| Author |
Message |
Steve
| | Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 2:51 pm: |     |
Hi All,
Another reason SDAs evangelize Christians: They don't really believe that Christians are Christian. Only SDAism is Christian. I'm learning this the hard way. My wife believes that SDAism is the only true religion on earth. Now that I'm learning more about Christianity, I'm realizing that I must leave SDAism. Because I'm leaving the SDA church, she's casting me out. I'm no longer a part of the Body of Christ to her.
I'm apostasizing. I'm falling away. I'm throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I'm trashing God's law. I'm equivalent to anti-Christ. And we are not to be unequally yoked. So I'm being removed from the yoke. (So I guess the yoke's on her! I'm laughing, but I'm really crying.)
If SDAs lifted up the Body of Christ, WHEREVER THAT IS FOUND, then they might be recognezed as part of the body. As long as they insist on drawing lines of division, they are not part of the body, but have cut themselves off and will die.
The idea of Division within the Body of Christ reminds me of something I read (I think on the internet) that is a nice summary of how cults operate. It goes like this:
Add, Subtract, Multiply, and Divide
Cults add to the word of God (EGW).
Cults subtract from the nature of Christ (Sinful nature.)
Cults multiply the requirements for salvation (keeping the fourth commandment, above the others).
Cults divide the body of Christ (the Us versus Them mentality of SDAism).
Remember, historically the cults have always attacked the church. The church, holding to Jude verse 3 has always had a commission from God to DEFEND the faith that was ONCE AND FOR ALL delivered to the saints.
In the courts of heaven, who is the Prosecutor and who is the Defense? In my understanding, Satan is the Prosecutor, and Christ is our Defense.
On the side of the Defense,
Steve |
Richard, Jr.
| | Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 3:17 pm: | |
Steve, Cindy is crying right now by your last post. Hang in there. It is amazing how God can work. |
Maryann
| | Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 3:29 pm: | |
Hi Steve,
Hang in there. God has a plan for you. You have already blessed many with your thoughts and courage.
The toughest thing you may have to deal with now is forgiveness. It's VERY hard to forgive at times. I know, I hung on to a evil grudge for nearly 17 years and finally tossed it God's way yesterday. Why? Because I realized how God has forgiven me! Even though it was 2000 years ago in reality, it was just recently in my own personal reality.
I've realize my grudge has poisoned me for years. Please don't fall into the trap that I did!!!
Onward and upward........Maryann |
cindy
| | Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 3:59 pm: | |
Steve, I've been depressed since I lost a message I was working on to send to Maryann's new post about unconditional forgiveness...And then I read this post of yours. My heart goes out to you. I'm convinced Satan wants to destroy us, our marriages included. I know he has tried to do that to ours.
I like what you posted on cults. I also saw that on an internet site and copied it awhile ago. I think Adventism is more subtle than some of the outright cults that deny Christ; but maybe that is actually more dangerous!
I know that what you say is true about how you are thought of if you leave Adventism. I keep up with the updates from the Damascus, MD church which left Adventism a few years ago. I think, if I remember correctly, that they have been told (threatened) they are heading for a grim spiritual wasteland. This is absolutely ridiculous and, in fact, a horrible thing to imply to anyone who trusts in Christ. I know from correspondence that the staff there are godly men and women who want to put Jesus first, seven days a week, 24 hours a day!
I will pray for the Holy Spirit to work in your home. I know He is the only one who can lift the veil from our eyes so we can see Jesus clearly.
Not moving from Grace alone,
Cindy |
BMorgan
| | Posted on Sunday, June 18, 2000 - 8:56 pm: | |
Steve,
My heart goes out to you. In a small way I have been faced with a similiar situation. My body left the church in November '98. My mind began moving away thereafter. For years I was unhappy but could never quite put my finger on the cause. I felt the emptyness from not having Christ.
When I left-prompted by one too many church fights- I still had a core of friends who socialized with me occasionally. When they realized I was NOT coming back, was enjoying my fellow at a Bible church, therefore not a good project to reclaim, they LEFT me. No more friendly phone calls, no nicely talking to me, no more invites to their social gatherings. These people were supposed to be my dear friends.
One even hung up the phone on me saying she would not speak to me because I am going the way of the devil and by speaking to me she was being attacked by demons with headaches. No, we do not have a debate, heated discussion and raised voices. She claimed that I was being deceived, and was wearing blinders.
At first, I thought it was funny but it really hurts. My husbands says, they would be much happier if they could point their finger at us for unwholesome living, and because they "can't" they are angry, for it threatens their holy doctrines.
Steve, I join with the others in prayer for your family, especially that you be encouraged through all of this. God bless.
