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Chyna
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 3:56 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hi friends,

on the eschatology thread I shared a story about how when I was little I would think Jesus was appearing where a sunbeam would pierce the clouds (you know to take us to heaven). it made me smile at the sort of stuff you believed when you were a child from being from a Christian family or growing up in the church. I was hoping/wondering if anyone else had some stories to share too :).

in Him, Chyna
Patti
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 5:58 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chyna,
The sad thing about it is, I think you will find that most of us who grew up as SDAs have only nightmares (as children) to share about the second coming of Christ. I had a recurring nightmare about the second coming, and I would always wake up in a cold sweat with my heart pounding just before I found out whether or not I had "made it."

If you had ever sat through a Revelation seminar as a child, you would have nightmares also. They love the drama of huge pictures of the beasts of Daniel and Revelation. No, being raised SDA, unfortunately, produces few "warm fuzzy" feelings about salvation.
Colleentinker
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 6:52 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chyna,

Unfortunately I have to agree with Patti. I feared the second coming. I remember as a child seeing small clouds in the sky (EGW said Jesus' second coming would be marked by a small dark cloud the size of a man's hand which would grow larger and larger and reveal the hosts of angels coming back with Jesus) and being terrified that it was Jesus. Then I would remind myself, "Oh, yes, we haven't had the time of trouble yet; it can't be Jesus."

I can't begin to tell you how much fear I had regarding the second coming. As a teenager I often couldn't sleep at night, fearing I had unconfessed sins or had unwittingly committed the unpardonable sin.

We all claimed to look forward to Jesus' return, but I certainly hoped it would be delayed. I even hoped I could die before He came so I could avoid the time of trouble when I would have to stand without a mediator, rely on memorized scriptures when they interrogated me because they would have removed my Bible, and would be hunted by people trying to kill me for keeping the Sabbath. All this while my conscience would trouble me because I feared I had unconfessed sins. (Ellen said it would happen this way.)

I just praise God for loving me and calling me and SAVING me and never leaving me! I still find it nearly incomprehensible. I praise him.

Colleen
Steve
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 7:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi Chyna,

I wasn't raised SDA. I was raised Agnostic. A firm non-believer in anything.

But my wife was raised in a very strict SDA home. To this day she has nightmares about the end of time and persecution. She has told me a number of times over the years about how Jesus was coming and I was not ready. Just she and the kids were ready. In those nightmares horrible things would happen to me. Her experience of SDAism as a child, provided her with unspeakable horrors as an adult.

Those I've known who were raised SDA have had either a typical childhood (some good, some bad) or an absolutely horrible experience. It seems that those in SDAism have fared either the same as those of us from non-Christian homes, or worse. It has rarely seemed any better than that.

Although my childhood was horrible, I am often thankful that I wasn't raised in a horrible religious environment. It seems that "religion" just compounds the worst in a situation.

God Bless,

Steve
Susan
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 8:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chyna, Colleen and Patti have given you a great picture of the end-time fear that is part of an SDA childhood. And it was certainly part of mine! I can't believe that I still get all teary when I read posts like theirs. All the memories just come flooding back.

They even published books with these end time scare tactics. I mentioned the book "Now" before on this forum (a year ago maybe?) I first saw this presented as a skit/play at an SDA camp when I was about 10. It scared the living
"you know what" out of me! My mom then gave me the book. I still have it, so I can prove they really teach this wacko stuff! I used to try and figure out where I could possibly escape to. Riding around in the car I'd try to notice where remote woods were located. Sick stuff huh? What every kid should be day-dreaming about. Thank God for the "Little House on the Prarie" books, or I might be really messed up!

In Christ now and not so scared!
Susan
George
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 8:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Colleen,Patti,Steve

You guys have just uncovered some of the fears I had as a kid. I had forgotten many of them but still remember the numbing fear I had. By the time I was twenty two I had an ulser. There were many other things that went into me having one but the largest part of it was the fear of the end of time. I was in the army at 18 right in the middle of the Viet Nam thing, and I had less fear of getting killed over there. Maybe the end of the world isn't going to be to good. But there was no need for me to go through HELL before it got here. None of us did.

This kind of thing was suposed to make me want to go to heaven? Hmmmmmmm

George
Chyna
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 9:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

*big sigh*

i didn't mean to awaken nightmares. i meant to awaken things like, when the was thunder a little child said, "God's bowling." you know things that make your mouth quirk up in a smile.

with love, Chyna
Maryann
Posted on Thursday, August 10, 2000 - 10:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Nightmares for SDA's have a different origin than nightmare's of Christians

SDA's come from the Bible.

Christian's come from the devil.

Sumpin's d'matta' wit dat pitcher (sorry Steve;-)

Maryann
Billthompson
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2000 - 7:54 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As A SDA child I had the same nightmares you have all described above. Like Colleen, I vividly remember one Saturday after church (where this story was told about Christ coming in a small dark cloud) seeing a small dark cloud in the sky that seemed to be getting bigger. I was so afraid, sure I was not ready because of some sin I had forgotten to confess. I was only about 7 years old and had already learned to fear the second coming rather than look forward to it.

