| Author | Message | ||
| Shephil222 |
Hello everyone, My name is Rushelle and I am glad to be here. I don't write often. But I do read the posts. My family and I decided to join so if you see another person here by the name of annette that's my mom. We all left adventism at the same time. July 2000. My sister Melaney 17, me 22, and my mother Annette. We are blessed to be FREE!!! Anyway I wanted to post a thought. Does anyone believe that the SDA church will eventually fall after all these years? I am myself hoping so because all the hurt, lies, and deception God has to put to an end. I am just wondering what your thoughts are. The second question that I have is: Has anyone of you had the experience where you've passed by your local SDA church and felt your stomach turn, and the mere thought of you even placing your feet on those grounds for even the purpose of getting someone to help you with a flat tire makes all your food that you ate come up. It's horrible. Well my mom and I have that same feeling. Can anyone relate? Thanks Love always Rushelle and Family | ||
| Grok |
Hi Rushelle, Welcome! I personally "grew out" of the SDA church slowly. In addition, it has been 11 years for me, so the wounds are not so fresh. Also, I did not experience the hurt that many people do. While I did have an uncle that told me I was going to hell...I have been blessed with a personality that is not easily hurt by the actions of cruel, unthinking, narrow-minded people. As many here have mentioned, building connections with a Bible believing fellowship is very important. I immediately found a wonderful church and never looked back. I was so excited about grace and worship, and praise, and building a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that all the positive emotions cancelled out my negative experiences. That is not to say I have not had doubts or fears or pain...they just have not been overpowering in my case. take care! Grok | ||
| Lydell |
Welcome Rushelle and family. Yeah, I've had that feeling before. And having my son come home from at Christmas with a "Revelation Seminar" ad in his hand got the gut churning. (It had been left on his door.) I use to go to town hoping I'd never run into any of the people from our old church. But now I leave praying that I WILL run into them in a time of divine apointment to plant seeds. So see, it does get better. Glad you are enjoying the sweet smell of freedom! | ||
| Sabra |
Welcome Rushelle!! How wonderful that your whole family found the truth together! Strangely, (or not) I had that feeling whenever I tried to go to the very legalistic SDA church here before I stopped trying and before I ventured out into the unknown of the gospel...ha! I would take the kids to sabbath school, thinking that I was doing something good for them and they hated it! It was always the dreaded part of my week (and theirs) we would scream and fight while getting ready and after yelling at them to get in the darn car WE"RE GOING TO CHURCH!!! I would get there and look around at the solemn faces and ancient members and think, "how boring!" And then there were the endless phone calls and unsolicited visits UGH! My stomach is starting to turn....When I moved the pastor's wife kept asking me where I moved to and it was a new sub-division and wasn't on the map so I thought I was safe, NOPE, they came one day while I was in my pajamas cleaning the house, no make up, hair on top of my head and said, I quote: "We found you!" I replied, look, I would just appreciate a call before you come dropping in on me like this. What dreadful people!!!!! UGH again. Oh, the thought of having a flat tire in front of that church UGH UGH. Isn't freedom GREAT!? | ||
| Sabra |
Oh, you did ask a question didn't you? I don't know if it will fall, there are too many hard-core legalists there at least for it to die out in my generation I think but I see the religion as a whole failing in membership and financially, my mom and step-dad work for an Adventist hospital and it is not doing so well. They have a lot of non SDA's in the higher-ups changing the way the hospital is run, such as serving meat in the cafeteria and permitting employees to wear jewelry and there has been talk of it selling out. There are a lot of underlying financial problems in the SDA church that I don't know much about. Thanks to some brave men like Pastor Taylor, the message is getting out there that there is a better way! | ||
| Doug222 |
Rushelle, Remember, Jesus did not come to save churches, he came to save people. As such, I don't htink he has a great interest in man-made organizations. They will all fail. What he does have an interest in is the people who make up the invisible body of Christ. As Adventists, we always look at the Sabbath a the great testing truth that would prove our loyalty. I have thought for a long time, and am convinced now that the testing truth is how we respond when God reveals the pure light of the Gospel to us. God is going to expose organized religion to each and everyone of us. The question is whether we ar willing to renounce it to follow him, or if like the Jews, we are mor comfortable with a form of godliness. I am reminded of the movie "The Wizard of Oz." If you recall, at the very end of the movie, Toto runs around behind Oz and pulls the curtain back, and there you see an old man feverously working the controls. I think the same thing will happen to all organized religion. Sadly, many will still place more confidence in the form, than in the substance. Hopefully this answers your question. I think the challenge is for each of us, like Sam said o another thread, to focus not on the errors and deceptions of the denomination, but on the saving Grace of God. Sometimes that can be difficult, especially when we consider the abuses some of us have endured. In His Grace | ||
