20 September 2001 Editorial:
Mammon, Jello, and Expediency

"O how Satan would rejoice if he could succeed in his efforts to get in among this people, and disorganize the work at a time when thorough organization is essential, and will be the greatest power to keep out spurious uprisings, and to refute claims not endorsed by the word of God!"

Larry Kirkpatrick

What do they have in common (mammon, Jello, Expediency)? Mammon is a form of currency, Jello is soft and squishy, and expediency is sensual, prioritizing the desire of the moment. You cannot serve God and mammon. Nothing must have a higher priority than serving our Father. But how readily will some trade their integrity for that which is more convenient to have front and center.

When those in positions of authority in the church should be fighting hard battles to sustain the unity and the authority of the church, are they found instead soft and squishy, putting aside hard issues for others? Signs of the times are overflowing today, both outside the church and within her.

The world faces an emergency; this is true. And as the church was warned not long ago, certain approaches previously outlined are now operational. Essentially, anything that happens within is OK, while the attention of many is absorbed in our appearing well-preened before the world. We identify ourselves as a mainstream Protestant church. But that depends. Yes, if we go by the tendency of some to manifest a gelatinous expediency and let everything drift towards anarchy and boundary-lessness, perhaps that designation would be accurate. But our message isn't that way--Just certain in leadership.

Faithful Calebs and Joshuas are in the house, but surrounded by many others, unwilling to make hard decisions, having to be carried into the fight. May God deliver such (the others) from their lukewarmness and make them mighty.

This fealty to mammon, Jello, and expediency must be rooted out. Instead, we must be true to God, firm, manifesting a heroic integrity.

The warning of God rings true. "O how Satan would rejoice if he could succeed in his efforts to get in among this people, and disorganize the work at a time when thorough organization is essential, and will be the greatest power to keep out spurious uprisings, and to refute claims not endorsed by the word of God!" (Gospel Workers, p. 487). The work "has been built up by wise, careful labor" (Ibid.). Shall a conference or a union, or a division be permitted to bring it down? Will the decisions of our world church be overturned and negated by a small band who think they know what is best for us?

What shall we say of an organization bent upon deconstructing its own boundaries? But it is not the organization, just some within her.

Many of the members of the church are true. They will be heard. The day they will be heard shall be chosen by the Lord. They may grow weary; they may question whether their complaints have any effect; but they are Jesus' own. He has a purpose for them--in the structure at the end.

One blast of persecution, one puff emanating from the dragon's nostrils, the chaff will be vaporized. The untrue will manifest of what they are made. Could it be that as the people of the Lord sigh and cry for the abominations, that they will gain their strength? Could it be that they will let God do His work and deliver them from their vanities? Could it be that when a Christ-like character is perfectly manifested among them, the angels will be commissioned to loose the four winds, and what we have all read about, prayed about, sacrificed for, and counted finally all our zoos of mammons nothingnesses for, will pan out and the end shall come?

God grant us the security of His sealing for that ride.

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