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Snali
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 - 4:02 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi,I havent posted on here in quite awhile but I read the messages and discussions hoping to learn a few things. My wife and I are former Adventits meaning we offically left the "church " this past summer. My problem is this, I cant seem to get passed all the lies that I was taught for years and see the truth in the word,it has got so bad that I started looking at other religions such as wicca and native indian stuff to find the awnsers. I found that at least with the wicca that there is alot of very selfish people ,at least the ones i delt with were.The evil that I saw was really bad. Anyhow im still in a bind that I cant get beyond seeing Adventism in everything,an example would be that the SDA church claimeds to have the one true message and everyone else is lost,and yet that is the message of the Christian world as a whole, we are right and everyone else is wrong. I cant seem to get passed it.Im writing in desperation I dont wish to be lost but I dont see myself finding the truth what ever that is ,because all i See is SDA.
The scary part is I know that prayer and Bible study would probably help but I have even stopped that.
Im sorry to bother all of you with this,Ive seen alot of faith on this sight and Im hoping that maybe some of that will rub off on me.
Thanks for the space to vent.
snali
In_his_service
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 - 4:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali,

You should be encourged. If you weren't still willing to be filled with the Spirit, you wouldn't be here. I went through a similar period after leaving. Start with the basics. 1. Hold fast to Jesus. Put your eyes on him. Wrap your arms around him, and NEVER let go. Never allow any religion or church or denomination or symbol, or anything to take your eyes off of HIM! Tell Him how you feel....and be brutally honest about it all. You won't hurt His feelings, and as long as you are honest and ask the Spirit to lead you and fill you, you won't make Him angry with you....no matter what you say. He is your best friend and your savior, if you ask Him to be. The good news of the Gospel is simple. If you place your complete trust in what He has done for you, confess to Him that you need Him and accept Him as your Lord and Savior, and invite Him to be Lord of your life, forever, you WILL be saved. That is it. Plus nothing. Minus nothing,. Multiplied by nothing. Divided by nothing. It is not complicated, and NEVER let anyone make it more complicated than that! There is no "No. 2". No if's, and's, or but's.

Faith does not "rub off". But it does get stronger, everytime you exercise it. When you get down, hang on to Him. When you get weary of trying, hamg on to Him. When you feel "lost", hang on to Him. When you feel your loosing sight of Him, hang on even tighter to Him. When the legalists try to burden you with rules and doctrines and accuasations, hang on to HIM! He promised "Those who come to Me, I will never cast away".

You can never "bother" a brother or sister, when it comes to the gospel. He loves YOU. So do I. You will be in my prayers and I can't wait to meet you when we both get home,

You, like me are

In His Grip!

Thomas
<><
Sabra
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 - 6:34 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord. James 1:5-7

Snali, I was much like you before I started going to a non-denominational church and reading the Bible for myself this past summer. I had NO faith in God. Felt like things just "happened" at random with no rhyme or reason. Didn't really care about studying the Bible or praying or attending church. I was always looking for something to get into to satisfy that void in my life. The Lord called me out of that misery as He is doing with you. Just ask Him to explain the doubts and questions you have and believe that He will!

Remember that He is a living God, willing and able to answer you, not some silent mysterious God that doesn't care.

Love and grace to you,
Sabra
Colleentinker
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 - 6:52 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali, it's good to see you back! You know, there IS objective reality and truth. I heard Dr.J.P. Moreland from Talbot seminary give a talk a few weeks ago in which he said, "What would you think if Oprah said on her show [relating to the recent concerns re biological warfare] 'Everyone needs to get a smallpox vaccination, whatever that means to him. To some of you it may been a sugar cube, to some a pinch of salt, and to some it may mean eating a banana. But whatever a smallpox vaccination means to you, you should do it.' î

Moreland went on to say that no matter how sincere a person was, if his understanding of a smallpox vaccination was a deception, he would still get smallpox. Further, he said Oprah did go on her show and say eveyone needed to look for God, whatever that meant to him. Moreland concluded that no matter how sincere a person is, if he does not seek the true living God, he will not inherit eternal life.

