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So I opened my Bible to Romans and as I read it seemed as if a veil was being removed from my eyes, tears were streaming down my face...
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Grace and Peace!!
I am a former third generation on both sides of my family Seventh Day Adventist. I was freed from that faith last year in February. What an awesome revelation to know that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!
This entire experience out of Adventism has been just shocking and I couldn't believe that I had been missing out on experiencing the fullness of Christ and developing a true relationship with him all of this time. I have two sisters who God revealed the truth to first and they were scared to show me what they discovered because I had been so involved in the Adventist church. I was always at the church, always up front singing, directing or ministering in someway. I was so firm in what I thought to be the truth and had never really questioned it; I mean it was "the way" the only way to heaven. But I knew that I was lacking in my spiritual life and would become discouraged often because I never felt that I would be right enough to make it into heaven, we were told by our prophetess that we had to be perfect in order to be saved and even at that never to say that we were saved. And I was having a big problem obtaining my perfection. And even being so active in the church I felt so distant from the Lord, I never felt that I had a true personal relationship with Him. I longed for it, but somehow I was unable to develop it and couldn't quite grasp why until now.
One day one of my sisters prompted me to read my Bible, she asked me to read Romans, Galatians and Hebrews 8 and to ask for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, she said to me "the truth will set you free". Initially I didn't think that it was important to look into what she said, I mean what more could she know? And if she knew anything it couldn't be right, we already had the truth, there's nothing more to it. But after a couple of weeks I took it upon myself to get my Bible out, and I did what she said and I said "Lord, please reveal to me whatever it is that you have for me in your word, please send your Holy Spirit to teach me and guide me to the truth and a clear understanding of it". So I opened my Bible to Romans and as I read it seemed as if a veil was being removed from my eyes, tears were streaming down my face as I read the entire book of Romans, Galatians and then Hebrews chapter 8! My God! Right then and there, salvation, grace and God's love became so clear to me. I had been raised in church but wasn't saved until that night! Praise God!
But wait, this wasn't what I had been taught! I had to find out why, so I began researching in depth into Adventism and Ellen White and compared those teachings to what the Bible teaches and to my surprise found out that Adventist teachings were so wrong and were not truly aligned with scripture. My story continues, but I'll will try and shorten it.
My two sisters and I left our Adventist church and my mother along with many of the members, elders and Pastor of our former church couldn't understand why. My mother's heart was broken, she couldn't believe that the devil had deceived all three of her girls and caused us to turn against everything that we had been taught. My sisters and I touched and agreed in prayer over my mother, we asked for God to reveal to her what He had revealed to us, we knew that He would but didn't expect Him to do it so fast!
We would show her proof of things that Ellen White wrote in her books that didn't line up with the bible and we'd give her scriptures to read. At first she resisted, she tried to go back to the few scriptures that could validate some of the Adventist beliefs if not properly understood. We'd send her back to read the entire chapter and really understand what God was saying and why. Within a couple of month's she started to question things on her own and one night she called me and said "I've got it!!" she finally understood that we are no longer under the law but under grace and that Adventism is in error. God is so good!! He has guided my family through this journey of finding our true freedom in Him! And I couldn't be more excited. I have finally developed the relationship with Christ that I had always longed for. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there truly is liberty!
There are so many of my Adventist friends that are still in bondage. They are unhappy in the Adventist churches but are afraid to leave because they have been taught that this is the only way to their salvation. God led me to write a document on Adventism and what the Bible says. He has also allowed me the opportunity to share it with other in and outside of the Adventist faith. I have so much compassion for those who are still bound. