ailments ([39:15])
• Quote:

  “When you and I engage in practices designed to manipulate spiritual forces, you're opening a door, but you can't control what walked through it.” ([38:41])

• Encouragement for believers:

  “Witchcraft can't ruin me. A hex can't harm me. Roots can't restrict me. Spells can't stop me. Curses can't claim me because I'm covered.” ([41:34])

7. Removing the Ice: Faith as It Should Be

• The real Christian life is meant to be potent, miraculous, God-dependent—not watered down by outside beliefs or superstitions.
• If the spiritual experience feels weak, “ask what’s wrong with my soda?” ([13:53])
• Pastor encourages the congregation not to feel condemned but empowered to pour out what doesn’t belong.

  "Some of us have ice in our cup because nobody taught us the difference between soda and ice." ([45:43])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Quote | Speaker | |-----------|-------|---------| | 02:17 | "The wrong addition eventually leads to subtraction. Sometimes, when you add the wrong thing, you lose the right thing." | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 12:47 | "I'm not jealous. I'm motivated. I heard he did it in Mark 5. He'll do it in Matthew 14." | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 16:03 | "They're not celebrating the miracles. They're criticizing the methods." | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 20:09 | "Syncretism doesn't ask you to abandon Jesus. It just asks you to add to him what doesn't belong… rooted in the unconscious assumption that Jesus is insufficient." | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 24:38 | “Superstition is a symptom, not the sickness. My superstition revealed I had a deficit in understanding the sovereignty of God.” | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 26:46 | "Friday the 13th does not have any special power over my life... What God has written for me cannot be erased by a black cat." | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 30:22 | “Everything spiritual ain't godly. But because it's spiritual, it can be supernatural, and because it's supernatural, we think it's godly.” | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 35:01 | "You did not develop trust issues because you were a Capricorn. You developed trust issues because somebody betrayed you and God needs to heal it." | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 38:41 | "When you and I engage in practices designed to manipulate spiritual forces, you're opening a door, but you can't control what walked through it.” | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 41:34 | “Witchcraft can't ruin me. A hex can't harm me... because I'm covered.” | Pastor Dharius Daniels | | 45:43 | "Some of us have ice in our cup because nobody taught us the difference between soda and ice." | Pastor Dharius Daniels |

---

Important Timestamps

• 00:00: Introduction – Spiritual challenges and God's heart
• 05:45: Miracles of multiplication, acceleration, and motivation in Matthew 14
• 14:28: Pharisees challenge Jesus over tradition, missing the miracles
• 20:09: Definition and dangers of syncretism
• 23:42: “Ice check” – examining superstition
• 27:12: “Ice check” – examining spiritualism (psychics, horoscopes)
• 36:43: “Ice check” – examining sorcery
• 41:34: Spiritual immunity in Christ – no curse can stick
• 43:09: Personal story: how God communicates without us forcing it
• 45:43: Emphasis on gentle correction, not condemnation

---

Tone & Original Language

Pastor Daniels maintains a conversational, humorous, and pastoral tone throughout—often punctuating teaching with rhetorical questions, lively illustrations, and relatable quips (such as about grits and sugar, or Brian McKnight CDs). The episode is marked by warmth, clarity, and an emphasis on self-examination without legalism or condemnation.

---

Takeaway

“This does not go together.” Throughout the episode, listeners are challenged to detect and remove the "ice"—beliefs and practices that dilute vibrant Christian faith. Pastor Dharius Daniels invites the Change Church family (and listeners everywhere) to embrace God’s sovereignty, rely fully on Christ, and enjoy the “strong,” undiluted life of faith God intends, free from superstition, syncretism, or self-reliance.

---

Next Week: Pastor Daniels will address what to do once you discover the “ice” in your cup—and how to walk in freedom!

---

For more, visit www.lifechange.org or listen to the next part in the "Detox" series.