Snali, there's a reason you've gotten away from praying and reading the Bible. Those things are in conflict with the things you've been investigating. But God is nudging you. He wants you to seek him and to allow him to reveal himself to you. Take the risk and pray, Snali; ask God to reveal truth to you and to help you understand what the Bible really says. Then ask God to help you discipline yourself to read the Bible and to pray. I will pray for you as will many on this forum. God wants you to experience freedom and peace in him!

With prayers for you,
Colleen
Sammi
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 - 7:59 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

dear snali, don't know if this will help or not, but last sunday at the church my husband & i've been attending the pastor talked about anyone who might be "stuck" right now, maybe looking in the wrong places, or not knowing which way to turn or where to go, etc. his suggestion was the simple prayer "God, please make me hungry for you." i know at times in my life where i felt like God had left me or wondered if He was ever really there, i just kept praying that He would not give up on me (as if He could!), and that He'd just put into my heart a desire to know Him. i just prayed that prayer over and over again, for many months, even years. i hope that helps in some small way, and please know i will be praying for you too. love and prayers, carol
Grok
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 - 8:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali,

I am so glad you took that "leap of faith" and posted a message here!

I understand the difficulty you are having taking off the SDA "scales" from your eyes and mind.

Like I mentioned to Rushelle, your emotions are very high right now---people who are deceived, and find out, are angry at the deceiver, and angry at themselves for being so gullible as to have allowed themselves to be deceived.

Three things have helped me:

First, as I keep saying over and over---the Lord led me to a wonderful Biblical fellowship. The pastor is a gifted TEACHER. I never sit in church on Sunday and hear a pastor try to string together a bunch of verses of scripture to fit some idea he has. It is going to take us about 70 years, but we go through the Bible one book at a time. We don't skip over the "hard" verses and we don't skim over the easy. We started to study Romans in about May of 2001 and we have just gotten to the beginning of chapter 2.

Two, I determined I would face the dragons of Adventism straight on---and slay them all. (Of course I armed myself with the sword of the Spirit, the shield of Faith, the breastplace of Righteousness, etc! :-) I thoroughly researched every SDA doctrine. I went to my Bible and read all the key SDA passages in context to see what they really said. Then I read everything I could find written by those who have exposed SDAism for what it really is.

Consider this...you mention that SDAism and christianity both make truth claims that are alot alike. Well, part of the subtle and incidious nature of SDAism is that it is right about many things...BUT ( and that is a big BUT) it is so wrong on key points.

Three, with the passage of time and spiritual maturity gained through walking in the grace of Christ the emotions of hurt, anger, feeling lost, and deceived have subsided.

Take care and keep in touch with us.

Grok
Windmotion
Posted on Saturday, January 12, 2002 - 9:04 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali, I have never been an Adventist, but my husband was until recently. I can tell you, in my experience the main difference between Adventistism and Christianity: Adventism and every other religion requires works for a right relationship with God. Christianity requires only Jesus. I can say this because I have seen my husband frustrated by his own inadequacies. This is the thing that has set Christianity above every other religion, the fact that Jesus loved us enough to pay the price for us to enter heaven. Adventists say, "yes but we have to be worthy of that gift." What is the point of a gift if it is earned? It is a contradiction in terms.
I came from a legalist background and it is easy to make yourself a list and say "these are the things God wants from me." But YOU are the one who made the list and not God.
The hardest thing for some people to say, including my husband, is there is nothing I can DO to enter into heaven, except accept the gift of God. (Rpmans 3:23) From what I have seen, Adventists take the "personal" out of a Christian's relationship with God. They dictate through the rulings of Ellen White how the relationship should follow. God comes to each person individually. A person's relationship to God doesn't depend on his works or what church he attends, but on what he does with Jesus who died so we could be right with God.
--Hannah
Snali
Posted on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 2:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thank you to everyone who has responded and to all who are praying,we never imagined how much leaving would effect us,we are glad we have but we just never guessed how confusing things would become.My wife has done much better with this then I have, I have always been the kind of person who likes things very clear so now Im doubly so,she has just kind of rolled with it and has accepted it all with out a problem and has stuck by me even though I have all these doubts, I am a blessed man.
I have started reading a book calles "This present darkness." and it seems to be showing me things that I had never considered,such as the idea that there is a REAL spirtual war going on for us with real demons and angels mixng it up for our souls,I guess I have never really saw it in those terms before.
Anyways,thank again.
snali
Colleentinker
Posted on Tuesday, January 15, 2002 - 4:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali, you're right; there really is spiritual warfare. As Paul says in Ephesians 6:12, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms."

