Faith on the Fringe
Leah Steele Barnett/Malaine Lea Butler
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Is Christian Celebrity Culture Idolatry? Two Ex-New Agers on Pedestals and Pitchforks
Your biggest cheerleaders will be the people holding the pitchforks. Leah and Malaine both spent years being platformed in the New Age, and both say what they're seeing in Christian celebrity culture right now goes further than anything they saw there. Nobody who ends up exposed online set out to start a cult. Good people with a heart for God get platformed and pedestaled, the work of maintaining the platform starts eating the time they used to spend with Him, pride finds an open door, and the same crowd that worshipped them shows up with pitchforks. Leah goes back to the affiliates she paid tens of thousands of dollars who turned on her hardest, and Malaine talks about the leaders who stop hearing the truth once everyone around them turns into a yes person. The second half turns to the whiplash of leaving the New Age for Jesus. Some swing into legalism and cessationism out of fear of being deceived again. Others land in hyper charismatic circles where the pedestals are even higher. Malaine tells the story of the nanny whose kindness led her to Jesus while she was still running New Age retreats, and Leah explains why it took her a full year to say yes to Him. So if Jesus stood next to you in church this Sunday, would He be thrilled with what He saw? JOIN THE FRINGE COMMUNITY ON PATREON: https://patreon.com/Faithonthefringe JOIN OUR MONTHLY BIBLE STUDY HERE: https://supernaturalbiblesessions.com "Throwing a pitchfork at somebody is not the kingdom of heaven. I'm pretty sure that's a different kingdom." -Leah Steele Barnett Key Takeaways Why nobody who gets exposed online starts out planning to manipulate the body of Christ. The warning Malaine got in the New Age about the woman idolizing her, and how it came true that same year. Why the people who platform you are usually the first to turn on you. How the work of maintaining a platform quietly replaces time with Jesus. What happens to a leader once the people around them become yes people. Why attacking someone online opens a door for you and activates a spirit of offense in them. The two directions ex-New Agers tend to swing: legalism and cessationism, or hyper charismatic circles. What fear of being deceived again looked like in Malaine's first season with Jesus. The nanny who never judged Malaine and ended up leading her to Jesus. Why staying curious and sitting in judgment can't happen at the same time. The one thing Leah was delivered of the moment she said yes to Jesus. Featured Scripture "Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them." Psalm 115:8 (ESV) Application: Malaine's point is that whatever we idolize, we start to resemble, deaf and blind to what's in front of us. That goes for a celebrity pastor as much as a carved image. Before you defend or attack anyone in the public eye this week, ask Jesus whether you've handed that person your discernment. Then take it to your prayer closet and let Him show you where your worship has drifted. Timestamps 0:00:00 Welcome to The Fringe 0:02:50 God's timing and the series still coming 0:06:42 Exposure culture in the Christian corner of the internet 0:09:50 Being platformed and idolized in the New Age 0:13:36 Designed to worship 0:15:59 External validation and the altar of the self 0:20:45 Clean hands, pure heart and the fear of the Lord 0:22:28 When the platform takes more time than Jesus 0:25:23 Why pitchforks don't humble anyone 0:26:20 Disciple of Jesus over Christian 0:29:09 Yes people and honest feedback 0:32:33 Leaving the New Age for Jesus 0:35:38 Cessationism, legalism and the hyper charismatic extreme 0:40:27 The nanny who led Malaine to Jesus 0:44:06 Staying curious instead of judging 0:48:55 His mercies are new every morning 0:52:32 Spirits of religion and divination 0:54:26 Delivered of fear 0:56:23 Asking the right questions 1:01:26 Compassion, curiosity and staying close to Jesus Resources and Connect Faith on the Fringe: Substack: https://faithonthefringe.substack.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faithonthefringepodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/faithonthefringepodcast YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FaithontheFringe Email: help@faithonthefringepodcast.com Related Episodes Christian Witchcraft: False Prophets, Spiritual Narcissism & Religious Trauma w/ Hector Gonzalez It Ain't the Holy Spirit: How the Five-Fold Movement is Trading Discernment for Divination If Questioning Your Pastor is a Sin, You're in a Control System (History of the Five Fold Movement) Witchcraft to Jesus: Our Testimonies The Judas Spirit in the Church: Slander, Rebukes & Biblical Reconciliation - The Fringe Files Scriptures for Further Study Psalm 115:4-8: Idols have mouths but cannot speak, and those who trust them become like them John 6:15: Jesus withdraws when the crowd wants to make Him king by force Deuteronomy 32:8-9: The nations divided according to the sons of God Psalm 82: God judges the gods who wanted worship for themselves Psalm 24:3-4: Clean hands and a pure heart Proverbs 27:6: Faithful are the wounds of a friend Matthew 7:1-5: The log in your own eye John 7:24: Judge with right judgment 2 Timothy 1:7: A spirit not of fear but of power, love and self-control Lamentations 3:22-23: His mercies are new every morning John 15:18-20: If the world hated Me, it will hate you John 14:12: Whoever believes in Me will do greater works Take it to the prayer closet, run your own walk through the lens of Christ, and ask Jesus where you've been pedestaling or throwing pitchforks. Then come tell us what He said in the Fringe community on Patreon. #FaithOnTheFringe #ChristianCelebrityCulture #CelebrityPastors #NewAgeToJesus #ExNewAger #HyperCharismatic #Cessationism #Idolatry #ChristianPodcast #Discernment See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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