| Author | Message | ||
| Zjason Registered user Username: Zjason Post Number: 29 Registered: 11-2005 |
I just finished reading Paul Blizzard's site watchthetower.com . Wow. I didn't realize the similarities between the two, almost like kissin' kuzzins. Basically, both say they are the true church with the truth, everyone else, if they are not converted, or subscribe to their beliefs will be lost at the end. Ugh. I feel so trapped. I know a lot of you have the same stories: my wife is not aware of how much I have been reading about dissenting opinions of the church. Pretty much all of her contacts are in the church, I think it would pretty much devastate her to know that I don't believe as I used to. That we would be "unequally yoked". I hate to think I would be risking my marriage and my young children. I find myself sleeping a lot more, and having an increasingly difficult time getting out of bed. I have lost weight(about 15 lbs over the last month) because I'm not hungry. I feel like all the happiness has been sucked out of me. I had been treated for depression in the past, and this whole ordeal has triggered another episode. I found out that the JW's have spies that watch their laity. I wonder if SDA's do too? Sigh. One foot in front of the other. Jason | ||
| Willy430 Registered user Username: Willy430 Post Number: 6 Registered: 2-2006 |
Jason: I do not think the sda's have spys, if they do they are the lazyest people on the planet. Whatever you do don't start dumping your new truth on your wife. I'm sure plenty of people here will come forward if you ask for specific advise. The J.W.'s are considerably worse than SDA's in that they do not believe in the divinity of Christ or the triune nature of God. As beaten and brused as adventism is it still contains the key elements of salvation. For heavens sake don't start using your freedom in Christ to start watching football on Saturday while eating pork rinds and drinking a beer. | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 1364 Registered: 3-2005 |
Actually eating pork rinds and having a beer while watching football on Saturday sounds just fine to me, and baseball season is just around the corner, and I can't wait! | ||
| Willy430 Registered user Username: Willy430 Post Number: 7 Registered: 2-2006 |
Riverfonz; good to finally meet you so to speak, I have really enjoyed some of your posts, myself being a lurker and all. Having been married to the confrence presidents daughter I can sympathize with Zjason, I remember once I smoked a cigar and she came out to the garage while I was doing so, you would have thought I had used the testmonies for toilet paper, give the guy a break....We're right behind you Z some of us are discreet enough to leave the pork rinds in the brown paper bag. | ||
| Snowboardingmom Registered user Username: Snowboardingmom Post Number: 41 Registered: 11-2005 |
Hi Jason, I'll pray for you and your family. Be encouraged -- I have learned over this past year that God is faithful and He is with you through this whole process. There are SO many times that God has ministered to me or comforted me in unexpected ways or people during times when I felt so alone and just plain depressed. There is one time in particular, where I had never felt so low and miserably depressed before. It had been building for several weeks, but it climaxed one particular day. I was home by myself, stressed about my newfound beliefs, scared, and just felt so alone. I felt so completely broken and down that I could not see any possible hope for joy. Literally on my knees, crying, I reached out to God like I never had before. I felt so hopeless, and realized that I needed His help. Within moments, an overwhelming peace came over me. A few minutes later, a lady I had been studying with (she's one of the people that I first witnessed what it means to have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit) called me and said she was in the area and asked if she could bring by lunch and just visit. It was the most comforting visit, and such a surprise. It was just what I needed at that time. I can't say that things were real peachy after that, but things became hopeful again. It was a definite lesson to me how God does care about us, our inmost feelings, and will help us get through our struggles. Like many others, I understand the fear of loss and the burden of hurting family members. But God is so faithful to help you through this. You're in my prayers, Grace | ||
| Zjason Registered user Username: Zjason Post Number: 30 Registered: 11-2005 |
Actually, my comment about spies was intended to be facetious in nature. I haven't had a nice juicy porkchop in a looong time. Although it would have to be cooked long enough to kill all the millions of trichinosis parasites swarming in the flesh. Yah, baby. | ||
| Zjason Registered user Username: Zjason Post Number: 31 Registered: 11-2005 |
Oh, and thanks for the words you guys. All I can do is just take it one step at a time....for now. | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 1367 Registered: 3-2005 |