I believe that all of us who leave Adventism (and undoubtedly many other people who find the true freedom of the gospel after lives of legalism) are especially vulnerable to doubts, confusion, and deception as we leave because we were enmeshed in a deceptive system. We are just learning to discern truth from confusion (another word for evil!), and Satan, the father of deception, knows exactly where to hit us to keep us from embracing our inheritance as children of God.

We are praying for you. Please keep us posted. God in his mercy chooses us and redeems usópraise him for his love and goodness in drawing you to himself and to his truth!

Colleen
Dennisrainwater
Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 12:21 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali wrote
Thank you to everyone who has responded and to all who are praying,we never imagined how much leaving would effect us,we are glad we have but we just never guessed how confusing things would become.My wife has done much better with this then I have, I have always been the kind of person who likes things very clear so now Im doubly so,she has just kind of rolled with it and has accepted it all with out a problem and has stuck by me even though I have all these doubts, I am a blessed man.
I have started reading a book calles "This present darkness." and it seems to be showing me things that I had never considered,such as the idea that there is a REAL spirtual war going on for us with real demons and angels mixng it up for our souls,I guess I have never really saw it in those terms before.
Anyways,thank again.
snali


Dennis responds:
Snali, I can relate painfully well to some of your feelings right now. I too am blessed (cursed?) with a personality that demands clear-cut answers and craves a concise, well-defined reality. When I finally felt compelled to explore the possibility of Adventism not being 100% accurate, it scared me silly. And -- I became totally obsessed with finding some kind of absolution. When it did not come quickly and easily, I was frantic -- panicked!!

My poor wife sometimes had a hard time seeing why I needed to make such an issue out of seemingly (to her anyway) little things. Snali, the reason I had to was that Adventism had so convinced me that they were the only source of truth and insight, and having been steeped in that mentality all my life, where could I possibly turn for answers when I began to question the honesty and integrity of the answers they had given me?? Certainly other churches were "out" because they were "Babylon". My own powers of reasoning and intellect were of little or no value -- Mrs. White had told us so directly. I was so far removed from a personal God who actually loved me on a one-to-one level that I could not even dare to hope that He would make Himself available to coach and instruct me. And I didn't yet know that this was the Holy Spirit's job, because I hadn't been raised on a steady of diet of the Bible -- but rather, daily readings from Mrs. White or some pre-measured, softly-packaged, half-digested dose of "religion" from a denominationally produced and approved source. How could I expect to read the Bible on my own and have a hope of understanding it all, when all these PhD's and Theologians couldn't seem to get it right??

Even when I started to "get it", I struggled so with the idea that I would now have to admit, to myself and to others! that I simply didn't have all the answers. It was pretty disconcerting to me to sit down with our new pastor with a list of silver-tipped questions fired at a machine-gun rate -- and have him answer to quite a few of them something like, "I don't know... Does it matter??" GOSH, YES IT MATTERS!!! I ASKED IT, DIDN'T I??? (Wait now, maybe it doesn't really matter... It doesn't impact my salvation... The Bible doesn't seem to choose to make it crystal-clear... Why is it so vital to me?...) Finally, I came to conclude that there are a list of things that are vital to our understanding -- in terms of how it affects our Salvation. And beyond that, there are a large number of issues that God didn't seem to think were important enough to make unquestionably black-and-white clear. And in those areas, it is quite okay for various members and groups within the body of Christ to hold differing opinions. But, as Paul stressed repeatedly, when it is one of these peripheral matters, we have no right to argue and get into a lather about them!

I will make a frightening confession to you: I still have moments of doubts and questions... I just had another round with some this week! My wife and I are now struggling with a second round of emotional turmoil in the wake of discovering that we were also ensnared by a commercial/business cult for some thirteen years... That has left me shaken -- again, and has me questioning some of the foundational issues that I thought I had settled with finality two or three years ago. I HATE having to repeatedly go back and re-examine my belief and emotional structure like this! I don't like covering the same ground twice! But I am.

