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I used to sit on my roof, smoking marijuana, trying to send mental signals to UFOs to pick me up and take me on a trip to the Pleiades. I often used psychedelics to “expand my mind” and help me connect with the multiverse. I had a theory that I was more connected with other dimensions while I was on LSD. While I thought I was becoming more spiritual and increasing my awareness, it was actually leading me to a very dark place. I began to hear audible voices and had a direct, open encounter with multiple demons that lasted for months. I wrote about it in my book Devil Walk. Click for more on my book Devil Walk.
This article isn’t about that encounter, it’s about the mindset that facilitated the encounter. I believed that I could become more spiritual through the knowledge of secrets. I believed that I could ascend the “human condition” through expanded consciousness. The agent of expansion was psychedelics. I believed we were evolving into more spiritual beings. I believed aliens were more advanced humans, and could help me learn to become more evolved. I believed there were secrets I could learn in that altered state that would teach me to live in a higher plane.
Charismatics Are Like New Agers
The New Age community predominantly believes in evolution. They believe that the next phases of human evolution are not physical but spiritual in nature. In other words, we’re not evolving a better body, we’re developing a more spiritual mind or consciousness. This evolved consciousness will be able to interact with higher dimensions of existence that are free from illness, disease, government, religion, war, and a host of other worldly constructs. Many new agers believe you can tap into that realm through drugs.
Why am I making this point? Because many Christians believe the same thing, although they use different terms.
Spiritual Evolution
Spiritual evolution is actually a very common mindset in some circles of Christianity. Charismatic Christians are not necessarily using drugs to try to become more evolved spiritually, but they’re trying to become more spiritual, none the less. The truth is that we are complete in Christ, we have God’s spirit within us and we are as spiritual as we’ll ever be. We can become more confident in the power that is within us, but we can never gain more anointing or power. Most folks would actually agree with that but when the rubber meets the road, many Christians still believe things like this…
There are different kinds of anointings (healing, prophetic, etc…)
You can receive different anointings or gifts through impartation
You can carry someone else’s mantle (anointing)
You can gain more power over higher levels of demons through fasting
There are keys to receive more anointing/power
You can walk in the gifts more as you live more holy
The list goes on. When the Apostle Paul outlines the 9 Gifts or Graces of the Holy Spirit that God will empower within believers, he is very intentional to say there’s one spirit, one baptism of that spirit, one Lord, one body and it’s the same spirit who works all those graces in different people. All the gifts/graces are in all believers but God will lead different people to walk in the gifts/graces in different ways at different times.
Impartation
I make the point because too many believers have been taught that they are not as far along as they should be because they’re not performing miracles or giving prophecies. These kinds of teachers often offer the opportunity for an impartation so you can receive something you didn’t have before or walk in a power they’re walking in. It’s just simply not the way it works.
Many pull their beliefs about impartation from 2 Timothy 1:6 where Paul instructs Timothy to “fan into flame the gift that’s in him through the laying on of my hands.” Remember from my last two articles (here and here) that to have the spirit of God is to be anointed, and that anointing abides.
Paul is referring to Timothy’s ordination at Lystra, when Paul formally placed him as a shepherd in the church. He’s reminding Timothy that his assignment is to not be ashamed and preach the Gospel. If you read the whole chapter, the context is being placed in the body of Christ as an apostle and teacher, not receiving a power he didn’t already have.
How To Operate In The Gifts
Ok, now that you understand that you don’t need another anointing, more power or to grow spiritually, let’s talk about the actual gifts. The graces/gifts of the spirit are simply empowerments that God works through you for the benefit of all.
If you want to operate in the gifts/graces of God’s spirit within you, here are the ingredients.
Love people, see the person you’re praying for through the eyes of God’s love for them
Be at peace within your own heart, mind and soul
Acknowledge God within
Act on the inspiration that arises
Act On Inspiration
Love never fails! If you want to see God move through you and touch people’s lives with his power, love them. Don’t lead with the gift, don’t worry about trying to give a word or get them healed, just love them. Allow’s God’s love for that person to come alive within you to the point that you’re not even thinking about their need or any gift you want to operate in.
Then…
TRUST GOD!! The Holy Spirit will teach you what to do. Yes, really, that’s it! I promise you God is speaking to you and influencing your heart on what action to take next. No one can activate you into it, no one can impart something to you to make you do it, God won’t give you secret knowledge to help you understand it, but God will influence you and will teach you what to do and say.
How do you hear from him, how do you know what he’s saying? You tell me. You’ll never know if you don’t act.
I am not offering you a course in miracles, an outline of how to get words of knowledge or any information that will give you understanding, I’m simply telling you to love people and trust that God will lead you. You can do it. You hear and follow God better than you think you do. Get over the fear, the shame, the confusion, and act on love.