Transcript

[Pastor]

So let's go together to the Gospel of Matthew, chapter number 15. I'm in a series called detox. This is week five of this series. And this particular message is a message that. I mean, what. I just want to say this. I want. I want us. And I know for some of you change is like a new normal. But here's what I believe. I believe that, in part, many of us have been conditioned to see any sort of spiritual challenge as spiritual condemnation. When. What I want us to understand is this. Whenever God shows us something that's wrong, he's not just showing us what's wrong. He's showing us what he want to fix. He's a good father. He's saying, let me show you this because I want to fix this for you. Does that make sense? So I want you to hear our heart today. Matthew, chapter 15, verse 1, says, Then the Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat. He answered them, and why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded honor your father and mother, and whoever reviles their father or mother must surely die. But you say, if anyone tells his father or his mother, what you would have gained from me is given to God. He need not honor his father. So for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. I want to stop the reading of Scripture there and talk from this subject. Family. This does not go together. Some of y' all feel that way about sugar and grits? I don't. This. Put my sugar on my grits and leave me alone.

[Assistant]

And butter.

[Pastor]

Huh? Play with me. This does not go together. Family. Early in my pastoral ministry, when I was living in New Jersey, there is a group of pastor friends of mine and I that used to meet every Tuesday at a restaurant called Ruby Tuesdays. Huh? That salad bar was it, wasn't it? This restaurant, Ruby Tuesday's, on Route 1 in Princeton, New Jersey. And after a few times of meeting together, I made an observation that one of my friends would always order the same drink. He would order a ginger ale with no ice. And one day, out of curiosity, I asked him, bro, do you not like cold drinks? And he responded with a statement, that's simple yet significant. He said, not more than I like a strong soda. I said, well, what does that mean? He says, well, sometimes they put so much ice in my drink that when the ice begins to melt it, it dilutes the strength of the soda. So in an attempt to make it colder, they make it weaker. And family, I want you to know that that situation gave me a revelation I want to release in this room here it is, family. The wrong addition eventually leads to subtraction. In other words, sometimes when you add the wrong thing, you. You lose the right thing. And in an attempt to make something better, you can end up making it worse. And this isn't just the case with a cup of soda. It is also the case with our Christianity. It is possible that we can unconsciously put the wrong kind of ice in our Christian cup and end up with a spiritual soda that has lost its strength, a faith that no longer has its fears. In this particular passage here in Matthew chapter 15 is an incredible example of what I'm attempting to articulate. In order for me to make the claim that I'm getting ready to make in Matthew chapter 15. I think it's important that we have some context in Matthew chapter 14. Matthew, chapter 14, which precedes 15. 15 comes after 14. Matthew 14 revealed to us. 3. Somebody say 3. Come on, say it again. Say 3. It reveals to us three successive and consecutive miracles that Jesus performs. One of the first that we see in Matthew chapter 14 is Jesus performing the miracle where he feeds thousands with two fish and five loaves of bread. That's what I call a miracle of multiplication. And I want somebody in the room who's not ashamed to say, I want one. Let me go to this section over here, because this is my section. I said, I want someone in this room who's not selfish. But if God made a promise, you want to possess it.

[Assistant]

So if you want to give it.

[Pastor]

To me, watch me receive it.

[Assistant]

Somebody say, I want one.

[Pastor]

Yeah, here it is. A miracle of multiplication comes after God gives you a revelation of underutilization. It's when he shows you you've been underutilizing what you got, and you think, I got to give you more to do more. I'm gonna show you how to work.

[Assistant]

What you got to get what you need.

[Pastor]

I'm gonna show you how to work the time.

[Assistant]

You got the energy, you got the connections, you got the education, you got the resources you got. I'm gonna show you how to take your not enough and how to put that not enough into my hands. And I'll turn that not enough into more than enough. He's going to do it with what you got.

[Pastor]

It's a miracle of multiplication. But after he performs this miracle, the Bible says he dismisses the crowd and then tells the disciples, we got to go somewhere else. Y' all get in the boat.

[Assistant]

Y' all go ahead. I'm going to pray.

[Pastor]

I think Jesus was an ambivert. I promise you, I think he's an ambivert. He would be around people, he would be fine. And he'd be like, all right, I'm gonna catch up. He didn't even ride in the boat with the disciples. He said, I need a break from y', all, too.

