| Author | Message | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6 Registered: 12-2003 |
I want to wish everyone here a wonderful Christmas. My prayer is that you will have a truly joyous, peaceful holiday, and that you will experience the miracle of Jesus and his love in a new way this year. We are having a couple of Adventist extended family members here tonight--they will join us for the Christmas Ever service and for supper afterwards. We have also invited a Mormon woman her 7-year-old son. She became a Mormon three years ago after having grown up Catholic, and she was really excited about attending a Christmas Eve service--an activity she has not had in her life as a Mormon. If any of you think of it, we would appreciate prayers for these people as they hear the gospel and experience the beauty and awe of the service. I thank God for all of you, and I pray for us all that we will grow inhumility, wisdom, and surrender to Jesus. Praise God for the astonishing gift of Jesus. Colleen | ||
| Freeatlast Registered user Username: Freeatlast Post Number: 160 Registered: 5-2002 |
Colleen, you have my prayers. It is easy to forget at times that Seventh-day Adventism is not the only detour that Satan has set up for those seeking Christ. | ||
| Lydell Registered user Username: Lydell Post Number: 561 Registered: 7-2000 |
Christmas is looking up here. My mom spoke her first word this evening, and also wrote a word. Praise God! | ||
| Rochelleradclif Registered user Username: Rochelleradclif Post Number: 5 Registered: 6-2003 |
I want to thank everyone who shares from their heart about their experiences in finding Jesus as their true Sabbath. Sometimes it has been a blessing to just scroll through the different posts when I'm feeling isolated as a former Adventist and be reminded that there are many other people with Adventist backgrounds who've experienced the same struggles and triumphs in following Jesus. Merry Christmas! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 7 Registered: 12-2003 |
Hi, Rochelle! Welcome back--have you found any place to worship? It's possible to feel isolated as a former Adventist even in a good church, but if you have fellowship in Jesus, he can heal and fill those empty places even if people do not fully understand your experiences. I hope you had a Merry Christmas. Lydell, praise God for your mom's progress! We had a really nice Christmas Eve with our guests. There were no major "break-through's", but we did have a nice evening together. I know that everything is on God's timetable, and I've no idea how that works in advance! Christmas Day, on the other hand, was quite tense in some ways--there really is palpable discomfort (uh--that's a mild word for it) on the part of some of our Adventist family. We're learning that God sometimes leads us to create certain boundaries and releases us from the need to engage in any sort of defense or argument. I know I've often said words to this effect, but we're continuing to experience this reality in new ways. Praise God for being everything we need! Colleen | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 4 Registered: 4-2000 |
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL! May 2004 be your best year ever! This year marks our fourth year of being Adventist-free. Sylvia and I know more facts about Adventism than when we were still members. Actually, I know more about their scandals, politics, governing policies, and cultic doctrines than I need to know. However, on the plus side, this comprehensive information gives me a vantage point in my online chaplaincy ministry to reach struggling Adventists. Recently, I had another theological discussion with my Catholic barber while getting my hair cut (I really need to pay him for finding hair these days). In the course of relating a few church history facts, I briefly mentioned how Catholics believe that the Apostle Peter was their first Pope. He was noticeably stunned and said, "Well, I never knew Catholics believed that!" Similarly, in working with Adventists, I am always amazed at their ignorance about their belief system. As former insiders, we have so much to share and expose about Seventh-day Adventism. It is my heartfelt prayer that this knowledge will equip each of us to lovingly present the awe-inspiring gospel of Jesus Christ to them. In Christ, Dennis J. Fischer | ||
| Chris Registered user Username: Chris Post Number: 185 Registered: 7-2003 |
Dennis, you mentioned all you've learned about SDA politics and governing policies over the years. I am continually amazed at how much stuff goes on behind the scenes. I had lunch with Clay Peck on Wed. and we had a fascinating conversation about the founding of GracePlace. I knew a little bit about this previously, but it is absolutely amazing how much politics was involved and what a central role money played in all of it. I really respect what he was doing there, both before and after the conference fired him. He seems to be a man with a lot of guts and conviction. I just can't imagine living in that kind of a hot house constantly embroiled in conference and denominational politics. I'm sure politics aren't unique to Adventism, but the cultic twist to Adventist politics sure give them a unique flavor. Can you imagine pressure being put on a conference to close a church because they serve coffee (among many other complaints)? It all seems rather funny now that I'm out of it :-) I thank God for every new year that takes one year farther from Adventism and one year closer to Christ. A Happy New Year In Christ Jesus to all on this board! Chris Chris | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 12 Registered: 12-2003 |
Chris and Dennis, I completely agree with your observations above. The farther away I get, the more cultic and twisted the organization looks. The thing that niggles at me is the fact that I used to live and work inside those twisted politics and unspoken rules, and even though I disliked much of it, it all felt familiar, and I understood how to get along inside. It was when I worked for Adventist Today that the reality of the deliberate deceptions at high levels began to come into focus for me, and I actually praise God that he allowed me to cover some of those stories so that I had no illusions about the church being essentially well-meaning with some individuals who played dishonestly. I realized that the whole structure was corrupted, and the problem trickles from the top down. Chris, I understand your reactions to talking with Clay Peck. I interviewed him for A. Today when he was fired, and the story amazed me and confirmed our already-formed conviction that we had to leave. I am so thankful for Jesus!! Because we have him, we can walk into 2004 with confidence and peace. Colleen | ||
| Rochelleradclif Registered user Username: Rochelleradclif Post Number: 7 Registered: 6-2003 |
Colleen, I attend two churches in my local area regularly. One is a non-denominational bible church, and the other is a non-denominational charismatic church. I'm not ready to choose a church home, but do appreciate your asking me about my church attendance. I'm also glad that God is using you to reach out to Adventists and people from other different religious backgrounds during the holidays. I pray that God gives me and the rest of us more such opportunities in 2004. Rochelle |