Willy, I am re-reading Jason's post above, and I am not sure what eating pork rinds has to do with what he said, as I don't see this mentioned in his post above, but maybe I am missing something. I just saw your line and couldn't resist. Sorry Jason if my attempt to lighten up a bit was offensive. This does bring up an excellent point. Where do we as former SDAs draw the line at not wanting to offend our SDA relatives? I do agree 100% that we should be careful, and if we know that eating pork rinds or drinking a beer, or watching football on Saturday offends, then according to Romans 14, we should not. On the other hand, if our Christian witness is that we don't drink beer or smoke cigars, or eat pork rinds, then what is the witness we are protecting? Is it the witness that Christians don't do these things? Thanks for bringing up these points, Willy. Stan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 3468 Registered: 12-2003  |
Jason, I'm praying for you, too. God IS faithful, and He is walking with you on this journey. I have one suggestion: don't neglect time in the Bible as you do all your other study. The truth is in the Bible, and comfort and reality are there. The Holy Spirit will speak to you through the words of Scripture as you submit to it and ask God to hold you in reality and safety. Grace, what a wonderful answer to your prayer when that person from work called and brought you lunch. What a wonderful confirmation to you not only of God's hearing your prayer but also of how those who live by the Spirit are able to respond to God's promptings even when they don't "know" what's going on behind the scenes. God is faithful. Colleen | ||
| Willy430 Registered user Username: Willy430 Post Number: 8 Registered: 2-2006 |
Stan: I had a little inside information I had just seen a post by Zjason on CARM and he seemed ok there, so I took a little liberty, as for you I was just kidding around, but it's true we do have to be careful around our brothers and sisters in Christ. To give a real life example we had a bible study in our home in which one of the group was a recovering alcoholic, we put the few beers we had sitting around away, the last 6 pac was in the fridge 2 months, we don't drink much, but we did not want him to think those believers can drink why can't I. But on the other hand, there is always another hand.. If you think me chewing on a certian salty snack is affecting my relationship with Christ I really don't know what to do except to keep my distance. I have gone through what Z has and more and as it says in 2 Cor in our pain we can relate, I have been through a devorce, disfellowship, disgrace, poverty, illness, all of it passes away, then when it's over you end up depressed or with a weird sense of humor like me! | ||
| Zjason Registered user Username: Zjason Post Number: 32 Registered: 11-2005 |
Stan-no offense taken. In fact, I even smiled a bit! Willy-a personal question that you can answer if you wish, was your divorce a result of a similar situation as mine? Again. Thanks to you all... | ||
| Willy430 Registered user Username: Willy430 Post Number: 9 Registered: 2-2006 |
No not really, I did not leave the church until after the devorce,I joined at a young age 16, she was born in to the church. To tell the truth my ex had an affair with her boss the confrence treasurer. Simple doctrinal differences should not affect a marriage, I've got more ideas than carter has pills about how to keep things on an even keel. For example find out who she copied and read them, often she copied from some really great theologians, of course she left out the good stuff often enough but you can become very well informed as to the theological thought of her era, the expansion of the German theologians of her day is amazing, as a side note I'm trying to find the theologian that gave her the idea that the second goat in the dayof atonement represented Satan, if it was Hinstenburg I already have proof that he recanted his position after ellen copied him but she never did, it's great fun. Your in good shape, when your confident in your new beliefs your wife will be drawn to the truth, if she is not you will get a spirit of patience, God is good he did not open your eyes to make you or your family miserable at least not for the long run. A little discomfort is necessary to shake our trees of error but it will not last, I'm going to be so bold as to say that when you get to know the real Christ who is God, your joy will be excessive. | ||
| Ratthedd Registered user Username: Ratthedd Post Number: 23 Registered: 2-2006 |
Jason, Perhaps you can get some solace from 1 Cor 7: << 12To the rest I say this (I, not the Lord): If any brother has a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to live with him, he must not divorce her. 13And if a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to live with her, she must not divorce him. 14For the unbelieving husband has been sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife has been sanctified through her believing husband. Otherwise your children would be unclean, but as it is, they are holy. >> To me this works on two levels: For those of us who have left Adventism for something better, we can rest assured that our loved ones who hold on to Adventism are not lost, and our loved ones who believe THEY are the chosen believers can rest assured that WE are not lost because we don't follow EGW. As your wife learns more about your convictions and starts to worry about your salvation, perhaps this passage will help ease her concerns. - Erik. | ||
| Jtree Registered user Username: Jtree Post Number: 227 Registered: 5-2000 |
Hey Willy Make it...I mean Willy.. Good to see your here. Joshua of the Rock! |
