| Author |
Message |
Tracey
Registered user
Username: Tracey
Post Number: 69
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 11:15 am: |     |
Hi Gang!
I know I have been gone for a while.. School mostly and I also spent some time on CARM.. But I also needed some time to mull things over.
Basically, C and I are pretty much at the same point which is he willing to leave his church. His reasons, are still not apparent to me, b/c he is still working it out in his head. I have stopped pushing though. We have agreed to a have make a decision by the end of this year.
We also visited a Jewish believer (rabbi) who read him Deut and Ex.'s verses about the sabbath. He said, it's not for you. We are still obligated but for cultural reasons only. He asked him questions about being a veggie and the odd doctrines. C said he didn't agree with them and didn't think others were wrong that didn't keep sabbath. The rabbi basically told him, Well, buddy, you break the SDA mold b/c they are strong on that and you in effect are going against what your religion holds as truth.
It went well in general. But if we stand a chance, he must leave the church totally. That answer I want by the end of the year.. I feel that is plenty of time to decide. And if that happens, I think that the SDA stuff will fade and God will do a work on his understanding and interpreting. I don't feel it's a compromise of my beliefs though, I just think that it's a process and I have to give things some time to unlearn like Raven and Rick explained to me..
I hope you all are doing good and I missed y'all!
Love,
Tracey |
Susan_2
Registered user
Username: Susan_2
Post Number: 1092
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 11:23 am: | |
Carol, my family were some of the first to purchase the book, White Out. It doesn't phase them. They insist that they don't have any EGW books and are not influenced by her in the least so they don't care if she stole her material or not. My other cousin told me God led EGW to what material to plagerise from so all the truthful writings could be compiled by one writer (EGW) rather than numerous writers. To the previous relatives I say even tho they do not have EGW books in their homes they still are greatly influenced by her in that they are devoted to reading the Sabbath School lesson books, reading the Review, watching Mark Findley and all that other media and printed stuff. Misty, it's too bad you don't have a SDB church within driving distance from you. They really are a well rounded group. You can go to The Bible Sabbath Association's website and order a book, I think it's around $8.00 and it lists all the Seventh-day observing churches in the Unites States, their addrsses and a breif description of their beliefs. It's kind-of a fun book. Some churches are not listed but a lot are. In the south are several snake handeling Saturday Sabbath churches, rattle snakes. There is one church that makes the women members stay in their backyard menstruation huts each month during their unclean time. The ladies also have to live in these huts for 40 days after they give birth to their babies. The people also have to wear a blue fringe on the bottom of their garments to show that they are part of the truth. The book is really interesting. By far the most well rounded and well ballanced church group in that book is the Seventh Day Baptist. I would still be attending the SDB if there was one within driving distance to me. Also, on that Bible Sabbath Association website you can link to a lot of different Sabbath observing churches. It's interesting to read about those different groups.
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Tealeaves
Registered user
Username: Tealeaves
Post Number: 186
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 11:32 am: | |
I think the reason that people don't contact the people who leave the SDA church is FEAR. Fear is what makes people stay in the church, and is the basis for why they try not to question the beliefs.
EGW tells them they SHOULD fear if they question. The church perpetuates that belief. And even further, they fear that former SDAs may "lead them astray" if they so much as speak to you about your thought process. If they don't talk to formers, then they can delude themselves into thinking that you "fell off the wagon" and rejected God.
Fear, Fear, Fear. Completely fear-motivated. So sad really! Because Jesus FREES us from fear!
-tanya- |
Pw
Registered user
Username: Pw
Post Number: 175
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 12:46 pm: | |
I found tracey's quote interesting about the rabbi's take on the SDA's version of the sabbath. He's right, the sabbath was intended for the Jews only (although SDA's say that sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath). We know that we rest in Jesus and not from our own efforts. I also tend to think that the SDA's do not follow up on ex-SDA members because they like to think they have backslided away from God rather than facing the possiblity that they have discovered the truth apart from EGW. Sort of like staying in their own personal comfort zone. |
Dd
Registered user
Username: Dd
Post Number: 194
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 1:40 pm: | |
Tracy,
Welcome back - you and C have been and will continue to be in my prayers. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, all your soul and He will make your paths straight." |
Raven
Registered user
Username: Raven
Post Number: 94
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 2:20 pm: | |
Hi Tracey,
Glad to see you posting again! We continue to pray for you and C.
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Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 922
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 2:24 pm: | |
Tracey, I've been wondering about you and C! Thanks for checking in again. I've been continuing to pray for you and him.
Colleen |
Sabra
Registered user
Username: Sabra
Post Number: 259
Registered: 10-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 5:38 pm: | |
Misty,
Check out my testimony in the stories. I was in your position; knowing I wasn't an SDA but still thinking I needed to observe the Sabbath.
I checked out the SDB and the SDCOG and they weren't for me either. I really prayed about it and you have to just pray about where God wants you to be and He will direct you to where you can best glorify Him.
I know I can't show you myself, but you can study out the OT and see that everything the Israelites received or were commanded or were promised was fulfilled in Jesus. Manna--Bread of Life, Passover--blood = salvation, sacrifices--Jesus' death, water in the desert--living water of Jesus, etc. etc.
The Sabbath was no different, it was given to Israel, not their fathers, no one before or after them, only for them, UNTIL the Seed should come.
Hallelujia, He came and He said, "Come unto Me all you who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest, and you will find rest for your soul.
The 24 hour physical rest was just a glimpse, a shadow, a foretaste, of the rest to be found in Jesus. They didn't receive Him as Hebrews 4 states, there still remains a rest for the people of God. It's Today and it's Jesus.
Study Galatians, Colossians, Hebrews and Romans.
Bless you!
Sabra |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 725
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 09, 2004 - 5:56 pm: | |
Tracey,
Welcome back. You and C are still in my prayer book. I pray every day for you.
Sabra,
I always enjoy what you write. Every thing I have studied in the Bible regarding the covenants I have found agrees with what you say above. God does not lead one person one way and the next another. He leads all in the same direction.
He is awesome.
Diana |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 925
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, November 10, 2004 - 9:06 am: | |
Great points, Diana and Sabra!
Colleen |
Tracey
Registered user
Username: Tracey
Post Number: 70
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 7:09 am: | |
Thank you all for your prayers and well wishes!
I love you guys and the support is so warm and very appreciated! I will keep you posted further.
Tracey |
Tracey
Registered user
Username: Tracey
Post Number: 71
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 12:02 pm: | |
I totally forgot to mention this!! The Jewish believing rabbi posed this question to C...
Why do you specifically choose the sabbath? Meaning, why do you think the sabbath is moral instead of ceremonial? and C goes B/C I think I have to keep it morally speaking. The rabbi tells him that doing the same thing each week is an example of a ritual and is therefore ceremonial. He said moral issues are things related to morality -- being kind, helping others etc. Then he told C. to show him in the bible where it says Jesus fullfilled only ceremonial laws!! I was almost laughing if it weren't so sad! Then he just blew C away saying this: While you believe the law is divided up, there is only one Torah and it is all the Law of Moses and I reject the idea that it is divided up. (he grew up as an observant Jew even!) He then says "well, by your own testimony the messiah fulfilled the "ceremonial laws" then what do you do with the other laws that are specific about the ways to come to God? C didn't know what he meant so he tells C, There are laws about fabrics not mixing when you come to worship, there can be no cotton/polyester blends for example.. He said the law says that we are not permitted to wear clothes with fringes or frayed edges. Then he says that there are dietary laws that says meat and dairy cannot touch or be combined together..
So what did Jesus do for those "kinds" of laws, and I only say that b/c I am speaking in terms that you yourself refer to b/c as a Jew, we know that there is only one Torah and the Torah is the Law of Moses.
You guys, so many other examples.. God really led us to the right place.
So, basically, C said that it was a lot to digest and he needed some time to think over all that was said. Basically, he blew C out of the water, which frankly, I wanted to happen b/c I tire of the arrogance the religion supports to the members.
Tracey "still praying" Mitchell |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 95
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 1:36 pm: | |
Tracey,
I found the link to this article on this forum awhile back. In case you haven't seen it, here is an excellent article written by a Christian Jew:
http://www.ariel.org/ff00006c.html
Jeremy |
Tracey
Registered user
Username: Tracey
Post Number: 72
Registered: 9-2004
| | Posted on Monday, November 15, 2004 - 4:02 pm: | |
Thank you Jeremy! |
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