This confirms a theory I have come to believe. If your soteriology (study of salvation) is wrong it messes up everything else. In this case a wrong soteriology messes up your eschatology (study of the end times).

That is why I seem to be a one subject man. The gospel has changed my life and freed me from these other faulty doctrines. I want that for eceryone I meet.

Evangelism is simply one beggar telling another beggar where he found life saving food. The food shelter is in Christ alone.
Billthompson
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2000 - 8:23 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chyna, dear sweet Chyna! I am so glad my children are growing up in a home more like the one you grew up in than the one I grew up in!

God Bless You,
Bill Thompson
Darrell
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2000 - 10:45 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Speaking of the "Now" book, one of my assignments in my senior Bible class was to write my own story of the end times, of course based on the scenario in "The Great Controversy" which we had been studying. I got an A for mine, but that didn't compensate for the nightmares. Yuk!!
Patti
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2000 - 3:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Bill wrote:
This confirms a theory I have come to believe. If your soteriology (study of salvation) is wrong it messes up everything else. In this case a wrong soteriology messes up your eschatology (study of the end times).

Patti:
I am truly not here just to affirm you, :)
but, again, you are so right. One's soteriology affects EVERY aspect one's doctrine.

Bill:
That is why I seem to be a one subject man.

Patti:
Is there any other subject?? :)

Bill:
I am so glad my children are growing up in a home more like the one you grew up in than the one I grew up in!

Patti:
I am so glad my children grew up in mainstream Christianity. (They are very glad they did not grow up SDA!) My daughter has had encounters with Mormonism and has to study to find exactly what she believes. I am very glad of the decisions she arrived at.
Billthompson
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2000 - 3:37 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Patti,

Thank you so much for your supportive comments. I wish I could have been there when you met with one of our old classmates. How's your Mom? I have lost your e-mail address and can not reach you off the forum.

Mine is: billtod@airmail.net
Patti
Posted on Friday, August 11, 2000 - 6:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi, Bill!
You can reach me at drpatti@msn.com.
Mom's address is pinedar@hsnp.com.
Mike took my email address and is supposed to write me. I will forward it to you when he does.
It would have been good to see you also. Hopefully someday!

Until then, may God bless you and yours!
Grace and peace,
Patti
Delstar
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2000 - 12:12 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I guess I'm one of the 'fortunates' raised in Adventism. Perhaps because I truly believed the songs we sang as children such as 'Jesus Loves ME' and 'Praise Him all ye little children, God is Love'.

Looking back on my experiences, when I thought that God was so far away (actually it was me) He truly had His hand over me. For what purpose, I'm not sure but I keep following Him.

One of the major reasons for not having my name on the books of the church to begin with, was that I perceived a different God than the one I was taught as a teenager. I guess I never 'grew up'. I knew that God is love, I just didn't know how that related to me.

When you speak of nightmares, I remember very vividly when I was about 7 years old that I had a dream of Jesus coming in the clouds of Glory. It was a most awesome sight and I have wanted Him to come since that moment....no matter whether I was ready (by SDA standards) or not.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus.

Jesus Is Enough
Breezy
Posted on Saturday, August 12, 2000 - 2:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi everyone,
I have to agree with Delstar. I looked into the sky daily at times for the little dark cloud. It never once entered my mind that I wasn't ready or might not be ready. Everyday, searching for that cloud, the only thought in my mind was that finally I would be able to see Jesus. All those beautiful SDA pictures of Jesus in the garden with children on His lap and surrounding Him really made an impression on me. I still look to the sky, and my chest aches because I know I will never be truly fulfilled until I fall at His feet and gaze into His wondrous face. Even at this moment my eyes fill with tears because I am just so homesick. One thing Ellen said that I've never forgotten is that when she came out of vision, and came back to the reality of this world it was so very dark. She longed to be back basking in the glory of God's presence. That's how I feel sometimes. The world is a dark and desolate place, and oh so very far from home.

Come take me home Lord!
I love you so much.

Wendy
Lydell
Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2000 - 1:41 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Chyna, aren't the stories sad! Let's get to some happier stuff again.

I too grew up in a Christian home. One of my very earliest memories was from when I was about 3 or 4 years old. My grandaddy had made me a small wooden doll cradle. It was around Christmas time I think. I had one of my dolls in the cradle and was singing "Away in a Manger" to baby Jesus. People who don't think a little child can in any way comprehend spiritual things are so wrong! I can remember that my thoughts were that this baby was a very special gift that God had given me and so He must really love me a lot, because babies were so very special and precious.
Chyna
Posted on Sunday, August 13, 2000 - 6:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Lydell :), now that's more what I had been expecting :).

thanks for sharing -- Chyna

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