Witchcraft and Sorcery in the Church
An astounding 70 million Americans are taking legal mind-altering drugs right now.
The sad spiritual condition of the church today is a direct result of the sad spiritual condition of its elders and leaders. And as their spiritual condition worsens so does the Churches.
When you mix, prescription drugs, a heavy emphasis on revelation and experiential and emotion driven religion over Scriptural Doctrine and obedience to the Torah/Word then you wind up with a church ripe for deception and lying spirits. The gateways to satanic influences have been thrown wide open. And that is what we are seeing in churches today.
“pharmakia”
The Greek word “pharmakia” literally means “drugs”, and appears five times in the New Testament: in Gal 5:20, Rev 9:21, 18:23, 21:8, and 22:15.
“Pharmakia” is translated into our English Bible as either “witchcraft” or “sorceries”. We also get our English word “pharmacy” from the Greek word “pharmakia”.
In each of the above five passages, “pharmakia”, or “drugs” is listed as a work of the flesh of man as opposed to the Spirit of YAHUAH working in us.
For example, Gal 5:16-23 in the KJV:
16 “[This] I say then, Walk in the RUACH (Spirit), and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
17 For the flesh lusteth against the RUACH (Spirit), and the RUACH (Spirit) against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
18 But if ye be led of the RUACH (Spirit), ye are not under the law.
19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
20 Idolatry, witchcraft (“pharmakia” or drug use), hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, 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 YAHUAH.
22 But the fruit of the RUACH (Spirit) is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance (self control) : against such there is no law.”
The King James Bible translators translated “pharmakia” as “witchcraft”, because almost no one but witches and sorcerers used drugs 400 years ago. Drugs were most commonly used in pagan worship to hallucinate and to try to get in touch with evil spirits.
This can be serious stuff! In Revelation 21:8, YAHUAH says that people who are continually characterized by drug use will have no part in the Kingdom of YAHUAH.
Now many people think that when the NT/Renewed Covenant speaks of drug use that it is only talking about Illegal drug use, but I believe it is also speaking of those people who call themselves Christians but are relying on Legal Prescription drugs.
Now I am not saying that everyone who has to take prescription drugs are part of the people that the Renewed Covenant (New Testament) is talking about here, but I have noticed the prevalent and growing disturbing trend within the church of “Christians using on a regular and continuing basis: mind altering prescription pain killers, anti-depressants, nerve pills , and also other strong prescription drugs that if the taker wanted to could reduce or eliminate the use of via their own self control or a life style change.
I have even seen a person who was supposed to be heading up an addictive habit deliverance ministry who had diabetes but refused to alter their eating habits but instead chose to rely on an insulin pump to control their sugar levels so the person could eat what they wanted and admittedly said so!
Yes there are people who have diabetes and it wouldn’t matter if they altered their eating habits, they would still need to take insulin. But if you can control your eating habits but refuse to and have to rely on a drug because of your refusal then that is a sin. Not to mention the damage that too much un-neccessary insulin dependence can do to your body over a long period of time. How can you teach others how to be delivered of sinful addictive habits if you refuse to give up one yourself? Many people have the mistaken idea today that they need not bring their flesh under control where they are able to.
But the Apostle Paul says in 1 Corinthians 9:27:
But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.
The Church in America is increasingly populated by people who remain dependent and bound to the addictions of their flesh, and these are not new Christians but Christians who are leaders of others. When you leaders who are still bound to fleshly addictions how can they be a qualified vessel that the Set-Apart Spirit can work through?
What we are increasingly seeing is bound up false Christians who think the Holy Spirit is about dancing around the floor and getting a fuzzy feeling inside. They then pass this misconception on to others whom they lead, is it any wonder that there is a lack of the transforming power of the Set-Apart Spirit in Churches today?
As it says in Ya’aqov (James) 5:13-15:
Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the Assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of YAHUSHA. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and YAHUAH will raise him up.
Again many people misunderstand what Elder means in this passage. They think well because someone has the official title of Elder or leader in a Church then that person’s prayers will be more effective.
But the emphasis here is not on the official position of Elder or Leader, it is the spiritual condition that the Elder was in that determined the effectiveness of their prayer.
As in Ya’aqov’s (James’s) day to be an Elder meant you were a mature Qodeshiym (Set-Apart One) who exhibited the power of the RUACH HA’QODESH (Set-Apart Spirit) in your life which meant you were not bound to fleshly addictions.
The sad spiritual condition of the church today is a direct result of the sad spiritual condition of its elders and leaders. And as their spiritual condition worsens so does the Churches.
When you mix, prescription drugs, a heavy emphasis on revelation and experiential and emotion driven religion over Scriptural Doctrine and obedience to the Torah/Word then you wind up with a church ripe for deception and lying spirits. The gateways to satanic influences have been thrown wide open. And that is what we are seeing in churches today.
Witchcraft Isn’t Always What You Think It Is.
In fact many people don’t know that Pharmaceutical Drugs is Witchcraft!
The word Pharmacy comes from the Greek word Pharmika which means Magic, Sorcery, and Enchantment.
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Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, 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 YAHUAH.
GALATIYM (GALATIANS) 5:19-21
Strong’s Concordance 5331. pharmakeia
pharmakeia: the use of medicine, drugs or spells. Original Word: φαρμακεία, ας, ἡ. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine. Transliteration: pharmakeia. Phonetic Spelling: (far-mak-i’-ah) Definition: the use of medicine, drugs or spells. Usage: magic, sorcery, enchantment. HELPS Word-studies. 5331pharmakeía(from pharmakeuō, “administer drugs”) – properly, drug-related sorcery, like the practice of magical-arts, etc.
Source:
https://biblehub.com/greek/5331.htm