[Assistant]

Wave at me. Wave.

[Pastor]

Wait a minute.

[Assistant]

If that's you, wave at me.

[Pastor]

Pastor, I love people, but.

[Assistant]

Give me a break. Thanksgiving. I'mma play space.

[Pastor]

And then I'm going to go in.

[Assistant]

The room for a second. I'll be back.

[Pastor]

I'll be back. Jesus dismisses the crowd and tells the disciples, you guys get on a boat. You go to the other side. He. He goes to pray. The Bible says it's evening when this happens. So they are. Watch this. They are rowing or sailing on the sea. They start in the evening. They still on the sea in the morning. Because the Bible says right before dawn, they see Jesus walking on the water. Now, wait a minute. They left in the evening. They've been rowing or sailing till the morning. Jesus was praying. Then all of a sudden, they see him walking to what they rowed to. Y' all missed it. They had a head start of hours. But before they got to where they were going, Jesus met them in the middle of the sea. This is a miracle of acceleration. Just because they started sooner than you.

[Assistant]

Doesn'T mean you will arrive later than them. And if you've never felt behind schedule, if you've never felt like you're playing catch up, then a miracle of acceleration won't excite you. But how many know that he's the God that'll send a wind behind your proverbial back and help you catch up with lost time. Don't you let anybody tell you you too old. You need to look at them and tell them you too old.

[Pastor]

Watch.

[Assistant]

God help me make up for lost time.

[Pastor]

It's a miracle of acceleration. But Daeshun, it's a miracle. Watch this. That's a result of an invitation. Because when Jesus is walking on the water, all the disciples on the boat see him and they think it's a ghost. And they say, no, it's Jesus. So Peter says, if it's you, invite me to come to you on the water. And Jesus said, come. It's not a command, it's an invitation. He's not saying you have to Come, he's saying. But if you want to come, he's.

[Assistant]

Not saying you have to get out.

[Pastor]

Of the boat, but if you want to get out of the boat, get on out of that boat.

[Assistant]

And some people miss the miraculous because they only obey commands, but they don't respond to invitations. But do I have anybody in the.

[Pastor]

Room that says, if you tell me.

[Assistant]

Get out of this boat, I'm getting out of this boat. I don't care who stays in it. I don't care who doesn't go with me. If you call me, I'm coming.

[Pastor]

That's a miracle of acceleration. That's second miracle. Third miracle in the text, though, comes when they get to where they're going. They get to a place called G. Gennesaret. And here's what the Bible says. It says when they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding county and country, and people brought their sick to him. Look at verse 36. Church. My Bible readers are going to catch this. Sunday school vacation. Bible school, Baptist Training Union. Like you're about to catch this. Here it is. And they beg him to let the sick touch the edge of his cloak. They begged him to let the sick touch the edge of his cloak. They begged him to let the sick touch the edge of his cloak. Maybe the language that the NIV uses is confusing you. Here's the way the King James described it. They begged him to let them touch the hymn of his garment.

[Assistant]

So the question is, why are they.

[Pastor]

Begging him to let them touch the hem of his garment? It's because I believe they heard about something that happened with a woman that's.

[Assistant]

Captured in Mark 5, who had an issue of blood for 12 long years. And she said to herself, if I could just touch the hem of his garment, I shall be made whole. I believe that miracle spread and that miracle became motivation for people here in Matthew. It is how God uses what happens in somebody else's life as motivation for you to pursue what he wants to do in your life.

[Pastor]

I want. I want. I know where I'm at. I want everybody in the room.

[Assistant]

I know what service I'm at. I want everybody in the room to just declare this.

[Pastor]

Say, I'm not jealous.

[Assistant]

I'm motivated. I heard he did it in Mark 5. We'll do it in Matthew 14. I don't want what you did for them, but I'm motivated to. To pursue what you gonna do for me.

