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 "Weasel words from mollycoddles will never do when the day demands prophetic clarity from great hearts. Manly men must emerge for this hour of trial." - Theodore Roosevelt
INTRODUCTION
We are now in a day that demands church leaders no longer remain confined to the box in which the secular side of Western culture, by deceit and intimidation, has succeeded in containing them. Greek historian Herodotus understood this need over two thousand years ago, "It is better by noble boldness to run the risk of being subject to half the evils we anticipate than to remain in cowardly listlessness for fear of what might happen."
THE BURDEN OF THE LORD
We are in a season that demands a new kind of leadership. The old paradigm of American church leadership has produced a recent statistic claiming that 80% of pastors were committed to maintenance rather than to a mission for the harvest. This 'us four and no more, let's just hold on until Jesus comes' attitude has produced a retreating church, whereas the Kingdom of God was designed to go one way - forward!
As New Mexico's Congresswoman Heather Wilson recently said regarding our next President, "In this great struggle, we need a commander-in-chief who is a beacon, not a weathervane," so we also need church leaders who feel an even greater accountability to God than to the people He may have entrusted to them. Today's leader must carry the burden of the Lord more than the burden of the people! I am not advocating either autocratic or democratic leadership, but a true apostolic style that can lead, organize, develop, build and expand the Kingdom of God so that it permeates our culture and transforms it into one of righteousness.
KINGDOM NOW...?
In his recent article "Prophet, Priest and King," Francis Frangipane asserted, "[Christ's] 'kingly' or governmental authority, outside of church proper, has not been accepted by many Christians. The idea of being granted such authority - of seeking to serve God in positions of political influence - has been deferred either to the Millennium or it has been outright scorned as heretical, "kingdom now" theology.... We [are not] trying to reduce the spiritual reality of the church to a political entity. Our quest is not to see the church become political, but the political become spiritual, where the integrity, wisdom and justice of Christ Himself is manifest in secular leadership. For those of us who say Christ's kingly anointing is reserved only for the age to come, let me remind you, Christ is king right now and our call is to grow up 'in all aspects' unto Him who is our head (Eph. 4:15)."
 SOFT AND MUSHY
Western culture has become soft and mushy, and the Western church has become the same. It has lost its holy punch. But when we read about Moses, Joshua, David, Elijah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, John the Baptist, Paul or Jesus challenging authorities such as wayward kings, idolaters or pompous Pharisees, we don't see any of them doling out soft and mushy entreaties, but rather issuing challenging, often scathing indictments of their audience's willful blindness. These courageous Holy Spirit inspired people were godly figures who insisted on confronting bogus belief systems by proclaiming the truth, often at the expense of their own lives.
THE DAY OF DOOM
In other words, what we need is a whole lot more action from the Body of Christ! Or as John Bunyan put it, "At the Day of Doom men shall be judged according to their fruits. It will not be said then, 'Did you believe?' but, 'Were you doers, or talkers only?'" Salvation is a gift, but like everything God gives us, He expects us to use it for His glory. Lord, preserve us from being one-talent Christians! If we just 'bury' what we have received and do not maximize it, we will lose it anyway (see Matt. 25:24-28)!
THE HEART OF WISDOM
On the other hand, let us be full of zeal but not lacking in wisdom. To be so would lead to expectations that are unrealistic and outside the timing and anointing of God. "Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Understanding is not enough; we must do. Knowing and understanding in action make for honor. And honor is the heart of wisdom." - Johann von Goethe
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