13 June 2002 Editorial:
Neurons at the Post-Modernist Altar -- What Shall We Choose?

Editorial #106

Larry Kirkpatrick

The forces of darkness are constantly engaged in their attempt to bring the church of God to its knees. Relentlessly they are working. If the watchmen in the church were faithful at every level, the system, no matter whatever flaws it may have, would likely work. But when we have even Unions and workers at differing levels of the work willfully engaged in nullifying the linkages of the church's Constitution and Bylaws, the pressure is on. When we have local churches that seem unwilling to uphold the minimal boundaries that we have, then there is a problem. Seventh-day Adventism stands for something. This must never, never change.

At the local church level, we need to be just as firm as we need to be. Candidates for baptism should be faithfully prepared. Teaching truth must prevail; anything less will lead to the acceptance of another Jesus than the one who Heads this church.

There is a Hebrew term, usually translated mercy, khesedh. It actually has the meaning of mercy and justice. They do go together. The true proponent of mercy is not only unbendingly merciful, but relentlessly just. Nothing else is khesedh.

Imagine a congregation where the pastor is teaching those preparing for baptism that the church is the pillar and ground of the truth; that Jesus has called the Seventh-day Adventist Church to do a mighty work, to finish the gospel in righteousness. But a member of the same church is teaching that the church has been spued out of God's mouth, that a century ago it rejected the Holy Spirit, that Jesus refuses to pray that grace would be given the church. Imagine a church in a community with an SDA hospital and University, many members of which are students or employees. Imagine one of your members is teaching that nurses and doctors who responsibly administer drugs are witches and warlocks engaged in sorcery. And that all these things and more are being publically taught by the member. Is this a problem? Just checking.

Many things are done in the name of mercy. Some things in the church, even relentlessly evil and political things are done. Sometimes other issues are jumped upon as offering convenient opportunity to try to push other agendas. All such projects will be answered for, if not here, then later. The investigative judgment will not miss a single one.

Could it be that the most merciful are those who only by God's grace are standing in the gap, bracing the church against the forces of dissolution? Could it be that what some perceive as harsh, unloving, unmerciful, is the most merciful behavior of all?

There are times when firm leadership is necessary, when firm leadership is Spirit-led. There will be times when some are constrained by the Spirit to be immovable. The good name of God's church must be guarded. Fanaticism can destroy the witness of God's people in a community for years until the mental association of fanaticism with Adventism is eradicated in the minds of the residents of the community.

Whenever God was preparing to do a great work, and had put His men in place, historically the devil has resorted to agencies at his command whom he could drive into fanaticism. This is an old tactic. There is nothing new under the sun. Have we come to a day when in order to uphold the integrity of the church a pastor must write up 400 pages of documentation in order to remove from membership one fanatic?

The post-modernist attitude holds that there is no ultimate truth, that really, truth is what we make it. Since there are no moral absolutes, the views of none are to be condemned. Any kooky, ungrounded nonsense is granted equal time with that which is rock-solid and founded in the Word of the Living God. The meaning of eldership to many minds is nothing at all. Some of the people wish only spiritual leadership that consents to the there-are-no-boundaries doctrine of post-modernism. They want to sacrifice the neurons of Jesus' followers at that altar. They want to reinvent reality so that no one is offended. This would be the destruction of God's church.

Again, there is a conscientiousness that readily partakes of the post-modern poison and suggests that attempts to uphold boundaries, even boundaries of integrity, are wrong. Only when every stone has been pulled down from the wall and no church remains can you engage in church discipline. I don't buy it. Every plant that our heavenly Father has planted will be pulled-up by the roots. That's one of them. In the end, not one stone will be left stacked upon another. That stuff's going by the board.

But even our own precious churches are infected. They look fanaticism in the eye and do not see whither their mercy is leading. Meanwhile others stand by, ready to do the work of God, but hindered. A lot of young people are standing in the shadows, looking on with knowing eyes, viewing the bankruptcy in progress. They want to do a work for God. But the workmen are stopped. They stand idle on the wall, while fruitless negotiation continues with Tobiah and Sanballat (See Nehemiah for the approach he took). God's watchmen today must never negotiate with terrorists. We have a work to do. We cannot come down.

Let the Jello tremble. Let the workers arm themselves. According to the mercy of our God we will go forward and accomplish His will. We cannot bend when it comes to truth. No matter how friendly the misguided, no matter how we might be bribed by hearing ourselves called more-loving for taking the there-are-no-boundaries approach. When we are faithful, we may be sure that God will be faithful, and respond with blessing. Until then, we endure and lead gently our people, patiently instructing. The truth is unchanged.

We shall not quail when reproached by the misguided. It is a time for faithful workers. God grant us courage, each one, to stand in our places faithfully, no matter what is brought to bear upon our heartstrings. Now is the time to begin fitting up for the yet more subtle challenges soon to be faced under pressures we've never before known. May our Lord grant us fealty at our individual posts, though the heavens fall.

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.