[Pastor]

So you see? You see Watch this. You see? And I'm gonna teach this. I got one more week in detoxing. I'm gonna teach you to start teaching this the first Sunday in December. But I want you to see this. I want you to see. I want you to see the normalization of the miraculous in Matthew 14. It is a non domesticated Christianity. It's a faith that still got his fears. It's a soda that still got his strength. It's extraordinary to us, but it's regular. It's supposed to burn on the way down.

[Assistant]

Y' all didn't hear what I just said? Yeah. If it's not burning on the way down, something wrong. It's supposed to be strong. And we need to get to the point where when Matthew 14 is not our reality, we need to be asking, what's wrong with my soda? I'm supposed to be experiencing multiplication. I'm supposed to be experiencing acceleration. I'm supposed to be experiencing motivation. It's too much ice in my cup.

[Pastor]

This is what the spiritual soda is supposed to be like. Did you hear what I just said? But, but, but here's what Matthew 15 begins with, verse 1. All these miracles have happened. First word in verse 1 is, then after he performed all these miracles, then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and they asked, why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? Now, see, God is still working on your bishop. Because I would have had a different response here. I would want to know. So out of everything we could talk about, we just. Come on.

[Assistant]

Five, five thousand men, not counting women and children, just got fed with two.

[Pastor]

Fish and five loaves of bread.

[Assistant]

Me and Peter just got through walking on water.

[Pastor]

Sick people just got healed.

[Assistant]

And you want to argue, You just want to fight. Second way can't help but fight. They are experts in fighting.

[Pastor]

Listen, listen. They aren't celebrating the miracles. They're criticizing the methods. They're not focused on the transformation. They're focused on the tradition. Because here's the thing, when they say you break the tradition of the elders by not washing your hands, they're not calling the disciples unsanitary. The issue isn't your hands are dirty. See, in the Old Testament, some priests, before they would offer a sacrifice on the behalf of the people, would go to this instrument in the courtyard of the tent of Moses, called the brazen laver. And they would wash their hands ceremonially as a sign of me cleaning my own hands before I offer a sacrifice on your behalf. Somehow between what God said And what people said. The Pharisees had an expectation that the disciples should have been doing that every time they ate. I got some questions. You just sitting and watching people eat? Watch this. This is not about sanitation. This is about syncretism. How do you know? Because Jesus says in verse six, they are not to honor their father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. Did you hear what I just said? Did you hear what I just said? So here's what's happening. The Pharisees here are adding ice to the soda. Did you hear what I just said? They're adding ice to the soda. And Jesus is saying, in order. In your attempt to make this stronger, you made it weaker.

[Assistant]

In your attempt to add what you thought makes it better, you made it worse.

[Pastor]

And here's the result.

[Assistant]

You nullify the word of God for.

[Pastor]

The sake of your tradition. The word nullify means to render powerless.

[Assistant]

Or to deprive something of its force.

[Pastor]

He's not saying they can make the word less powerful. He's saying the word will be less powerful for you. He's not saying that they will make the word less true. He's saying the word will be less true for you. It's a picture of what we see in Mark, chapter 6, verse 5. When the text says he could not do many miracles there and except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He was amazed at their lack of faith. He could not do any miracles there except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them. He could not do any miracles there except lay his hands on a few.

[Assistant]

Sick people and heal them.

[Pastor]

He could not do any miracles there except lay his hands on a few.

[Assistant]

Sick people and heal them. So a few people got what a lot of people could have got because a few, few people didn't put ice in they cup. Did you hear what I just said? I said a few people got what a lot of people got because a few people made a decision not to put ice in their cup. Which means you and I can be.

[Pastor]

Practicing the same religion and not get.

[Assistant]

The same results because somebody put some ice where it didn't belong. Here's the way Dr. Tony Evans puts it. He says that every true Christian is.

[Pastor]

On the same plane, but we not.

[Assistant]

All seated in the same section. What the Pharisees are doing here is.

