Sep | 01 | The Present Pox on The Vox Populi!

Key Word:- BECOME

Title:- The Present Pox on The Vox Populi!

Exodus 3:14 “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM’ has sent me to you.”

I am amazed at the type of leaders the living church is calling to its banners today. Of course I use the term 'living' only of those churches that are top heavy with people from the emerging generations and culture and focusing on the future. Here is an add for an early 21st Century Pastoral position, posted on the internet of course, for this is where they would find the people they were after.

“If you've seen at least three or four of the latest movies, you're probably culturally relevant. If you keep N.T. Wright, Leonard Sweet, Bill Easum, Jim Collins, John Grisham, or Ernest Hemmingway on your bookshelf, you're probably well read. If Black-Eyed Peas, Hoobastunk, Moby, and Coldplay are part of your iPod playlist, you're probably well versed in musical culture. If you don't have to google to figure out who's who on this list, you probably understand the role of the emergent church. We are looking for a lead pastor who can deliver a message Moses would envy, work with a team the way Larry Brown led the Pistons to an NBA victory this year, cast vision like Bill Strickland, and yet linger over a Chai Latte with friends/staff/acquaintances without worrying about the day's agenda. We'd also appreciate it if you have at least five years experience in an emergent church culture and a master's degree and/or seminary training. Please send a resume accompanied with a DVD of a RECENT speaking engagement to: …..and so it continued.

So distilling the ad, the Lead Pastor must have high academic training, have been living and communicating with the emerging generation for five years, be visually and musically 'well versed' and more especially 'current', also having a hand on what is 'today', the latest technology. Now if you are reading this in the near future and wonder what an IPOD or DVD is, then you are the emergent of the future, so take note of what I am about to say for no doubt culture continues to maintain its ever forward mega-shift as we reach the time of the end.

Since the WWII take a look at any 25 year block of time, indeed, take a look at even the last ¼ century and examine how the church handled change? How resourceful was the church in reaching people? Has defeat led it to the cowering guerrilla tactics of the old underground movement, or is it vocal, relevant and powerful in spiritual terms? Is it influencing the present culture in revolutionary expressions? Is the gospel reaching even your contemporaries at work? Or are the Israel of God weeping and praying for the any right-handed or left-handed judge, to lead them out from oppression? Wherever you may be in time right now, I pray that the land is awash with men like Moses, brothers like Joshua and sisters of the stature of Deborah and the strength of Jael! But I doubt it.

Mostly we are of the many thousands dismissed from Gideon’s army for laying down our weapons, getting on our knees like dogs and lapping the milky water like so may sad little pussy cats. Yes we are. It seems the culturally absent church has left a pox in the ‘vox populi’. A pox of vacuous blisters empty of absolute and powerful truth. God help us.

If you are reading this in the future, doing some historical investigation maybe of these generations that lapped the water at the beginning of the 21st Century, then learn from us and maybe even pity us? God help us if from heaven you should hear the echoes of our feeble voice speaking to you saying, “learn from the gross misfortunes of our terrible and petty blindness. If we have left you in a land of giants and high walled strongholds, then please forgive us and learn from our mistakes. Do not repeat our wrong doings.”

Finally, right now though, what about you my friend and what about your church? Are you growing, prospering, prowling the outskirts of emergent culture and leaping in love right into the centre of darkness, sword brandished high, challenging and changing the ruined heart in the swirling vortex of the vox populi? Or are you like some caged and hairy old beast, wandering around your feeble little confines in sorry and sick repetition?

God is the I AM, He is the God of the ever present, of the living and not the dead, of the now and not the past. So church of God. upgrade your thoughts and upgrade your outlook today. Change or Die.

Listen:- “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit;” Acts 7:51

Pray: - O Great I AM, O Lord of all, O Holy Jesus, let me not be accountable for the blood of this generation because I have failed to heed Your ever present Voice. Have mercy on us Your church today O God. In Jesus name, amen.