“Toking the Holy Spirit”
Matt S August 29th 2017 Part 8 (False teachings/heresy series)
I don’t know about you, but this would have to be some of the weirdest stuff that has been given “legitimate” place in Christendom (or should I say illegitimate). For those of you that don’t know what “toking” is, it refers (no pun intended) to the smoking of a marijuana cigarette, or joint. So let’s just put that all together, toking the Holy Spirit would be……… Smoking the Holy Spirit in a manner that one would normally consume a marijuana cigarette is nothing short of blasphemous in my opinion.
What if you saw advertising for an evangelical missions outreach called the Drunken Glory Tour? Really!! What impression does this give vulnerable, naive, impressionable folk, maybe this looks just like the world they already live in, why would they bother with this? Does it give them the impression that drunkenness is okay when the Bible says it’s not? See Ephesians 5:18, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Ephesians 5:18 says be filled with the spirit instead (as opposed to drunkenness).
Why would one want to “act out”, “emulate” drug taking activity in a way that is supposed to bring one closer to God? This is what pagan cultures do in order to connect with their gods (demonic entities).
I am no stranger to drugs and I can tell you that God was never in any of my own experiences; it was in fact the opposite. My times of remorse, guilt and shame were almost always after drug or alcohol use. The times that I have felt connected strongly to God, or felt his presence have often been quiet and reflective times, or they have just come out of the blue. My times where I am strongly connected to God are prayer times and praise and worship times. These are times when I am actively seeking to make a connection with God. I don’t need drugs or “acts” that would mimic mind altering experiences to connect with God. I simply make a conscious choice to do so.
I personally find these acts of emulating drug taking as irreverent and offensive, to the way we should be behaving toward the “Creator of the Universe”, and the Savior of mankind. I absolutely do believe there is room for fun in Christianity, we often don’t do enough of it, but the behaviour that accompanies these acts of drug taking is an act of silly, childish behaviour. As Paul says, we need to put away childish behaviour.
I have discussed in other articles, how people need to have their “ears tickled”, they need another fix, new experiences. They are either just wanting to fulfill selfish desires, or they are seeking to fill that “Jesus shaped hole” in their life, but they keep trying to put square pegs in round holes. Each new experience they try, just does not do it. And of course the groups peddling these experiences are leading these folk away from the real experience of the message of the Gospel. You may hear Jesus mentioned, but it is very unlikely you will hear anything that would convict of sin. This would just be a bit TOO uncomfortable and it might just deplete the financial profits of the said “ear ticklers”.
The non canonical “Book of Enoch” in Chapter 8 describes the fallen angel Semjaza/Amazarak teaching the sorcery/enchantments and the “cutting of roots”. Some say this was an agricultural practice; however I would suggest that there was a darker and more sinister purpose given that sorcery was also linked to this. I am aware that drugs/mind altering substances have been used in ancient occult practices, and in current New Age mystical and spiritual experiences, to enhance the “spiritual” connection. I am also aware that many drugs used in modern and alternative medicinal practice, are derived from the roots of plants and plant materials.
You also hear some “New Age” terms starting to creep in about having “mystical” experiences and adding “new stuff” to the Gospel message. “Here is one such thing”
In South American shamanistic culture, there is a drug called Ayahuasca, (iowaska, ayawaska) pronounced Io-waska. This drug has been used for many centuries as a hallucinogenic agent, to create a connection with the spiritual world, and interact with spiritual beings. This drug is being used as a lure for tourists to have mystical, spiritual experiences in places such as Peru. People are dying from this experience. I have had people tell me of personal experiences with Ayahuasca, where they have encountered dark and deeply evil entities that at first appeared to be good and benevolent. My suspicion is that this type of evil experience is much more common than is reported by the promoters of such tourism. I would also be concerned about the contact with evil entities and the doorways they have been opened into people’s lives. These (drug experiences) may have set up influence from demonic entities, or given the devil legal right or a foothold, to act in the lives of those seeking drug related “mystical” connections.
So what’s your point Matt?
Once again we have this culture of seeking highs, seeking a new experience, having a sign or wonder performed, having our ears tickled. Jesus commented on this and walked away………….
