From: inteligencialtda
Pastor Antonio Junior’s journey is a profound narrative of personal transformation and redemption journey, marked by early spiritual curiosity, a period of adolescent rebellion, a definitive encounter with God, and a divine calling to ministry. His experiences provide personal and supernatural experiences related to faith and insights into the nature of spiritual warfare, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and the transformative power of God’s grace.
Early Life and Spiritual Exploration
Antonio Junior grew up in São Sebastião do Paraíso, Minas Gerais, a countryside city with about 70,000 inhabitants [05:17:00], where he enjoyed a wonderful and healthy childhood, playing football in the streets [07:29:00]. His family was Catholic, but they also frequented a Spiritist Center, leading to a mixed spiritual upbringing [07:41:00]. Many people, he notes, believe in both Spiritism and Catholicism simultaneously [07:56:00].
Around the age of 10 or 12, Antonio had an early spiritual experience while on a mountain near his city [08:46:00]. Looking at the landscape, he spontaneously thought of God and felt a great peace, which he kept to himself [08:57:00]. Later, in Rio de Janeiro, unable to sleep, he remembered this feeling and prayed, “God, if you exist, I want to meet you” [09:32:00]. This personal and supernatural experience related to faith brought him profound peace, but he didn’t know how to find God or which religion was the way [09:53:00].
Adolescent Struggles and Occult Encounters
Antonio’s adolescence mirrored that of many young people, involving drinking and drugs [10:28:00]. He admits to smoking marijuana and using other drugs, causing his parents distress, as they hadn’t taught him such behaviors [10:57:00]. He recognized an inner emptiness that these activities couldn’t fill [11:13:00].
He was deeply interested in rock music and esotericism, listening to diverse genres and engaging with esoteric practices like burning incense [11:23:00]. He formed a punk-rock band, which initially aimed for fame and money [12:01:00]. His appearance at the time was extreme: eight earrings, black nail polish, red hair, and ripped clothes [12:47:00].
At 16, he began dating a girl whose family practiced Candomblé [13:36:00]. Despite his family’s Catholic background, they were also Spiritists and had some apprehension about Candomblé [14:50:00]. Antonio recounts a visit to a Candomblé center where he witnessed entities materialize and people “squirming” and changing shape [15:03:00]. A materialized entity spoke to him, offering its name and promising help if he ever needed it [19:19:00]. This entity gave seemingly good advice, but Antonio later understood it as a deceptive tactic of the enemy [18:33:00]. He kept the entity’s name for about two or three years [19:28:00].
The week following this experience was the “worst of his life,” filled with thoughts of death [20:32:00]. He even wrote a goodbye letter to his family [20:46:00]. Considering calling the entity for help, an inner voice, which he now attributes to God’s Spirit, told him not to, as “it is not from God” [21:30:00].
A Divine Encounter and Personal Transformation and Faith
His paternal grandmother, a fervent Catholic, experienced a significant health improvement after his brother prayed for her, leading her to convert to evangelicalism [22:31:00]. She visited his room, filled with esoteric items, and asked to pray for him [22:48:00]. Though he initially dismissed it, he believes God was already acting [24:03:00].
His girlfriend then called him, crying, and ended their relationship, mentioning a severe headache and saying “it won’t work” [24:23:00]. Antonio later realized this breakup might have been influenced by her consultation with the entity he had encountered [26:13:00].
Leaving her house, on a dark street, he remembered his earlier prayer on the mountain for a girlfriend and, instead, thanked God by praying the Lord’s Prayer [26:39:00]. It was then that he heard the voice of God for the first time, powerfully saying, “My son, you are very valuable to me, and you will still see the great work that I will do in your life” [26:57:00]. He cried like a child, feeling an unprecedented peace [27:17:00].
The Path to Ministry and Overcoming Challenges
Upon sharing his experience at school, his friends mocked him, telling him it was “nonsense” and that God doesn’t speak to people like that [28:00:00]. The enemy also tried to make him doubt his experience [28:20:00].
During this period of overcoming personal challenges and transformation, he reconnected with a cousin, PH, who had radically converted to evangelicalism [31:56:00]. PH explained how Jesus had changed his life and shared basic biblical concepts about sin and salvation [33:17:17]. Antonio initially resisted, but his cousin’s transformed life intrigued him [32:36:00].
Antonio decided to visit an evangelical church. His first attempt on a Wednesday prayer day was daunting, as people were praying loudly [38:34:00]. He eventually attended a Sunday service, where a sister named Fatima recognized him from his father’s store (where he had appeared with painted nails and torn clothes) and welcomed him warmly, revealing she had prayed for him [42:06:00]. He attended in a “Sepultura” band T-shirt, thinking no one could convert him [42:22:00].
The Call to Pastor and Spiritual Gifts
Antonio was deeply impacted by the church’s messages and praise [42:48:00]. During a prayer vigil, he felt a strong desire to speak with God. Spontaneously, he declared to his friends, “God is going to talk to me now!” [45:35:00]. His body began to shake, and he felt extreme heat. A deacon, Pedrinho, then opened the Bible and described Antonio’s life as a “totally troubled” boat about to sink, echoing his previous thoughts of death [46:57:00]. The deacon called him to surrender his life to Jesus [48:01:00].
In that moment, a “movie” of his past sins played in his mind, and he felt deep regret [48:17:00]. He surrendered to Jesus, feeling an intense peace and crying like a baby [48:40:00]. He knew God had spoken to him [49:00:00].
Leaving the vigil, he had his first contact with the supernatural: he saw a “wizard guy” crouched in the woods, an image no one else saw [49:23:00]. When he told a girl about it, she told him to “cast out in the name of Jesus,” which he did, and the image vanished [49:47:00]. He later understood this was the enemy trying to dissuade him [49:51:00].
