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Message |
Dd
Registered user
Username: Dd
Post Number: 15
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 14, 2004 - 3:09 pm: |     |
I am amazed more everyday how God uses this forum to meet my needs! Thanks, Doug and PW, a good laugh was just the ticket for me today!
Got any more good ones "UP YOUR SLEEVES"!!  |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 31
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 5:24 am: | |
That was a priceless way to start the morning here at work, trying to giggle discretely! Thanks for the laughs. |
Pw
Registered user
Username: Pw
Post Number: 36
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, July 15, 2004 - 8:10 am: | |
I noticed that many people were raised in the SDA church. I was wondering if anyone was pulled into the SDA by way of their popular Revelation Seminars? That's how I got hooked into it all. I had no idea what I was getting into because I wasn't a Christian at the time (well, I thought I was in my heathen ways) and never read the Bible but always was fascinated by Revelation, but didn't understand it. Now I can see that SDA doesn't either. |
Sheryl
Registered user
Username: Sheryl
Post Number: 14
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, August 27, 2004 - 6:10 pm: | |
I was reared as a SDA,but through the years have noticed that they evangelize by giving the Revelations seminars, usually at a school or community place for the first three weeks or so, once sabbath doctrine is covered the meetings are finished at the church, always thought that was a little deceptive. That used to bother me, but I do remember Joe Crews, he was a nice man, very kind to us, we were kids at the time. He had wonderful sense of humor. He appeared to be a Godly man. Oh well, just reminiscing. |
Tealeaves
Registered user
Username: Tealeaves
Post Number: 159
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 8:25 am: | |
I met a guy who was a rebellious druggie, hadn't ever heard of SDAs, and was scared spitless by a Revelations seminar and became an SDA.
It "scared him straight", so he was grateful for it, but he said "Revelations seminars are an absolutely awful way to convert people... threaten them into submission? Sheesh!"
As far as I know, he is still SDA, and was thinking about being a pastor, last I heard. |
Susan_2
Registered user
Username: Susan_2
Post Number: 889
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 9:25 am: | |
Have you seen thr bumper sticker that says, "Read the Bible. It'll scare the hell out of you"? Everytime I see that one on te back of a car I wonder if the folks in at are SDA. |
Dd
Registered user
Username: Dd
Post Number: 103
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 12:40 pm: | |
Tanya's comment of the "rebellious druggie" rattled a memory...isn't that similar to the Doug Bacholor story? I think I read a book about him at my parents. Didn't he live in caves above Palm Springs, CA, found a Bible in one of the caves and started reading, went down to town to beg one Saturday and stumbled upon the SDA church in session....? Does this story ring true to anyone?
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Madelia
Registered user
Username: Madelia
Post Number: 77
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 2:00 pm: | |
Yes, Dd, that sounds familiar. My husband has tapes from the seminars D. Batchelor held in 1999 and one of them tells his story. As I recall it, he began attending a Baptist church and was baptized there. Then, of course, he kept reading about the Sabbath in the Bible and wondered why churches didn't worship on Saturdays. I can't remember how exactly he got linked up with the SDA church; I probably intentionally blanked that part out |
Susan_2
Registered user
Username: Susan_2
Post Number: 891
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, August 28, 2004 - 2:20 pm: | |
I have an acquaintence in my town. He picks up aluminum cans to make a living. He lives in a tent somewhere out in the canyon. He seems like a fairly decent fellow. He actually knocks on doors in the community and asks people if they will leave their cans out for him. He told me not long ago that he always makes at least $40.00 per day. Pretty good for someone who has no bills. Anyway, he is a self-proclaimed Sabbath-keeper. I asked him what he ment by that and he told me he takes Saturdays off from his work and stays at his camp reading his Bible. I asked him if he'd ever attended the SDA church. He said he had, several times. He doesn't like it. He doesn't see the big deal about pork or for that matter, any meat and he really enjoys his alcohol and he told me that although the SDA have the Sabbath right they pretty much have everything else not right so he avoids them. So, Sabbath-keepers are a very unique bunch and come in all ranges of legalizm. |
Speakeasy
Registered user
Username: Speakeasy
Post Number: 135
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 7:25 pm: | |
I also need some advice. Folks I need your input. I am I think a Christian. But I have no confidence in this. This tells me I may not really be a true follower and I maybe like the bible says "there will be people that say LORD,LORD....." And jesus will not except them.