[Pastor]

An example of syncretism. Pastor, what is that? Spiritual syncretism is a spiritual contamination that occurs when you blend Christianity with beliefs, practices and worldviews that are fundamentally incompatible with the gospel. It's not an outright rejection of the faith. It's the slow dilution of biblical truth until what you're left with living looks Christian. But it isn't. Syncretism doesn't ask you to abandon Jesus. It just asks you to add to him what doesn't belong. It is rooted in the unconscious assumption that Jesus is insufficient. And. And Jesus is trying to warn them against this. Not because he's territorial or possessive. This is not it. Am I making sense? You'll see. He doesn't even.

[Assistant]

He.

[Pastor]

He doesn't call names. He. He isn't bombastic or combative or insulting. He's exposing to them that your syncretism has you settling. You're supposed to be having a Matthew.

[Assistant]

14 normal spiritual existence, but you aren't. Not because I don't want to give it to you, but because you were well meaning.

[Pastor]

You just put some stuff in here.

[Assistant]

That took the fears out your faith. Am I making sense?

[Pastor]

Church? And so here's what's important. We teach you this when we read the Bible. We don't just look at the people in the text, right? We don't just read about the people in the text. We need to see ourselves in the people. So the question is this, not just what did they not need to identify as ice in their cup? The question is for us, what do we need to identify as ice in our cup? Now, I want you to hear my heart as I try to address this charitably with dignity, non condemning and non judging, yet very clear on where Scripture stands, some of these issues. So what we're not going to get into is sin and right and wrong. Even though some of this is going to be very clear. Here's where I want you to start. Ice check. I just. Let's just check and see if this ice is in your cup. Can we at least do an ice check? Okay, three areas I just want you to start exploring. Number one, I want you to check your cup for the ice of superstition. This one was all in my cup. See, when I say superstition, I'm not talking about being a person of rhythm and routine. As a person who has to speak regularly, like Sunday, I have to have a routine. Routine. Listen, some I got to do between services with my boys so that I can get through all of the services. Athletes and people have routines. I'm not. When I say superstition, I'm not talking about a routine that serves you well. You got me? I'm referring to when you believe that certain actions, objects or occurrences have the power to bring you good luck or bad luck. Apart from God's sovereignty.

[Assistant]

As a spirit filled, born again believer. This ice was in my cup. So when I saw Friday the 13th.

[Pastor]

I would be like, Lord Jesus, Friday.

[Assistant]

The 13th is about to be a terrible day. If I saw a black cat, I'm like, oh my God, there's a black cat. If me, he and first lady were holding hands, walking, and there was a pole.

[Pastor]

Girl, you better come around this pole.

[Assistant]

I'm knocking on wood. Cause nobody talked to me about this in church. I got saved. How was I supposed to know that breaking a mirror didn't mean seven years of bad luck?

[Pastor]

See, the question. Is this a demon? It could be, but that's not where we start. Where we start is, is this ice? And here's why I'm arguing it's ice. Superstition. Superstition is a symptom, not the sickness. When my superstition revealed, I had a deficit when it came to me understanding the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God is His supreme authority, his absolute rule. His total control over all creation, circumstances and events within. Nothing happening outside of his knowledge, his permission, or his ultimate purpose.

[Assistant]

So even if he doesn't cause it.

[Pastor]

Come on here, he will use it.

[Assistant]

And here's the truth about sovereignty that cannot be overlooked.

[Pastor]

Sovereignty by definition is absolute.

[Assistant]

It cannot be divided, it cannot be delegated, and it cannot be shared.

[Pastor]

So either God has the last say or he doesn't.

[Assistant]

And superstition suggests that there are forces operating in the universe independent of God's control. Superstition suggests that luck, fate, or cosmic karma can override his will for your life. Superstition suggests you need backup, protection beyond God's promises. But listen to what David said in Psalms 139. He says, all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Let me give it to you the way we would give it to you at the Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church in Killmichael, Mississippi. What God has for me.

[Pastor]

It is for me.

[Assistant]

God has already determined my day. So Friday the 13th does not have any special power over my life. And black cats can't shift my destiny. And broken mirrors can't block my blessing. What God has written for me cannot be erased by a black cat.