BMorgan |
Max
| | Posted on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 3:47 pm: | |
Maryann,
Praise God you have been able to forgive the person who hurt you now! Even after 17 years!
But I have a question: Would you enter into another business deal with this same person under the same set of circumstances as you did 17 years or more ago? If so, why so? And if not, why not?
Real grace alone,
Max |
Maryann
| | Posted on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 4:57 pm: | |
Hi Max,
Only with a dull knife in both hands!;-)))))))
Just joking. gggggggggggg
Absolutely NOT!
I have things to do right now. I get back to this later, okay?
In the mean time, can you go a little further into your reasoning so I can grab on to a little more horn? ;-)
Maryann |
Colleen Tinker (Colleentinker)
| | Posted on Monday, June 19, 2000 - 3:22 pm: | |
Steve, you are in our prayers.
Colleen and Richard |
Steve
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 20, 2000 - 9:02 pm: | |
Thank you all, Cindy, BMorgan, Richard Jr., Maryann, Colleen and Richard, and everyone else.
I honestly don't know what to say about this. All our other problems could be worked out. But a different church? For her that is impossible. I can honestly say that I don't know if my wife is even saved. I don't know if she really knows Jesus Christ. But over the years I never even THOUGHT of leaving her over that. I only tried to help her learn of Him. (But maybe because I was deceived, that wasn't as helpful as it could have been.) If I was leaving Jesus I could (maybe) understand the issue. But I feel like Jesus is making Himself so real to me now. Like I've never known Him before. (Hmmm, maybe I haven't.)
Please pray for my kids (daughter 10 and son 12).
And through it all, may I be able to forgive and be forgiven.
Steve |
Susan_2
Registered user
Username: Susan_2
Post Number: 485
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, January 31, 2004 - 7:46 am: | |
I frequently attend the local sda church with an elderly family member. We usually stay for the potluck and social following the service. In my community is an organization called The 5 Cities Christian Women's Association. There are several sda ladies involved in the 5 Cities group but one of these sda ladies pushes herself in and is way involved, if you get my drift. So, one week at the sda potluck this lady was talking about her experience with the 5 Cities Women's group and she said her main reason for attending is so she can share THE TRUTH about the gosple. Confused me asked her what she was talking about and these are her words, "those women only have Jesus. I share the rest of the gosple with them". Confused me once again asked her what the rest of the gosple is and I was told it is the sda health message, the Sabbath and the Investagitive Judgement. BTW, I love going to Krishna meetings. They are actually at the same time fun and peaceful and after every Krishna meeting they have a vegetarian feast and the food is truly the best tasteing and possibly the most nutritious food I have ever eaten. |
Tracey
Registered user
Username: Tracey
Post Number: 64
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 8:15 am: | |
I know this old, but I laughed so hard until I cried and just HAD to post.
The health message of the Gospel!!
That must mean when I ate Mcdonalds at 5, I wasn't saved or covered. And here I thought I wasn't saved until after I was 12!
That Mcdonalds will get us everytime! dagnabbit!
Tracey |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 14
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 12:30 pm: | |
Tracey,
Ellen G. White actually talks about the "gospel of health," using those words, several times. I just did a search on the official Ellen G. White Estate CD-ROM of Ellen G. White's published writings, and came up with this quote: "The time has come when each soul must be staunch and true to every ray of light God has given, and begin in earnest to give this gospel of health to the people." (Counsels on Health, page 446, paragraph 2.)
Also, the SDAs even used to publish a magazine (around the turn of the 20th century) called The Gospel of Health!
Ellen G. White also says, "The light God has given on health reform is for our salvation and the salvation of the world." (Counsels on Diet and Foods, page 461, paragraph 1.)
Jeremy |
Melissa
Registered user
Username: Melissa
Post Number: 523
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 8:59 am: | |
I wonder how she's doing out there in eternity. And where she is....
Seems her "account" might be still getting "credit"...or "debit" depending upon which side of the books you're looking from.... for her "ministry".
Makes me think very seriously about what I do, my motives and my influence. |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 18
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:17 am: | |
I think 2 Peter 2 tells us where she is...
"But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. ... then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment," (2 Peter 2:1, 9 NASB.)
Jeremy |
Cindy
Registered user
Username: Cindy
Post Number: 695
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Saturday, October 09, 2004 - 9:01 am: | |
Interesting text, Jeremy!
The longer I'm out of Adventism, the more I can understand the true nature of Ellen Whites' writings. She writes in a deceptive cloak of seemingly righteousness--words from God!--, but instead they are actually "destructive heresies".
I am grateful to see JESUS for the all-sufficent God He really is!
grace always,
cindy |
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