| Author | Message | ||
| Shellep |
Hello all, I am new here. My family and I are newly FA's and are Greatly proud of it. I just thank God everyday for his woderful grace and mercy to have the patience to stay with me and keep me while in darkness, and leading me to the WONDERFUL light. But at anyrate. I was wondering if you all could give me your opinion on something. Does anyone of you mind giving me your sonopsis on keeping friends that are adventist. I personally found that I couldn't keep any of my friends due to confilt in differences. I tried to share with them the wonderful things that I learned. So did my mother. When my mom shared her information with two of her closest friends, they imedeatly came out of adventism. And boy was it hard. With the Lord's help we came through and overcame that obsticle. Then my mother shared it with another adventist that she thought was her friend and she practically bit her head off. In my sharing, my friends just totally brushed me off. Has anyone of you had a similar experience. please share. Thanks Shelle P a young sister in christ age 21 | ||
| Cindy |
Welcome Shelle! Glad you're here... I think that the friends who stay with you are usually the ones who are open to the Holy Spirit's leading. Only then can they see the centrality of JESUS and His Gospel as being totally sufficient for our Salvation! Even if they remain Adventists, they should remain friends if Jesus is their focus. I know, too, that we must speak the truth (as it is in Jesus) with a lot of love and patience! It can be overwhelming and threatening to one's SECURITY to be confronted with so many doctrinal questions at once. There is a sense of security in belonging to the "right Church", worshiping on the "right day", having the "right prophetic interpretation", and even having a real end-time Prophet! Without JESUS ALONE as their base, just arguing over distinctive Adventist issues is not always helpful. Pray they will REST in Christ. Grace always, Cindy | ||
| Max |
Shelle, I know by my own experience what you're going through. Adventists are under a spell. And I read Galatians for guidance. It's all happened before. NIV Galatians 3:1-5: "You foolish Galatians [SDAs]! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?" Small wonder they are called, and sometimes even call themselves, Sadventists. It IS sad. They are more to be pitied than resented. God loves them, and we need to do the same. It's okay to be angry, but eventually the sweet Holy Spirit should so influence our lives that we will come to see them as sheep without a shepherd. Because then, after the shocks wear off, we begin to realize that Jesus is really not with them. How terrifying that must be! How much denial! How much projection of their own hurts onto others, and especially onto us. For in their eyes WE are the ones who have done the abandoning, rejecting and shunning. In their eyes we left them, hurt them, rejected them. Therefore they feel obligated to shun us, lest we contaminate them. But Scripture and not our own reactive feelings should prevail in the way we conduct our lives. So let's look at a very close paraphrase of John 3:16-17: For God so loved the Adventists that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever among them believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son among the Adventists to condemn them, but to save them through him. And the Son's work is our own, for he has so commissioned us. Therefore, the question becomes not how they have wounded us, but rather how do we deal with people who are bewitched? Max of the Cross | ||
| Maryann |
Hi Shelle, It's good to have you here!;-)) I hope to see more posts from you;-)) With you being a bit younger than some, you will add some different perspectives than us "old" folk (40+)!;-)) Maryann | ||
| Colleentinker |
Hi, Shelle! Welcome! Yes, I've experienced the silence. Often there's an intial curiosity, then--silence. I praise God that he is faithful. He found us, brought him to himself, and he also brings us Christian fellowship when we take our stand for him. I'm still amazed at how God has brought true Christian fellowship into my life. He is so good! Colleen | ||
| Valm |
Hi Shelle, I am new to the forum too. My drift from Adventism led me miles from home and from the adventist people I did fellowship with. Other than my family members the only one who has choosen to keep in touch with me was my piano teacher from childhood and I am not so sure if he embraces all of the SDA messages. In addition his daughter is not the most traditional of Adventists and he is a very patient father with her. I do know of the incredible strain in my relationship with my family and might be able to offer some help by sharing that with you. First and foremost I know that any spiritual conversation I enter with them is for the sole purpose of reconverting me and that they are not receptive to listening to me. (There is a huge difference between listening and waiting your turn to speak) Since they are not truely interested in a two way conversation on spirtual matters I do not engage in them. I let them know that I love them dearly and admire their passion and their discipline. I tell them that due to their firmly held belief that it is encumbent on them to reconvert me that it would be impossible to have a spiritual conversation. I tell them that out of deep respect for their beliefs and the pain it causes them to have this conversation it would be better not to enter there. Many of the behaviors of our Adventist friends and family have more to do with themselves than with our change. They are suffering. And in their suffering they lash out. They are comissioned to convert. In addition by reprimanding us they are giving assurance to their own egos that they are right with God. It is really sad, much sadder for them. I remind myself that I go to bed with a prayer of thanks that God's grace is sufficient for me while they are going to be wondering it they were perfect enough. I realize that when one has as profound of an epiphany in their life as realizing that God's love is unconditional they want to tell everyone. But the hard reality is that there are many people who are not ready to here it. And most of you Adventist friends will not be able to relate to this. I would anticipate that it will be a rare Adventist friend that will continue a long term relationship with you. You will have a grieving process. In this process you will meet many wonderful friends. Although they will not take of your old friends, in time you will realize that these new relationships provide much more security and acceptance then you ever experienced in the past. Very best wishes to you Shelle and your family. Thank God that you have them to share in this joy. Pray for me and my family while I pray that you find the wonderful people who are waiting for you. I long to find a way to share with them. Presently, many changes are happening in my family. I see that God is working his own miracles. And I trust he will show me when is the right time for me to participate in his plan. Valerie |
