Psychology/modern therapy has watered down (much of Western) Christianity to a neutered self-help program that cares more about not “hurting people’s feelings” than it does for changing the world.
Christians struggle not with principalities but with upsetting those around them (and sadly consider it persecution if they do), instead of shouting from the rooftops what they believe.
A.I. is writing many pastors’ sermons now because it gives them a chance to “hit the green” after a tough day of praying for someone.
People consider a degree more valuable than the Word of God.
And the common carnal person doesn’t know what to believe as truth anymore. Every article is glanced at with scrutiny because A.I./media has destroyed trust in people. Did the President/politician/celebrity really say that? Did that event happen? Does that city look like that?
Truth is compromised. It is not even on trial before Pilate; it’s thought to be unattainable.
Without truth, without trust, without faith-filled, bold Christians, and without Spirit-filled, fiery ministers, we are left with a dystopia.
1984 taught that the control of intelligence and fear would destroy us. Brave New World surmised that sexual freedom and euphoria would be our downfall. Fahrenheit 451 guessed that the destruction of knowledge and creativity would kill us. That Hideous Strength knew that the real threat was in our universities being overtaken by the works of demon-possession by professors and world-leaders who didn’t know their new psychedelic friend was not an alien or “spirit entity” but actually a demon.
They all were frighteningly close to our present (C.S. Lewis will probably prove to be the most accurate, and his was the only book with a solution). In reality, it’s simply the abandonment of Truth that will destroy us.
What is truth? (John 18:38)
His name is Jesus. And every knee will bow to Him. (Romans 14:11)
The question will be whether He knew you and you knew Him. (Matthew 7:27)
Did you know “what is truth?”
The life of chasing after people’s affections and approval is gone. (John 2:24) We need to chase after Him. (Matthew 6:33) And nothing more. We need to love Christ so much that it looks like we hate our mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters. (Luke 14:26) We need to get uncomfortable in our lives. Live by faith. (Romans 1:17) Walk by faith. (2 Corinthians 5:7) Renew our minds to be like Him. (Romans 12:1-2) Please God with our faith. (Hebrews 11:6) We need to cast out demons, raise the dead, heal the sick, and save those around us. (Matthew 10:8)
A.W. Tozer lamented eighty-years ago: “How tragic that we in this dark day have had our seeking done for us by our teachers…The lack of it has brought us to our present low estate. The stiff and wooden quality about our religious lives is a result of our lack of holy desire. Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth. Acute desire must be present or there will be no manifestation of Christ to His people. He waits to be wanted. Too bad that with many of us He waits so long, so very long, in vain.”
There are no adjectives allowed in front of our Christian identity. Nothing to add to make someone understand why you are the kind of Christian you are. When you add an adjective to a noun, you alter its identity to fit a descriptor. A “car” is an automobile. But “THIS BLUE, RUSTY car” has become something else, something homogenous and specific, isolated from simply “carriage”. An adjective changes the nature of that noun.
But we aren’t meant to change the nature of Christ. We are meant to become it through the renewing of our minds as a living sacrifice.
There aren’t black, white, yellow, or red Christians. No Republican or Democrat Christians. No Methodist, Unitarian, Baptist, Catholic, or Non-Denominational Christian. You can’t be a gay Christian. Or a pro-choice Christian. Because all of those adjectives change the identity of the noun. There is neither Greek nor Jew; male nor female. (Galatians 3:28)
I’m merely Christian—“little Christ” or “anointed one”. And as a Christian, that identity means I change myself into being like Him. That means I only live by what the Bible teaches and I live by what it demands of me. And in obedience to Him, I find His pleasure and purpose. He delights in life. He knew you and hand-hewn you in your mother’s womb, making you fearfully and wonderfully. (Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:14). Therefore, you can’t accept the idea of abortion as good or just. It is wrong. Marriage between a man and woman is the first and ONLY institution that we still have in effect that God first created. (Genesis 2:24) Every other institution (the church, government, law, and covenant) was made after sin. But marriage between one man and one woman was His original concept and plan. It is truth.
As I said earlier, modern psychology has put the focus on the self. Self-esteem, self-love, and self-confidence. But Christ taught us that our self was to become less and less. “More of Him and less of me.” He must increase, I must decrease. (John 3:30) Elijah was the greatest prophet, full of power and confidence, until he considered his own life, fled, and wallowed on the mountainside, ultimately giving up his ministry in depression. Yes, his soul was restored on the way to the clouds, but his power was not.
This pitiful idea of loving your self and taking care of yourself above all other things has led to many disillusioned, depressed, and ineffectual Christians. We weren’t meant to live with our selves on our minds, but Christ and His Bride. Yet modern psychology has taught a generation that every fault, sin, or mistake of theirs is the product of someone else hurting them or a system taking advantage of them. “Point the finger at someone else and take no responsibility. It’s okay that you are a mess, embrace it. Embrace your feelings and let them out.” But the Word teaches us to take every thought captive. (2 Corinthians 10:5) Self-control is a fruit of the Spirit. (Galatians 5:22) We must forgive our brother seventy times seven, or else the worm of bitterness will eat us away. (Matthew 18:21; Mark 9:48)
As modern psychology has been adopted more and more by churches, we have seen an uptick of depression, burnout, fear, anxiety, and unbelief in Christians. These churches aren’t teaching that we are all sinners in need of a Savior, or that we must renew our minds as living sacrifices; instead, it’s taught we can come as we are and stay as we are, so long as we serve on the “dream-team”, lead a small group, and greet people with a smile. In fact, it’s best you don’t get better because then you might evolve past our rudimentary help and not need us—isn’t that the model of the therapist as well? When a church operates like this, what is the difference between it and a psychotherapist office?