| Doug222 |
Oops, I posted this in the wrong place. Actually, it should have been posted in the thread that asks if the SDA Church will fall. | ||
| Doug222 |
Oh, I guess I didp ost it in the right place. Boy, I think I am having an "Old-timer" moment here or something. Sorry. | ||
| Colleentinker |
Rushelle and family, Welcome! I agree with Doug--I almost think the question of whether or not the SDA church will fail is a moot point. God is calling people with honst hearts to himself. The dishonest ones will refuse to come. Ultimately people will choose between Jesus or "not Jesus." I suspect the organization of the Adventist church is pretty firm--they have connections and money of which the laity almost never catch a glimpse. They are deceptive, but they are not ignorant. The thought of going to an Adventist service (which almost never crosses my mind anymore!) gives me a feeling of heaviness. After we left, for several months we listened to the broadcast of the University Church service on Saturday mornings just to know what was going on. After a while Richard and I began to observe that it seemed tension would just mount among the family as the service and the morning progressed. One day Richard said, "We left that church. We don't need to hear it anymore!" So saying, we quit listening, and our Saturday mornings improved dramatically! Praise God for Freedom! Colleen | ||
| Grok |
Sabra, What Pastor Taylor is that? I knew a Pastor Taylor that I loved when I lived in CA...I thought he got "booted" out or left...but I don't remember any details. Grok | ||
| Sammi |
hi grok! i think the pastor taylor sabra referred to is greg taylor, his story is on this forum, and he writes on the forum as "nate." you probably know who i'm talking about now (recently there was quite a bit of discussion about bacchiochi's response to greg's leaving the church.) can't remember how long you've been on line here, i know it's fairly recent. if you've not read greg's story you should. also, look back at previous threads and find the discussion and comments bacchiocchi made. you will find it interesting. carol | ||
| Grok |
I will definitely do that...there is a large amount of great info here and it is going to take me a while to get through it. Greg is not the Pastor Taylor I knew... thanks Grok | ||
| Shephil222 |
Hi colleen, I was reading your post. I agree with you totally. I guess for us it's just a phase. In July of this year we will be free of the SDA church 2 years (PRAISE GOD!!!). I appreciate everyone's support and help on this matter. It's just that it makes you feel somewhat sorrowful for those who won't accept the truth. You want all to come out of false doctrine but, God knows who his children are. Those he calls will hear his voice. Thanks and love always Rushelle and family | ||
| Rey_cantu Registered user Username: Rey_cantu Post Number: 12 Registered: 2-2004 |
Shephil; hi! For many years people have try to destroy the catholic church and many other churches. why are they still there? Because is generation after generation been brain washed. Their brains have been program since there were 0 years old. I have talked to sda people about EGW contradictions with the bible, I show her book and the bible and still they dont believe. jesus said, some body wento out to plant seeds. out of four seeds only one gave fruit. one fourth according to Jesus. We plant the seed and Jesus makes the tree. rey cantu | ||
| Rey_cantu Registered user Username: Rey_cantu Post Number: 13 Registered: 2-2004 |
about feeling something againt my sda people? I can't hate no body. I love them , just like I love my baptist or mormon brother. Because Jesus said:"In this you will know you are my diciples, when you love one another." if someone would tell me define the bible or the gospel in one word: I would say: LOVE. I dont have enemies, but rey cantu is an enemy of some people. for them (some sda) I am their enemy for me they are not enemies. I see jesus in every body. I love every body. that doesnt mean I agree with what they think. We can desagree and we can still be friends. Now some people can't take that. the moment we hate , we heart ourselves. we poisen ourselves. We have to let go. I been attacked directly, I just tell them:"Jesus love you, and I love you too" I live in Keene, Texas. I said prob. 90% are SDA. the univ. southwestern adv. univ. is here. some dont like me , other do.You see i cant control people around me, but we the power of God, we can control ourselves. I confess, some people are hard to love. when I see them, I just sing a song: I have peace like a river, I have joy like an ocean................... i sing a song, and that helps me to peace myself,(the song is like a triger) with jesus everything is posible. fil.4:13 always smile, is hard to get mad when you have a smile in your face. Fil. 4:4 in his joy, rey cantu | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 85 Registered: 12-2003 |