[Pastor]

And here's the issue. Here's why God wants that ice out of your cup. Christians who are superstitious are always infected with anxiousness. Because your welfare is now in the hands of something random. That you can't control. Did you hear what I just said? Okay, just ice check. Maybe we move from the ice of superstition to the ice of spiritualism. This refers to practices that seek spiritual knowledge, power, or communion through means that God has explicitly forbidden. Did I call anybody a demon? Have I called anybody dumb? Right. Okay. Some stuff we don't know until we talk. So I want to do this charitably. Here's what this means. An example of this would be mediums, psychics, seances, attempting to contact the dead, palm reading, fortune telling and spirit guides. Stay with me. Deuteronomy 18, verse 9 says, when you enter the land the Lord your God has given you. Do not learn to imitate the detestable ways of the nation. There. Let no one be found among you who sacrifices their son or daughter in fire, who practices divination or sorcery, interprets omens, engages in witchcraft, casts spells, or who is a medium or spiritist who consults the dead. It's quiet. In First Timothy 4. 1, it says, the spirit clearly says that in latter times some will abandon.

[Assistant]

The faith and follow the deceiving spirit.

[Pastor]

Deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Now, I never seen a demon in a classroom, so how am I taught by demons? Because demonic ideology doesn't show up looking like demonic ideology.

[Assistant]

Did you hear what I just said?

[Pastor]

If Eve in the Garden of Eden.

[Assistant]

Had known that the snake was the devil, she would have never engaged. But the reason she engaged is because she didn't know she was engaging with the demonic. And so she pursues something that she thinks is going to make things better, But ultimately it made things worse. Am I making sense?

[Pastor]

Because everything spiritual. I'm gonna have to talk about this next week and I gotta explain it. Everything spiritual in Godly. Everything spiritual in godly. Everything spiritual in godly. Everything spiritual in godly. Everything spiritual in godly. But because it's spiritual, spiritual, it can be supernatural.

[Assistant]

And because it's supernatural, we think it's godly. I don't have time. Yes, I do. It's the 12:30. I got time.

[Pastor]

When Moses was engaging with Pharaoh's magicians, Moses threw down the rod, and the.

[Assistant]

Rod became a snake.

[Pastor]

Pharaoh's magicians threw down the rod and theirs became a snake.

[Assistant]

Both are supernatural. We can think. Because it's supernatural, it's godly.

[Pastor]

This is what.

[Assistant]

Oh, gosh. This is why. This is why you can get your palm read.

[Pastor]

And it's right.

[Assistant]

You're like, oh, my God, this is right. The question isn't Is the information accurate? The question is what source did they tap into? What source did they tap into to get that information? Because the enemy wants to use the perceived accurate accuracy of the information to get us to validate and to trust that which is ultimately going to lead us to self destruction.

[Pastor]

This is why horoscopes feel so right. I'm not saying it's a demon. I'm saying it's ice. Let me tell you why. You mean to tell me that the position of stars and planets when I'm born determines my personality, my compatibility with other people, my future and my decisions. So whether or not we are compatible is based on when my mama had me. Or as a born again believer who believes in sanctification, transformation, who all throughout scripture can check, can track name changes. That's an indication of radical transformation in.

[Assistant]

The personality of people. Somebody like Jacob being a scammer and.

[Pastor]

A trickster and a con artist name.

[Assistant]

Being changed to Israel, which means prince with God. Not a better version of the old self, a completely different version. Here is why this becomes ice. Guys, horoscopes makes your personality permanent and gives you an excuse not to evolve. So when you say I'm this or that, I'm naturally jealous or vindictive. When you say that's just my nature. We're removing personal responsibility for growth and we are undermining the transformative power of the Holy Spirit that makes us new creatures in Christ. If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature. All things are passed away and all things. Secondly.

[Pastor]

It underestimates how your life experiences have shaped you. It reduces the complexity of your personality to the month you were born. And it ignores your trauma, it ignores your upbringing, ignores your healing, it ignores your environment, ignores your relationships. You did not develop trust issues because you were a Capricorn.

