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.

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 your leaders who are still bound to fleshly addictions (1 Timothy 3:1-7) how can they be a qualified vessel that the Holy 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 Holy Spirit in Churches today?

As it says in 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 church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord 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 James day to be an Elder meant you were a mature Christian who exhibited the power of the Holy 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. There is a fleshly leaning to the trust in government “health” organizations, rules and orders rather than leaning on the everlasting arms of God! Instead of the TRUTH the Church leaders lean on feel good feeling of social acceptance.