And in it all, God is still faithful!! You know what I discovered this week?? Even John the Baptist -- of whom Jesus said "I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater..." -- even this great and final prophet doubted and questioned! Think about how anguished he must have been to have sent messengers to Jesus to ask, "Are you the one who was to come? Or should we expect another?" This was the man who had declared to the multitudes, "Behold the Lamb of God -- who takes away the sin of the World!" And, "I am not worthy even to unloose his shoes!" Wow. John was depressed, was he not?? Jesus compared him to Elijah, the greatest of the Old Testament prophets -- the only one who did not see death. Yet, here he is, asking -- "are you really the one we thought you were? Or have we been colossally mistaken??"

Snali, if it is okay for John the Baptist to have questions and doubts and fears, then I guess it is okay for you and me to have some, too -- isn't it? Just keep asking the questions. Jesus is faithful to reach out to us in our need and our fears. Remeber, He promised that, "I will never leave you, nor forsake you!"

By the way, I think you will have a wonderful time reading This Present Darkness. I found that to be a tremendous blessing, and very eye-opening!

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind remains on You,
Dennis<><
Snali
Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 3:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dennis, I think you have said several things that I can relate to, like you I have heard all the stuff about how weak minded we are and how with out EGW we couldnt possibly understand the Bible,and I find that I have no where to turn to for awnsers to my questions ,I cant sat I really trust anyone who is in a posistion of religious authority so I dont have anyone to ask my questions to.
What makes it worse is that i think to myself that i should know the awnsers to things when i dont and im afraid to ask because im to embarrased to ask.Its like I have been utterly humiliated and im afraid of all thing religious.
In reading the book "This Present Darkness" I have realised just how close I have come to really screwing up my life,I was getting into witchcraft and out of body experiences and it almost killed my marrige,something happened that i wont get into and im glad that i listened to my concience for once and got away from it.
The problem is now what? Im so torn up in every aspect of the word that I dont even have the energy to do that which I kow I should.In reading the book they talk alot about the prayers of the saints chasing off the demons and things like that,but im telling you real life stuff seems very scary to me,I know its there and i know all to well that it is very real and I know that the awnsers are found in God , but I just seem incapable of doing anything about it.
I see those ministers on TV talking about salvation and giving your heart and I thn to myself ,how many times do I have to do that before it all sticks. Sorry got to ranting again.
snali
Sabra
Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 4:01 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali,

Dennis Rainwater has helped me SO much! I have taken up way too much of his time with my endless questions and he never complains. His was the first statement I came across when I started studying. It is entitled "Discoveries in Doctrines" and I don't remember where I found it on the web but I think it might answer some of your questions with scripture.

Dennis, could you tell us where that information can be found on the web? If you don't read this I will try to find it.

Snali, your own personal Bible study with the help of the Holy Spirit is the best way to go, He will not lead you in the wrong way.

Your struggles are SO NORMAL! It will all come together in time. God is really dealing in your life, just let Him do the work.

Sabra
Dennisrainwater
Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2002 - 5:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi Sabra!

Thank you for the kind words,and you have never been a bother! :-) It has been a pleasure visiting with you.

As for my paper; it is published on Janet Brown's excellent web site at What Seventh-day Adventists NEED to know About two thirds of the way down on the main page, you can click on "Discoveries in Doctrine by Dennis Rainwater".

Snali, if you take the time to look, I hope some of my discoveries may help you, and give you some peace. It seems that you and I think somewhat alike, so there may be something there for you... I am praying for you -- I know personally, as do many other folks on this forum, just how anguished you are feeling right now. I cannot offer you a quick fix -- it takes time. But, I can promise that God is FAITHFUL, and He will carry you through this. Eventually, the JOY of freedom will eclipse the pain of your present doubts.

I can relate to your statement about feeling "utterly humililated and afraid of all things religious". I think those feelings stem from the fact that Adventism appealed to our intellect so much -- we were handed such a neatly wrapped package of ideas and beliefs. We had answers to everything. When we find that rug jerked out from under us, it is painful.

It is terrifying to venture back in an arena of "exploring God", if you will pardon the expression -- and find that we no longer have all the answers. And further complicating the scene, is it not likely that we will find a new, complete set of pat answers any time soon. When we have been conditioned to think it was so very important to have all those answers, this new discovery is truly frightening!