Please give me your input on what it takes to have the following.
1)Salvation
2) When you become saved when will G-d calm you and fill you with confidence that you are okay?
3) How do you know you are saved? What things in your life will be ear marks that you have excepted the salvation of jesus?
My week points in my life. Doubt ,fear, Lonelyness, Anger , and Hate and lying and I lust all the time. Lust of the eye of everything. I am laying it all out on the line so if anybody can see I am being honest with this post. That was my goal. Unlike many other posts that I have done.
speakeasy |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 615
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, October 02, 2004 - 10:28 pm: | |
Speakeasy, I am listing some texts that talk about the subjects you listed.
1. Salvation
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 8:51 With assurance I tell you, anyone who observes My teaching will never see death.
John 11:25,26 Jesus said to her, "Iam the resurrection and the life; He who believes in Me will live even when he dies, and no one who lives and believes in Me will ever die. Do you Believe this?
Acts 16:25-32 This is the story of Paul & Silas being in prison and an earthquake happened and all the doors in the prison were opened. The jailor was going to kill himself b/c he thought all the prisoners had escaped and Paul told him "Do not harm yourself, for we are all here.
V 29 Asking for a light, he rushed in and fell terror-stricken before Paul and Silas, and when he led them out he said, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" They said, believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, and your family also. Then they told him, together with his whole family, the word of the Lord.
2. When I accepted Jesus as my Saviour I believed with all my heart, soul and mind the promises above. It is amazing the calm and peace I felt that I had never felt before.
3. Jesus promises that we are saved in the texts above. There are many other texts that I cannot remember at this time.
Every time I pray and talk to God in prayer I know I have accepted the salvation of Jesus. If I did not believe and have faith in Him I would not pray to Him. These are very simplistic answers to your questions. I am new at this as I just accepted Jesus as my Saviour in January of this year.
God will help you with the weak points in your life. He does it differently with each person. With me, I had to own and admit I had a weak point and ask God to take it. Some he took quickly and others have been slower to leave. It depends on if I keep grabbing them back. Each of the points served some purpose in my life to help me. But now I know a better way, through Jesus Christ, and I do not need them. They show up every so often, but when they do, I just ask God to take it.
I also write letters to God, telling him all about my weak points and how I use them in my life. For me, the way God has Worked in my life, I have to own and admit something is mine before God can take it. How can God take something from me if I do not admit it as mine?? After I write/pray about my weak points I thank God for taking them away from me at that very moment.
I hope this helps you.
I will continue to pray for you.
Diana |
Cindy
Registered user
Username: Cindy
Post Number: 683
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 9:06 am: | |
Speakeasy,
Perhaps just TRUSTING GOD is all you need to focus on right now.
Your confidence need only be in Him. Even clarity on theological issues will come more and more as you just trust in Him to give all things to you!
No, I do not feel that God automatically fills us with calmness and confidence. I also have come to believe that God even answers our prayers for relief from certain habits in HIS TIMING. We definitely have seen evidence of this in our family.
We need to still trust that God, by His very nature, is intimately interested in us...and He is working for our ultimate best as we trust in Him.
I am re-reading a book you also may appreciate, "Ruthless Trust" by Brennan Manning. Read it if you can.
"The grace-laden act of trust is the landmark decision of life outside of which nothing has value and inside of which every relationship and achievement, every success and failure derives its final meaning. Unbounded trust in the merciful love of the redeeming God deals a mortal blow to skepticism, cynicism, self-condemnation, and despair. It is our decisive YES to Christ's command. "Trust in God and trust in Me" (p. 8).
It does take courage to believe God is on our side when our feelings tell us otherwise. And, if you are anything like me, my feelings can be quite unpredictable and changing...even within a few hours time!
May you rest in knowing God is thinking about you!
grace always,
cindy
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Thomas1
Registered user
Username: Thomas1
Post Number: 142
Registered: 4-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, October 03, 2004 - 12:19 pm: | |
Speakeasy, I trust that you are reaching out in honest need of knowing the assurance of your salvation. So, with your permission, I will answer in as honest a manner as I trust you are asking.
