| Author | Message | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 314 Registered: 6-2005 |
Was there a particular book or study that God used to cause you to question adventist doctrine, or to want more of Him, during the BEGINNING stages of your exodus from adventism? For me, I can think of two. (In addition to six years of bible study, using the bible alone without commentary from Ellen White or anyone else) One was the book of John. I spent 9 months studying this book. I was changed. God became real to me. Real big, real Sovereign, real Kingly. Real loving. John 1:12-13 changed me. I dont believe you can read the prayers of Jesus as recorded in John, and pray them yourself, without being changed. John understood the Holiness of God. He understood that it was ALL ABOUT GOD. He understood His Righteousness. He experienced his Love. What an amazing book and testimony. The 2nd was a book by Max Lucado. I bought it at a garage sale for 25 cents. "In the Grip of Grace." It was a study of Romans, in parable style. God used that book to help me understand Grace. That was 5 years before I left adventism, but that book awakened my heart to the gospel of grace. It left me hungering for a God that would love me as I was. Lori 4excape@bellsouth.net | ||
| U2bsda Registered user Username: U2bsda Post Number: 310 Registered: 11-2004 |
About a year before I left 2 books stick out to me that had an influence on me leaving. One was a single story in the Chicken Soup for the Christian Soul. That story influenced me so much that I was then receptive when a non-SDA was talking to me about the things of God. Then the book of Acts brought me to my first big step away from all things Adventist  After that I went though a period of not trusting anything but the Bible so I never really read any books about doctrines as I was leaving. In the Bible I discovered the New Covenant and, wow, was I surprised to find out that those texts has been there all the time. The veil had lifted! Praise God!!! | ||
| Susans Registered user Username: Susans Post Number: 89 Registered: 8-2006 |
Hey Lori, The first study that I did that led me to seriously question Adventist doctrine itself and not feel it was just me who could never live up to "the truth", was when I had to study and write a paper on Galatians for my New Testament class as a student at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. After that I began to study the bible in context, inductively, and to truly understand and believe the Gospel and was born again. Not long afterwards I read "The Jesus I Never Knew" by Phil Yancey, and in later years he has become one of my favorite Christian authors. I've read most of his books, including "What's so Amazing about Grace?", but as U2 did, I tried to stay away from books about doctrine, because I didn't want to be deceived again and stuck to the bible mainly. I asked recently in the theology section about a book on theology because I've never owned one since I got rid of hundreds of Adventist publications, including all the books published under EGW's name. Susan | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 4904 Registered: 12-2003  |
Hey, U2bsda, could you please email me at proclamation@gmail.com? (No, nothing's wrong...!) The biggest eye-opener for me was studying the New Testament, book by book, with our neighbors. Once I began to see the gospel and experience the Holy Spirit's presence, I read Sabbath in Christ and Cultic Doctrine by Dale Ratzlaff. Those dealt with the niggling questions that still bothered me because he addressed every unique Adventist argument I had ever learnedóand he addressed them from the Bible. Soóthe Bible was really it. On my way out, there were several significant books including "Like a Mighty Wind" by Mel Tari and "Prison to Praise" by Dave Wilkerson. Those really helped me understand the human "spirit" question and how to live by the Spirit. It was such an "A-ha!" experience. Colleen | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 861 Registered: 4-2000  |
The first book that created doubt in my mind about Adventism was "Prophetess of Health" by Dr. Ronald Numbers in 1976. It was in the 1990s, with the dawn of the Internet, when I finally realized the ultimate deception in Adventism. True to the claims of Dudley Canright, Adventism's most notable heretic, Seventh-day Adventism makes agnostics, atheists, and spiritists out of people (i.e., Brinsmead, Numbers, etc.). Dennis Fischer | ||
| Aliza Registered user Username: Aliza Post Number: 49 Registered: 8-2006 |
Two things helped start me on the path: Reading Acts verse by verse without any EGW commentary. Next the workbook for Experiencing God by Henry Blackaby. Reading both of these while still SDA helped remove the veil and suddenly I started seeing things in the Word that I'd never noticed before. The rest is history as I studied out the Old and New Covenants from the Bible (again without any SDA help). | ||
| Insearchof Registered user Username: Insearchof Post Number: 96 Registered: 8-2005 |
For me, it was actually reading the book of Hebrews over and over for what was actually said without dancing around to make it 'work' with 1844. After that, Galatians. It became obvious after these two books that either the Bible said something totally different than I believed as an SDA or I just could not read. Needless to say, EGW had to go after I realized that what she wrote contradicted Scripture... Browsing the internet for info on EGW was the last straw. Thank God that my wife ran with it after I asked her to read Hebrews and let me know what she thought... God is too good to me! ISO | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 2237 Registered: 3-2005 |
Dennis, You and I must think a lot alike (smiley), as Ron Numbers presentation back on Memorial Day weekend 1976--30 years ago--started me on the most wonderful theological journey ever. Realizing that Ellen was not who the SDA church said she was, or who she said she was started it for me. But come to think of it, when I was an earliteen, I snuck Canright's book out of my dad's library and read it all the way through one Sabbath afternoon. The seed was clearly planted. Stan | ||
| Agapetos Registered user Username: Agapetos Post Number: 475 Registered: 10-2002  |