We have people in Christendom promoting the practice of getting high on the Holy Spirit or getting high on Jesus. Where does this come from? There is no precedent in scripture for this. I have heard some of the promoters of these ‘toking” practices make references to the Holy Spirit being likened to wine. This seems to be their justification for promoting or “acting out” drug taking activity. The spirit that sits behind this is pleasure seeking, sign seeking behaviour as well as demonic in nature. The names of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are mentioned by the “Tokers of the Holy Spirit” but they just seem to be names that are mentioned in passing to make it sound good.
2 Timothy 1:7 says (in short) that God gives us soundness of mind, of good judgement.
There are a multitude of Bible verses that tell us to be sober minded, here is a link to these verses on being “sober minded“. There is another thing that is truly good about being sober minded and that is we can be so much more “ALERT“.
So is it possible to have pleasure, happiness and joy with God? Absolutely it is! After all, is that not what people truly desire from a relationship with God?
When people use drugs they are seeking to give themselves an altered state of their current reality. This altered state of reality brought on by the drugs or alcohol gives them temporary stress relief, relaxation, sedation, and or a state of euphoria or heightened awareness/alertness. There is a danger when you see “so called Christians” very publically promoting acts of drug use; I would have grave concern that there would be those that would interpret this as condoning actual drug use. Just check out You Tube on toking the Holy Ghost, these guys look “stoned”.
Joanie from AMTM informed me that there are now “Beer Churches” and Cannabis Churches“!!. I’m thinking that there won’t be a whole lot of sober mindedness going on there, it is also very unsurprising given that so many are now “holding to a form of godliness, but denying it’s power“. Paul advises us to avoid such men as these.
“I know from my own relationship with God that the peace, joy and happiness come as a result of my connecting with God. I know that I do not need to pretend to “toke” the Holy Spirit to in order to have this peace. Is this peace always there for me? No it’s not, but when I seek God and come before him both in prayer, worship and repentance, the peace and joy come in as a result of this.”
We do not need to use drugs to find God; we do not even need to pretend to use drugs to find God. He is there for us irrespective of these things. There are many who understand that there is a futility in using drugs, after a while the drugs just don’t fill that gap, you need more to achieve the same high, the effect of the drug is only temporary and drugs have side effects!! Most of all drugs just don’t fill that Jesus shaped hole inside us. That gap inside is reserved for Jesus only. Jesus is the way the truth and the life, no man gets to the Father except through him. He not only fills the gap inside us, He fills the gap to our Father God. There is no other way to God.
If anyone reading this article is having difficulties with drugs or alcohol, please understand that I am not condemning you, I truly understand this situation. Please get some help, firstly take it to God and ask Him for help, He will be faithful in helping you, I know this personally. If you take these things to Him with repentance and a sincere heart, He will not let you down, just be open to His help, it may not always come in the way you expect, but it will be the best way. If you are involved with any of these folks that encourage drug taking in God’s name, “Toking the Holy Spirit”, “Drunkenness in the Spirit”, please separate yourselves away from them, and please warn any folks doing this (in love) to examine closely what they are doing in the light of scripture, as it is NOT of God.
God bless you all, walk well in Jesus this week, stay sober and alert for the devil is always looking for someone to pick on, and if the devil does pick on you, submit yourself to God and the devil will flee.
Here is my gmail address, if anyone has a question or a comment they can send it to me. I am not on Face Book; I struggle to keep up with emails at times as I work full time. If you do send me an email I will do my best to respond to you however it may not be quick response. My gmail address is as follows; mattsamtm@gmail.com
RESEARCH. (The author of this article may not necessarily agree with all the views expressed in the research material)
http://trpost.blogspot.co.nz/2013/12/toking-ghost-revisited.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxunCIEI-18
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Church_of_Cannabis
http://biblereasons.com/is-smoking-weed-a-sin/
https://www.openbible.info/topics/sober_minded
https://lifehopeandtruth.com/relationships/health/temple-of-the-holy-spirit/
http://qbible.com/enoch/8.html
https://www.openbible.info/topics/i_will_never_leave_you_nor_forsake_you
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