Just hold onto the idea that God has provided all the information you need to be saved. There are no holes in that picture. As regards some of the other areas of study and knowledge, it is okay to anticipate enjoying the next however-many-years you have left on this earth to spend exploring those fields...

But, as Sabra pointed out, the most important thing to remember is that NOTHING can replace your personal study of God's word -- remembering to invite Him to sit in on the lesson with you! :-) There is nothing that any of us who have been on this journey longer can offer you that will be a wholesome substitute for THAT!

I entrust you to God's strong, yet gentle Hands,
Dennis<><
Lydell
Posted on Thursday, January 17, 2002 - 7:39 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali, as you have already been told, getting into the Word is absolutely vital. Can I suggest that when you are reading, instead of focusing on finding the answers to your questions, you focus on finding out who Jesus is, what the Father is like, and make the acquaintance of the Holy Spirit. I say that because it sounds like you have a real distrust of "religion" (and I'm there with ya on that one!). But what you need to see is the huge difference that seeing yourself in relationship with a passionately loving Father makes. So even in reading the book that has been recommended, read with your first question being, "what does this tell me about God and how He feels about me?"
Snali
Posted on Friday, January 18, 2002 - 3:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Dennis thank you for the link, I just started reading some of it but I havent had alot of time to do it yet.
I think the hardest thing I have to deal with right now is the idea of surrendering to God.I know it is something that I need to do but I really dont know how. I have read all the right verses I know it involves prayer,in other words I know the formula,but I dont know how to apply it or make it stick in my life. I dont know if you are familliar with HILL SONG but I started getting into their music about the time that we were leaving the SDA church, I saw them on TV and bought a video, I watch them people singing with all the joy that they have from God and I find that I am jealous of what they have. I see it and I know its real but I dont know how to let go and experience the joy.
Now just to make it interesting I heard rom one of the elders of our local church and they are asking if I would like to talk to the new pastor, i have no intention of doing so but its the idea that after 6 months and we asking them not to contact us they have the nerve to call!!
Tommorrow we are going to go look at new Bibles do you have any suggestions,we have so many SDA notes in our old Bibles,that we are thinking that it might be better for us to start over new with that.
Sabra,Collene and Lydell I just want to make sure that I thank you all for your words of hope and encouagement and I will keep writing.sometime Ill tell my real name and my story just to give an idea of how much this has affected me and my wife.
Any how thank you again,
Snali
Lydell
Posted on Friday, January 18, 2002 - 6:38 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali, you are right, Hillsong music is great. You might check out some Vineyard music as well.

Worship music is a bit different than singing the typical hymn. Your average hymn sings about God or about something He has done. The typical worship song is addressed directly to God instead. And they are intended to be sung very personally, from your heart to God. It's pretty much the same thing that David was doing in the Psalms.

I think the joy you are seeing on that Hillsong video is because of this difference. The singers, even tho they are in front of a bunch of people, are intentionally singing TO God. They are striving to open up completely to God and communicate as directly to Him as you would to your wife.

I'd encourage you to try out this type of deep worship rather than just listening to the songs as you likely have been accoustomed to doing. It takes a bit of practice. Definitely helps to be alone at first, too.

But it makes a huge difference. Essentially what one does in worship is get things in perspective in their minds. This is GOD to who I am speaking: creator, sustainer of life, the one with all the answers, the one with all the power, the one who has done these good things for me and in my life. God already knows all the truths about himself. It is we who have to remind ourselves of the facts to get our focus straight. It helps us get our mind off the questions and onto the one with the answers so we are ready to really listen.

And it does open you up to experience the presence of God AND that joy that you are talking about. Again, it is all back to building a real relationship with the Father, not just the head knowledge or some of the facts. You don't just ask your wife questions all the time do you? Hopefully you complement her and just spend time being with her. Too often we forget that to have realtionship with God also means sometimes just spending time in His presence. Invite Him to spend some private moments just being with you.