For me "the seeds of rebellion" began a bit when I read just a snipped of that book "What Seventh-day Adventists Believe..." which explained the then-27 Fundamental Beliefs. They said that that Christians will shun "debased music" such as "jazz", etc. This incensed my friends and I, and we began a project to examine and re-write the book. Needless to say, we only ate pizza and never got to the book at all. The big thing, however, was after meeting God in fall 1998 and then going to Japan as a missionary the following spring. My faith was very young and wavering, and a friend really strengthened and encouraged me at the beginning of my mission. She challenged me to read the book of Romans, and I did... I ended up reading the whole New Testament through at least twice that year. And that first time I read Romans I was incredibly shocked at how Paul lambasted hypocrisy and judgment of one another! It was a whole new book to me. But the seed that got planted in that was this: that we are saved by faith, not by works. The fall after my mission, I read a dream someone had about Adventism and its interpretation, and I went to go meet the person who'd had the dream, feeling like I had to be careful not to be deceived. While there, I posted the question about the Sabbath in the end times, and it was answered: "If we are saved by keeping the Sabbath in the end times, then we are saved by our good works instead of by faith in Christ." And that blew the ship wide open. From there it was all downhill, and the "ship" of Adventism was forever torn apart. Things began excitingly falling into place incredibly quickly. The Bible started making sense!! In short, after God jumped into my life, I read the book of Romans and through that He planted firmly the fact that we're saved by faith, not by works. Then my friend applied that simple principle--the Gospel!--to the 'sacred ground' of the Adventist end times scenario. I hadn't realized that up until then, the Gospel had never been allowed to encroach on the hallowed SDA end-times beliefs. (That was true for me, but not for everyone... later a friend's wife actually told me that salvation would change when the Sabbath decree went out. Eeeek!) | ||
| Timmy Registered user Username: Timmy Post Number: 115 Registered: 8-2006  |
I could copy and paste ISO's experiance: Hebrews, Galatians, "It became obvious after these two books that either the Bible said something totally different than I believed as an SDA or I just could not read." Internet, Wife, God is Good! Tim | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 2987 Registered: 3-2004  |
The SDA minister challenged our SS class at Christmas 2003 to read only the NT, without anything else. I started with Matthew. It was also in December that I rediscovered the Dirk Anderson website on my computer and read that. My attendance at the SDA church stopped and I continued to read the NT and all the websites linked to Anderson's. Tht is how I found FAF. Reading the Bible during that time period I would discover something, especially in John, about how God loves us and think, I read that when I was in SDA school, why didn't I see it before. God has blessed me as He has drawn me nearer to Him and He is so awesome. Diana | ||
| Stevendi Registered user Username: Stevendi Post Number: 4 Registered: 10-2006 |
Lotz of books. First, the Bible,prayerfully read for years, began to contradict more and more of adventism. Everything Phillip Yancey ever wrote, Charles Stanley, Billy Graham and his son Franklin too; Chuck Swindoll; Donald Miller's "Blue Like Jazz" and "Searching for God knows what"; Several by Max Lucado; Probably a dozen books on dealing with anger and spiritual abuse; Classics on prayer, 3 by Steve Mcvey - Grace Walk, Grace Rules, Grace Amazing and finally, a book on the history of The Vinyard. There are others, but I tend to give books away when through with them. When God showed me that He is everywhere and that He has only one body of believers, He also showed me the spiritual damage done to me by adventism and He began and still is healing me. He has always been with me. My former "religion" never was. Thanks to Him, I no longer worship a church, a day, a "prophet", a livestyle, a self-validating formula for salvation. I trust only in Him, for He always pulls me through. WOW! | ||
| Stevendi Registered user Username: Stevendi Post Number: 5 Registered: 10-2006 |
Oh, by the way. For any current sda brothers and sisters reading my previous post. I majored in religion at La Sierra, but changed majors and schools. I have a set of sda commentary and have read most. I was always a avid reader of egw. I have read most of her "biggies" eg. "Desire of ages", etc. several times. I mention this only so that some won't sweep my experience under the rug with a claim that "well, it's obvious that Steve is deceived". Believe me, I'm not - God told me so. I don't think He is deceived either! | ||
| Windmotion Registered user Username: Windmotion Post Number: 322 Registered: 6-2001  |
Did you like "Blue Like Jazz"? My sister recommended that book to me recently, and I have it on hold at the library. However, the waiting list is fairly long. Curiously, Hannah | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 1600 Registered: 10-2004  |
"This incensed my friends and I, and we began a project to examine and re-write the book. Needless to say, we only ate pizza and never got to the book at all." But Ramone, eating pizza is condemned on pages 284-286!  Jeremy | ||
| Stevendi Registered user Username: Stevendi Post Number: 6 Registered: 10-2006 |
Hi Hannah, Blue Like Jazz is an honest, irreverent approach to Christianity. Irreverent, that is, in regard to any formula-based effort to gain God's approval. Also, Miller's open questioning of who God is and how we relate to Him is especially helpful to those who are tired of being spoon-fed. His other book, "Looking for God Knows What" is more in-depth. A serious look at the origin and effect of sin helped me to look at my failings in a new way that allowed me to offer my sin to God instead of trying to fix things myself. You should be able to find both of these on Ebay for under $10. Let me know how you liked them. | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 316 Registered: 6-2005 |
Hannah, Im reading Blue Like Jazz now, in a study group. I really don't like it at all--It kinda bores me. Wait a couple more weeks, and I'll mail you my copy! Just not my style I think. Others in my group really enjoy it. What I love is the ability to read any material I want, and trust the Holy Spirit to sift thru it all. I think I will start another thread on that topic. I wanted this one to be about what we read that STARTED us to BEGIN to even allow a little doubt into our heads. I'm hoping to see what God used in others to begin to let His light of truth in. Lori | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 689 Registered: 8-2004  |
Javagirl wrote: "What I love is the ability to read any material I want, and trust the Holy Spirit to sift thru it all." I love that too! God is so much bigger than I'd understood before!! Blessings, Mary | ||
| Stevendi Registered user Username: Stevendi Post Number: 7 Registered: 10-2006 |
Amen to all! |