[Assistant]

You develop trust issues because somebody betrayed you and God needs to heal it. You are not defensive because you're an Aries. You're defensive because you got criticized growing up. And you're dealing with hypersensecurity, hyper insecurity and insecurity on the inside.

[Pastor]

Did I call anybody a demon? Did I call anybody dumb? Just check that ice. Because you will limit who you can become. Because you believe you are stuck in.

[Assistant]

A cycle of behavior just because the description seems to match you now.

[Pastor]

Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. Hallelujah. He told Jeremiah, before I form you.

[Assistant]

In the mother's womb, I knew you, God picked when I would be here. And if he picked January, then January, the right month for Me. If he picked February, then February is the right month for me. If he picked March, then March is the right month for me. And I will be be all God called me to be, no matter what month I was born in.

[Pastor]

Number three. Number three. I need to check my ice. For sorcery, this is the practicing of forbidden spiritual manipulation. Using rituals, spells or magic to control outcomes, forces or people. Now when I say sorcery, some people think of Harry Potter. But. But Paul says sorcery is actually there's a fruit of the spirit. Paul calls sorcery the work of the flesh. He says the works of the flesh are evident. Sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery. So how is sorcery a work of the flesh? Because it is motivated from a place of self reliance and self vindication. So you hurt me so bad I'm not going to trust God with my justice and vindication. I'm going to go find somebody that can poke some holes in some. It's rooted in self reliance. Did you hear what I just said? It shows up in the form of witchcraft, black magic, white magic, hoodoo, voodoo, and so much more. And when an individual engages with. I'm gonna talk about this next week. Or entertains these source of activity, it is an invitation for demonic visitation. Listen to me. When you and I engage in practices designed to manipulate spiritual forces, you're opening a door, but you can't control what walked through it. Come on here. And I'm gonna talk about this next week, okay? Because many of us, we grew up in church, we heard these terms and people that mean, well, I'm not critiquing. They just didn't explain it to us, you know what I mean? So sometimes I'm like, do I have a demon or not?

[Assistant]

Or can I have a demon?

[Pastor]

I'm a Christian, you know what I mean? It's just like, you know, you go to altar, it's like, I guess they lay hands on me, I guess I got a demon, you know? And then, you know, come on.

[Assistant]

Now, some of us, it's like you.

[Pastor]

Go to altar, you just want prayer. They start calling out a demon, you leaving? Like, I didn't even know I had.

[Assistant]

A demon in me. Like, where is the demon?

[Pastor]

Like, so we need to explain some of this. But, but when I talk about an open door, I'm not talking about possession, I'm talking about harassment. Demonic harassment, which can manifest itself in the form of persistent nightmares, night terrors that are spiritually charged, intrusive thoughts that.

[Assistant]

Are violent and blasphemous and completely out of character for you. Unexplained illnesses or physical symptoms that don't.

[Pastor]

Respond to medical treatment. Depression or suicidal. Suicidal thoughts that come from nowhere. Therefore, as believers, we should not participate in this.

[Assistant]

Nor should you be intimidated or afraid when others try to curse, hex, or spiritually manipulate you. Because the blood of Jesus is a divine repellent against any curse. Did you hear what I just said? They tried to put it on you, but because you were under the blood, it can't stick. Did you hear what I just said? So they can poke as many dolls as they want to. They can pray as many dark prayers as they want to. I'm blessed. And the Bible says what God has blessed. No.

[Pastor]

You can't curse me.

[Assistant]

Hallelujah. You can try.

[Pastor]

Hallelujah.

[Assistant]

You can stay up all night. But the blood of Jesus not only expunges my sin, it gives me spiritual immunity against the forces of darkness that I don't even know are trying to come against me.

[Pastor]

Proverbs 26 says, Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest. So just come on here. So these are two birds that are always flying around. And it says, it's like a curse, an undeserved curse. It can't come to rest. So it's like they're flying, trying to find a place to land, but they can't. Did you hear what I just said? They're trying to find a place to land, but they can't. They're trying to find a place to land, but they can't. And just like a bird with no place to land, a curse without a cause has no place to stick.