You have mentioned, Rey, exactly the problem for people raised in cults--the veil spoken of in 2 Corinthians 3 is over their eyes. Spiritual things do not make sense to them. They literally cannot see the truth nor understand the facts and the logic behind the truth, even when we hold it before their eyes. God literally has to wake us up with the Holy Spirit. Only when people are willing to know the truth can they finally see it. Until then, we can only speak the truth and leave the results to God. I confess that I can't manage my emotions by deciding to smile. I know people who can decide to be positive instead of negative, and it works for them. But you also gave the real secret, Rey--with Jesus, everything is possible. I have been learning that I can quite literally pray at any given moment and ask God to give me his wisdom and his love and to help me see as he sees, and He helps me not to become sucked into whatever the attack may be. Please don't misunderstand me--I have to process things that happen to me and "figure them out", but for me, the secret to keeping my equanimity is remembering that God is sovereign, and asking him to be my strength when threatening things are going on. Jesus is so faithful, just as you have experienced! Praise Him for being our righteousness and strength! Colleen | ||
| Rey_cantu Registered user Username: Rey_cantu Post Number: 14 Registered: 2-2004 |
Colleen, one day when I was working as a youth pastor, one saturday morning I was about to enter the church, when I saw the church secretary at the door. she told me:"what are you doing here? ##rey ^^secretary # well i think I am the youth pastor and I am here because I am one of the church pastores. ^^Well, we dont want you here!!!!!!! #We? "we" sounds like multitudes? ^^Well, I dont like you and dont want you here! (It hit me hard) (but I was just like a turtle, I just put my head inside to protect myself against the negative people.) #Sister, Jesus loves you, and I love you too. she turn around and left mad. I said to myself:"I am not going to let this person control my emotions. I put a smile in my face, put a song in my heart;, I have peace like a river...... and went to work. next sabbath, I brought her a thank you note. next sabbath, I invited her to come to my house to have lunch. the following sabbath, I brought her a present. the following sabbath, she could handle it any more. she broke down and cry. glory to God!!!!!!! we can make a difference. Threw Jesus all is posible, we just need to believe!!!!! being a christian is a way of life. When someone dont like me , is like a challange, I will over come!!!!!! Thanks God for this wind against me. You see to be happy fil.4:4 we need to change our attitudes toward problems. for us there are no longer problems, they are gifts from above, yes with different wrapping, but is still a gift for us to grow as christians and humans. sister, I am enjoying this forum. thanks to all the people that makes this forum possible. rey cantu | ||
| Freeatlast Registered user Username: Freeatlast Post Number: 165 Registered: 5-2002 |
Rey, that is the example Christ set for us. Look for a way to perform an act of love towards someone, even if they persecute you. God bless you. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 16 Registered: 3-2004 |
The SDA church like the Catholic church will be around for a long time, but individuals, who are searching for God's truth will leave what ever church they are in. I was raised SDA. Went to SDA schools 1st grade through graduating from LLU. It took a 12 step program and 19 years to wash the SDA cobwebs out of my brain and make me receptive to the Holy Spirit and to God's truth in the Bible. I can now say I am a Christian and that I am saved. That is unfamiliar to me, but I know I can say it because Jesus shed his blood for me. I used to ask God, how can I show you that I love you. God showed me how I was loving him just before my decision to leave the SDA church. How was I doing that? By being kind and loving to others with no hope or thought of their returning it, just giving to them because they need it. When we do something for the least of our brethren we are doing it to God. I had forgotten all about that. God will lead each person that way they should go. He knows when they are ready to receive the truth. My son learned that truth from an SDA pastor in VA. The pastor eventually left the SDA church. At the time I was tired from chronic fatigue syndrome and could not comprehend my son or the pastor, but I did not censure my son or the pastor. What is kind of funny is that I wrote my son the other day and was telling him what I was learning from my independent Bible study and from the various web sites by exSDAs. My son replied, I learned that from Pastor Gary. Keep studying and praying. Diana |
