He is not to be trifled with in any way. Of all people who know that, Christians should set the standards here. It should be said of us that "These men are the servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to us the way of salvation" (Acts 16:17). But what we are seeing more and more is the denigration of El Elyon. The Most High is being brought down into the grubby world of commerce and advertising and profit mongering gimmickry.

You may have seen prime examples of this in the recent Christmas catalogues of major Christian bookstores (including the big K). El Elyon has now become a sort of sales promoter in the mindless consumerism of the Christian community. For instance, there is the new GODGEAR T-shirts range. Apart from the ads trivialising God’s ontology by saying "You’ve waited an eternity for this great new gear", they indicate the sorts of things printed on the T-shirts, like: "God loves you, don’t ask me why". How’s that for self confessed ignorance of the gospel? How’s that for a mature Christian ready to speak appropriate words in season and out? Or another T-shirt says "If God is for me … you ain’t got a chance against me". How does that look to the Police officer issuing a traffic fine to the wearer? What does that say to those who have been inclined to regard Christians as self righteous, cock-sure, pompous twits?

Perhaps more to your liking is "Don’t laugh - this body is a temple". Indeed, it is nothing to laugh about. And how obnoxious is this one: "Any guy who can turn water into wine is a friend of mine". I’m tempted to walk behind him with a shirt that reads: "And any one who can debase Jesus like that is no friend of mine". Then there is the trivialising of urgent Biblical instructions such as Ephesians 6. You can now buy "The Full Armour of God character building costume". It is made of play safe plastic (isn’t it good that they have such a commitment to high standards). As the kids dress up in the Helmet of Salvation, the Breastplate of Righteousness, with the Shield of Faith and Sword of the Spirit, it brings Christian living down to the level of a game. Along with their Batman outfit and Superman suit, it will be discarded when they soon discover that it’s all just a game for the infantile and immature. They all belong to the toy box: Batman, Superman, and Jesus. They are all just costumes. The Most High God is brought down.

The thing that is all the rage in the USA at the moment is a whole new designer label that goes on more than T-shirts. There is a whole range of caps, coffee mugs, pendants, key rings, lapel pins, identification bracelets, polo shirts, and pairs of socks, all proudly sporting the logo WWJD?, meaning "What would Jesus do"? Surely we have approached the extremity of lunacy here. The irony seems to have completely escaped the mindless promoters of this garbage. What would Jesus do? Well, He certainly would not wear these clothes and bracelets and drink from these coffee mugs. He IS the Most High God. His whole life was devoted to honouring and exalting and magnifying El Elyon, not bringing Him down to the level of Adidas or Nike Air or Fourex or Dunhill.

What’s going on here? It perfectly illustrates the burden of the excellent books by David Wells (No place for Truth, and God in the Wasteland). The Christian community is very worldly. It is shaped by the consumerism and dollar driven mindset of the pagan world. God has become a good sponsor to have named on your product. Even better, He is free and available, whereas Michael Jordan and Greg Norman are expensive and very choosy. God is not "Most High" anymore. We are deadening the already closed minds that make up our mission field. We are making the gospel impotent by making it as common as a trivial bumper sticker or T-shirt logo. Right there above the exhaust pipe you can see them on equal footing: "I fish and I vote", "I love horses", "If this car needs towing call RACQ", and "Jesus is the answer". And now, right there above the shapely belt-line, proudly festooned on the gymnastic chest, born again buffoons are now taking it right up to the lost who are merely satisfied with their "Vitamin Sea" or "I got smashed on South Molle Island" or "Go Go Bronco". What an improvement (in the direction of revival) to find that refreshing gospel challenge: "Don’t laugh - this body is a temple".

Friends, it is high time we exalted the Most High God. Time for us to protest this demeaning and insulting simony (trading God for money). Why not take up your pens and tell the bookshops to stop advertising and selling such rubbish. Take up your pens and write to the manufacturers. We are breeding a generation which has been taught to trifle with God: taught by the church! The gospel is no more powerful a message to them, and no more to be believed, than 1001 other logos and sales pitches. We have lost the Gospel. We have brought the Most High down, and we are dragging millions into hell at the same time. This mindless consumer generation will have to give account at the day of judgement. We have been entrusted with unsearchable riches from the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity. We have the thrilling task of communicating this rationally to those impoverishing themselves on treasure that perishes. We have the joy of giving true bread to those who are growing fat on materialistic "eat drink and be merry". So why are we evangelising them in essentially the same way as Hungry Jacks and KFC? Is the Most High God brought down to the rank of the Colonel?