[Assistant]

When there's no invitation to it or agreement with it, it can't stick. So witchcraft can't ruin me. A hex can't harm me Roots can't restrict me. Spells can't stop me. Curses can't claim me because I'm covered.

[Pastor]

So God says, I'm too sovereign for you to be anxious because you're superstitious. Take that ice out the cup, you weaken in the soda. If I'm sovereign, if I got the last say, then why do you have to be superstitious? God says, when I want to get a word to you, I get a word to you. You don't have to force when I speak. Y' all not talking to me. Paying somebody, trying to force me when I get ready.

[Assistant]

God wants you to know, when he gets ready to let you know what's going to happen in your next. He'll make you run into somebody at the food section in Publix that'll speak a word into your life. When God's got a word for you, he will make that word find you. Y' all aren't talking to me. I'll never forget.

[Pastor]

I was in college, real serious about my faith. I was super legalistic. Pharisee dated Pastor Shamika. Made her throw all the Brian McKnight CDs away.

[Assistant]

They ain't holy.

[Pastor]

Throw them away.

[Assistant]

Just. Just a Pharisee.

[Pastor]

And.

[Assistant]

And when you're a Pharisee, you feel.

[Pastor]

Bad about any little thing you do. And I had. Did something. And I'm just riding on the street in Jackson called Fortification Street. And I'm riding and I'm just feeling bad, and all of a sudden, this car kind of come and, like, kind of cut me off, and I'm kind of mad, and I'm at the red light, and I look at the tag.

[Assistant]

And the tag, say grace. I got to go. When God get ready to give you a word, he knows how to get the word to you at the right time. You don't have to call a hotline. You don't have to get your palm red when God gets ready.

[Pastor]

And you do not have to resort to black magic to punish those that hurt you.

[Assistant]

Hallelujah. The word says, vengeance is mine. I will repay, says the Lord. The Lord said, you keep your hands out of it. That's my business.

[Pastor]

I got it. There's some ice in the cup. That's taking the fears out of your faith. This don't go together. Christianity and superstition, Christianity and spiritualism. Christianity and sorcery. You adding something that's not needed. And in an attempt to try to make it better, you're making it worse. But in this season of your spiritual journey, may God show you how to.

[Assistant]

Work what's in your cup.

[Pastor]

I feel the Holy Ghost.

[Assistant]

I said it's in the cup. Everything you need is in the cup already.

[Pastor]

Next week, I'm gonna deal with what we need to do once we realize we have unconsciously, unintentionally put some stuff in our cup. Did you? Here's my heart. I hope you felt loved and not rebuked today. Because some of us have ice in our cup, because nobody taught us the difference between soda and ice. So there are things that we felt like it's two extremes. You felt like it's harmless, and then you got this. You got this camp in Christianity now. Where everything a demon, they need to read more. Need to read more. I spent a lot of time in theological and academic spaces. Daeshun, would you agree the most. The sharpest mentally are the least dogmatic. Because the more you know, the more you realize you don't know. So when you think you know everything that let me know you don't know much. So it's like, is this extreme? Like, oh, it's no big deal. It's just this and then everything. A demon. Those are the two extremes. When there's a third way. This might be sin, this might be. This might be sin, this might be demonic, this might not be demonic. But it's ice. And so it's not profitable. So I need to empty my cup of it. I'm not lucky. You look. I'm not lucky. You don't get from kill.

[Assistant]

I'm trying not to run. You don't get from kill. Michael, Mississippi being lucky. I'm blessed. Do I have any blessed people in the I'm not lucky. I'm blessed. I'm blessed in my going in, I'm blessed in my going out, I'm blessed life in my the city, I'm blessed. In the field, I'm blessed.

[Pastor]

That's not karma.

[Assistant]

That's favor on me. Did you hear what I just said? Blessed and highly favored.

[Pastor]

May the Lord bless you and keep you. May he cause his face of favor to shine up on you. May he be gracious to you, may he protect you, may he provide for you and may he grant you peace. This is my prayer for your life. In Jesus name. I want to hear one more war cry in here.

[Assistant]

Sam.