Discovering God's Grace: 5 Transformative Experiencers Every Christian Should Encounter

How to Deal with Experiencers

In the book "Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection," Gary Bates explores the UFO phenomenon from a biblical perspective. While the book provides background information and interpretation, it does not specifically focus on counseling individuals who claim to be experiencers. However, Bates acknowledges the importance of addressing this issue within the church.

Bates categorizes people's responses to UFO sightings and experiences into four groups. The first group consists of UFO skeptics, who interpret these events as natural or man-made phenomena. The second group, known as UFO true believers, strongly believe in extraterrestrial visitations and interpret every sighting as evidence. The third group includes Christians who tend to over-spiritualize these experiences, categorizing them as demonic. The fourth approach, which Bates advocates for, involves seeking natural explanations first and resorting to spiritual explanations only when the evidence supports it.

When it comes to individuals claiming first-hand encounters with extraterrestrial entities, the circumstantial evidence becomes more challenging to explain away. The book emphasizes the need for the church to accept and understand this phenomenon in order to reach potentially millions of people who are looking for answers. Unfortunately, many experiencers feel shunned by the church and turn to the UFO community for support, which further reinforces their belief in benevolent extraterrestrials.

In counseling experiencers, it is crucial for Christians to listen attentively without interjecting or denying their experiences. Instead of immediately trying to convince them they are being deceived, creating doubts can be a more effective approach. By providing information that contradicts their new belief system, Christians can help experiencers reevaluate their experiences and consider alternative explanations.

Experiencers often receive messages and information from these entities and may even be given missions or purposes. However, many of these claims can be shown to be false or not come to pass. By pointing out these inconsistencies, Christians can help experiencers question the credibility of these entities and their messages.

The book highlights that these experiences are mainly happening in the spiritual realm and are highly illusional. It warns that fallen angels, masquerading as benevolent aliens, can deceive people by implanting false memories and suggestions. By recognizing the deceptive nature of these entities and their lies, experiencers can begin to doubt their experiences and realize the malevolence behind them.

Bates also mentions that experiences often cease when individuals become Christians or invoke the name of Christ. This provides strong evidence for the spiritual nature of these alleged encounters.

In conclusion, counseling experiencers requires patience and empathy. By listening, creating doubts, and pointing out inconsistencies, Christians can help experiencers reevaluate their experiences and recognize the deceptive nature of these entities. The goal is to guide them towards a biblical understanding and ultimately find their answers in Christ.

Why This Matters: The UFO phenomenon is a significant cultural and spiritual issue that affects millions of people. As Christians, it is essential to engage with this phenomenon and provide support and guidance to those who claim to be experiencers. By understanding their experiences and addressing their concerns, the church can offer a loving and knowledgeable response that leads them to the truth found in Christ.

Think About It: How can the church create an environment where experiencers feel safe to share their stories without fear of judgment or rejection? How can Christians engage with this phenomenon without compromising biblical truth?