When we attempt to know all things and prove all things, we are not walking in faith. Hebrews says that faith is the reality of what is hoped for and the proof of what is not scene. It also tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God. I have read the Bible through a whole lot of times and I can't find where Jesus ever said that we HAD to KNOW EVERYTHING THERE WAS TO KNOW about God or about his ways of saving us. What He did say was simpley this, that we are to believe in Him and trust Him. John, in his epistle stated that his words are written to those who "believe in the name of the Son of God, that we may KNOW that we have eternal life". If you look up the literal meaning of the words "believe in the name of" it means to place your complete faith and trust in .. Him.
Paul, one of the most learned men in the matters of Torah stated that all his knowledge was mere trash or rubbish compared to the knowledge of Christ Jesus. He stated that he sought to know only the Cross and that the word of the cross was foolishness to those who are perishing but to those who are being saved it is the POWER of God, to salvation.
Faith and trust are not emotions. They don't neccessarily make you feel good or safe or warm or fuzzy inside. In fact when things are going good and you have no doubts or fears, you don't NEED faith. When it really hits the fan, is when you need to hang on and trust. When you have doubts, TRUST Him. When Satan tempts you and tells you are aren't worthy because you are tempted, remind yourself that Jesus was "tempted in ALL things just as we are", and becuae HE died and lives, you ARE forgiven, your debt is paid forever. Then tell that whipped dog to go away, because you are one with Jesus and he has no business with you.
If you say, 'BUT", you aren't trusting! Just believe it and turst Him when He says that "those who come to Me, I will never cast away". Take out your Bible and read Romans 9:28- the end of the chapter and tell youself, "This means even ME!"
The choice is yours, my friend. You can continue to "but" yourself into oblivion. You can continue to doubt and chase your tail all over creation seeking ot "prove" what God has left a mystery, or you can trust Him and take Him at His word. Remember, Jesus was one of only three things. Either he was seriously deluded and mentally ill to make the claims He did, or He was the biggest liar and con-man in the history of the world, OR He was and is exactly who He says He is. The choice is yours. When you have truly chosen Him, trust Him.
To answer your questions, God assures you of his salvation in Jesus Christ. Jesus stated that whoever comes to Him, He will save. The calm and assurance is up to your ability to believe them and trust them.
You may never be free of your "besetting" sins and temptations. That's what a DAILY walk in trust and repentance is all about. Many of the greatest names in Christianity were tormented with lots of doubts and fears and even serious sins. Martin Luther didn't like Jews, both Calvin and Luther not only approved of but called for the execution of brothers and sisters in Christ who had beliefs different then theirs, Some of the greatest Hymn writers were severly depressed and some even took their lives. But despite all, they held on to their faith and trust in the promise of Jesus to save "even me". Jesus knows your heart. And He loves you dispite your faults. He died for even you, Anger, doubt, fear, lust and all, just the way your are. Believe it. Trust it. This very day, mark it in your Bible that Jesus died for ME, and I commit the rest of my life to trusting Him to save me.
My prayers are with your decision, my brother. For in all reality, the time for questions is past. TODAY, is the day of YOUR salvation.
In His Grace,
<><
Thomas
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Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 762
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Monday, October 04, 2004 - 10:06 am: | |
Thomas, your post is beautiful. Thank you for reminding all of us to hang onto Jesus and to trust Him even in the middle of doubt and assault and besetting sin. Cindy, I like the way you state that God gives us relief from certain habits in HIS TIMING.
Learning to trust God's sovereignty has been one of the sources of greatest comfort and relief for me.
Colleen |
Raven
Registered user
Username: Raven
Post Number: 56
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 05, 2004 - 8:01 pm: | |
Another great book to read is "The Ragamuffin Gospel" by Brennan Manning. We are all just a bunch of ragamuffins, and God has promised to save all who accept Him. But that doesn't mean every problem and every sin will immediately be resolved. I really think that many emotional or behavioral problems are healing issues the same as any physical illness. We don't understand why God sometimes heals and sometimes doesn't heal, but all God has promised to do is completely save us, and the perfection won't come until we are "changed" at the second coming. |
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