The church I grew up in didn’t operate like this. The pastors sought Jesus and His Spirit above all things. And the fulfillment of His Spirit and revelation made serving and generosity a joy and freedom. Instead, many churches today are teaching the notion that serving and generosity will get to you that fulfillment. But it won’t. Serving and generosity without the joy and presence of God are only “works”.
We are Christians; we hold the Creator of the universe inside of us. He can take every lump of coal and make a diamond; restore any soul by filling it with His Spirit. But that’s the rub; churches have elevated the mind—the soul—and forgotten the Spirit.
Meanwhile, in a world that throws Truth and Christ away, people turn to therapists as “secular priests” that offer nothing more than a pill and an ear to listen. I don’t mean that therapists are evil people—I assume, or hope, most got into the business to help others. Nor am I implying that someone seeking help is wrong in doing so. I’m merely pointing out that it’s not good enough. To go from “a messed up, broken train wreck” to “drug-addicted, anxious, afraid, yet socially acceptable” is not a solution.
Christ offers more, but if the Church is afraid to offer Him, what else does the person have?
And, what’s even sadder, many pastors have turned to the therapist for guidance, because they have become so consumed/addicted in their material well-being and the “chug-chugga-chug” of the weekend service, that they don’t know where else to turn and culture around them screams that this is the solution. They have forgotten how to take every thought captive, deal with their feelings and emotions (or were never discipled properly in the first place), and ran to the only place they still felt safe—a therapist—someone far removed from the Church body and “HIPPA law-mandated” not to share their secrets. Instead of iron sharpening iron, they got, “You’ve got to take time for yourself and love yourself better.”
It’s fluffy, it feels good, but it’s the wrong approach until it results in a pastor too afraid to pray with his church because it overwhelms him. And deep down, he knows it’s wrong, so he piles on more work and events to make it seem like he is productive, and round and round it goes. “Better get that staff worker to do more so I can hit the nine-iron and let go of some of this stress. But above all else, don’t spend time in the Word seeking Him. That would be too taxing.”
And the dilemma of a pastor not being in the Word has its carnal solution now, as well. And it’s been pushed by pastoral mentors and mega-church leaders left and right for the last four years plus. Artificial Intelligence. It’s a lot easier to get a message written by a computer in seconds than it is to seek the Lord all week. Why listen to the Holy Spirit when the computer will tell me what He said?
But who’s doing the talking? It’ll take a half-life of a generation before every minister brought up in this culture has zero-idea what the Bible actually teaches, and whatever corporation or demonic spirit that is influencing the A.I. can finally rewrite the Bible how they see fit.
I’ve seen and listened to it firsthand in ministry, preached from the pulpit to dozens, if not hundreds of pastors. The writing is on the wall. The cloudy hand is floating on the horizon. It’s coming. And it’s the thing that my mind runs to when I think of the state of the Church. I can’t help but feel agitated because I want people to know how magnificent their Creator is. He’s more than what many are regurgitated.
And if this is the end of our present, and many of us are to be whisked away to His presence soon enough, I want to know I did my best. I feel as if I’m a missionary for Christians, desiring to introduce Christians to Christ, so they can see how powerful and good He is. I’ve raised the dead, healed the sick, helped restore marriages, and been financially set free. And some religious person might say, “How dare you think you raised someone from the dead or did those things!” And I would quote Peter in Acts 3:6: “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ.”
Not because I am mighty, holy, brilliant, or special, but because He is mighty, holy, brilliant and living inside of me. And I believe His Word at face value. I refuse to change my mind to meet any experience or modern teaching. I only demand that my life looks like what Christ displayed, and until it does, I proclaim His truth.
I say all of this in order to prod and awaken my brothers and sisters. You can be bold in shouting from the rooftops what you believe and know as truth. You can stand against the things that are contrary to the Word. You can challenge your pastor and mentor. You can get on your face before God and seek Him for everything He is. The time is come.
I know some will like this post and some will not. Some may writhe and scream and show their demonic influence. And I even know many Christians will like it, but not say a word, because for them, it’s easier to not rattle cages, hurt feelings or “lose people”. They have made a friend of the world. And I would only respond with: “Have I become your enemy because I tell you the truth?” (Galatians 4:16)
I don’t want to be remembered as a Christian that played it safe or walked with his head tucked low between his shoulders. And I don’t want to stand before Christ and realize, I never knew Him—that I never knew Truth. But instead that I did know It, sought after It daily above all other things and shouted It from the rooftops. And you can and should, too.
Keith G. Alderman 