I know it likely sounds pretty simplistic. But many here will tell you they have also found that this kind of worship has made a huge difference in their lives.
Sabra
Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 7:23 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Amen Lydell,

Some solitude with God is necessary, lots of it. Sometimes we get into a habit of praying for things, people etc. and forget to say, "God, what do you have to say?" Prayer shouldn't just be a one-sided conversation. I don't have much solitude time with 3 kids but I drive 45 min. to work and that's a great time for playing some CD's and singing to God (other drivers might not appreciate it so much but hey) also I can "catch up" on my one on one time with Him. My husbands truck broke down and he was riding with me for a few weeks and I told him he was interferring with my relationship with God ha! It amazes me that He just answers me! That never happened before that I remember. One day I was really dealing with a problem and was looking all over the car -while driving- for a CD, the song I wanted to hear was "I Get On My Knees" I couldn't find it anywhere so I turned the radio on. It was the next song on! And I never had heard it on the radio. Cool huh?
Colleentinker
Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 10:05 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali, praise God for bringing you to all these people on this forum who have been supporting you with such insight and prayer! God is sovereign, and he knows what we need. He brought you back here, and he is loving your through all these people who are conversing with you. Isn't he awesome? He knows how to love us in the ways we need to be loved!

Last night at our FAF Bible study, one of our group made an observation that really stuck with me. He was referring to the verse in Philippians which says, Let the mind of Christ be also in youÖ He pointed out that it says "Let" this mind be in you, not "Put" this mind in you.

I know so deeply how frustrating it is to struggle with surrendering to God and letting him have my life and me and with knowing HOW to have a personal relationhsip with him. I have found that internally, when God is asking me to surrender something to him, I really do have to "let go" of my fear of "What if?" and my fear that things will fall apart or careen out-of-control. I have had to learn, one item at a time, to give my concern into God's hands, asking him to worry about it for me and to glorify himself through it and to do his will through it. In my mind I have to step away from the things I'm struggling with and believe that God now is managing it. I no longer have to. My only concern is to pray about it and to ask God to glorify himself.

Music is a wonderful way to begin knowing the Father. It is not a substitute for reading Scripture, but it does help you to experience him deeply in your spirit. But both scripture and music are examples of those things that you must surrender to God, not trying to have any certain experience from reading or listening, just giving the experience to God and letting him do for you what he wants to do for you.

It is not our job to fight the evil forces around usówhich are REAL, as you know! That is the job of our God. I suspect that what your mind and heart need (I'm guessing here based only my own experience) are rest and peace, relief from the concerns and unaswered questions you have.

Snali, you are where you are right now because God has brought you here. Praise him for what he has already done in your life. Praise him for what he is doing. Praise him for having plans for you to have hope and a future. (Jer. 29:11) Ask him to direct you to what you should read, what you should listen to, and ask him to reveal himself. Relax and rest, Snali, knowing that God is now conducting your redemption. You no longer have to find your own answers! He is faithful. He will reveal himself!

Hillsong Music is wonderful. Also check out Lydell's suggestion of Vineyard music, and I'd like to add one more suggestion: Dennis Jernigan. His Worshipper's Collection volumes 3 and 4 are absolutely wonderful, and I suspect some of them might speak to you where you are right now, especially "Daddy's Song", the first band on the first CD in Vol 4.

Snali, we continue to pray for you.

In Jesus,
Colleen
In_his_service
Posted on Saturday, January 19, 2002 - 10:43 am:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Snali,

On Bibles, take the time to look them over. Find one that is easy to understand and read. There are several which read well. For strict interpretation you might want to look at the New American Standard. It has an extreme level of accuracy but reads a bit on the "wooden" side. I prefer the New International version. I have read seven versions from cover to cover, some several times, and the NIV "speaks" to me in a clearer way than the others do.
Snali
Posted on Sunday, January 20, 2002 - 2:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete PostPrint Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi folks,I have a question,how do you go about studying your Bible? I bought a new Bible with cross references and all that kind of stuff, but i realised that was the kind of thing that i used to do with the SDA church, I want to know God and Jesus ,not just where to find things. Does that make sense?
Colleen, one of the comments you made about resting,kind of got my attention, I have no idea how to rest,that is no joke if i even sit for to long I start getting restless. my wife always comments on how tight or tense my muscles are i know you mean more of a spirtual rest,but it seems to me that both have to go together.
Today,once again one of the elders from the church called me to ask me if I wanted to meet with the pastor and I said no, he ended the conversation so fast it was almost funny.Strange when you tell them you are leaving they get all concerned about you going apostate but yet they are the first to cut you off, amazing how there vision of grace and mercy works.
Thanks for any awnsers that you might have.
snali

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