The next day, filled with peace, he called his cousin, excited to share his encounter with God [50:07:00]. He could no longer hide his faith, publicly declaring himself “of Jesus” [50:34:00]. Many, including his teachers and school friends, doubted his conversion, believing it was a “straw fire” that would pass [51:01:00]. His family feared he would become the “black sheep” [51:57:00].
Confirmation of Pastoral Calling
He began to question God’s plan for his life. During a vigil, a girl from his church, Anna Claudia, prayed for him, revealing he would reach people across Brazil and beyond, despite his shyness and past as a band singer who looked at the floor [53:02:00].
At a “Toque no Altar” concert in Ribeirão Preto, a ministry known throughout Brazil, a speaker singled him out from a crowd of three thousand, prophesying that “God will use you mightily; God will do a work” [53:46:00]. This confirmed his calling and made him feel both amazed and undeserving [54:30:00].
Antonio’s parents, witnessing his radical personal transformation and redemption journey, encouraged him to pursue seminary, offering financial support [01:08:20]. His father said, “Your business is God, man… go to China, I’ll pay you” [01:08:48]. He attended a seminar in Belo Horizonte [01:09:05].
During a carnival camp, feeling frustrated about his plans, God renewed him and prophesied, “It was I who brought you from that city because I have a work for you here, and from today I begin to restore each area of your life” [01:10:05]. It was at this camp that he met his future wife, Taís, though she was initially uninterested in a relationship [01:10:42].
Antonio gave his first sermon in a simple, Pentecostal church, sharing his testimony by heart [01:12:15]. The pastor, previously unknown to Antonio, revealed a word from God, stating that Antonio had a dream of getting married and would soon be at their altar [01:12:34]. The pastor also told Antonio’s wife’s grandmother that Antonio would marry her granddaughter [01:13:33]. Antonio views this as God’s divine plan, though he acknowledges not everything in life is clearly revealed to everyone [01:13:51].
Spiritual Warfare and Gifts of the Holy Spirit
Antonio details his personal and supernatural experiences related to faith with spiritual warfare, especially in his early days as a convert. He explains that Satan, a former angel, is not omnipotent but is cunning and attempts to deceive by imitating God’s works [01:16:19]. The enemy, through “familiar spirits,” can use deception and mimic human actions, like handwriting, to perpetuate sin and imprisonment [02:55:56]. Antonio warns against underestimating the kingdom of darkness, which is organized and powerful, though not more powerful than God [02:59:45].
He recounts experiences with demon-possessed individuals, where people would become demonized after frequenting terreiros (Candomblé temples) [01:51:41]. He clarifies that a “born-again” Christian cannot be possessed by a demon, but their soul and mind can be oppressed if they give the enemy an “opening” through unconfessed sin or unforgiveness [01:52:47]. This oppression manifests as discouragement, a feeling of “weight,” or an inability to detach from negative feelings [01:53:39].
Antonio discusses the gift of tongues, which he sought and received after a three-day fast [00:58:08]. He describes it as an “incredible experience” where the Holy Spirit filled him, bringing immense peace and the ability to pray without his mouth writing consciously [01:00:38]. He believes this gift is for personal edification and that it “enabled me [to have] access to more things” [01:17:37]. While not everyone will pray in tongues, it doesn’t make them less special [01:22:18].
He also explains the difference between the gifts of words of knowledge (relating to the past), words of wisdom (relating to the future), and prophecy (preaching God’s word) [01:23:45]. God often confirms what He has already been speaking to a person’s heart [01:24:38].
Law vs. Grace and Free Will
Antonio elaborates on the theological distinction between the Law and Grace. The Law, given through Moses, served to reveal sin and show humanity’s inability to live righteously without God [02:03:39]. Grace, on the other hand, came through Jesus, who made the “complete perfect sacrifice” on the cross, offering forgiveness and salvation [02:00:08]. Under Grace, believers are not saved by works but by faith, and sin no longer separates them from God because Jesus already paid the price [02:15:15].
He emphasizes that while a born-again Christian will desire to please God and walk in His ways, they still struggle with the flesh. However, the Holy Spirit empowers them to overcome sin [02:15:57]. Living by the Law leads to frustration and bad fruit, as it focuses on human effort rather than God’s empowering grace [02:22:46]. God’s kindness, not fear of punishment, leads to true repentance [02:25:02].
Regarding free will, Antonio believes that while God has a plan and knows the future, He does not force anyone [02:46:08]. He points out that God’s grace motivates and enables individuals, but they must choose to follow His path [02:46:08]. God’s will is for everyone to be saved [02:46:42].
Secular Influences and Lifestyle
Antonio addresses the common Christian debate about secular music and arts. He believes God has no interest in taking believers “out of the world” but rather freeing them from evil, so they can influence people within the world [02:37:42]. While he no longer listens to heavy rock bands, he enjoys romantic rock, recognizing that music is a gift from God [02:38:29].
He argues against strict rules about external appearances (like tattoos, painted nails, or cosmetic surgeries) because they don’t sanctify or grant power over sin [02:39:47]. True holiness comes from within [02:48:00]. Exaggerated vanity becomes problematic when it replaces one’s relationship with God [02:41:01]. However, drawing satanic symbols or engaging in occult practices like Ouija boards or astral travel are dangerous, as they facilitate demonic access [02:41:47].
Antonio’s spiritual conversions and personal anecdotes highlight his deep commitment to living by faith and serving others, a testament to the transformative power of God’s grace in his life. He frequently advises others to seek God’s guidance and rely on the Holy Spirit rather than human effort or rigid rules.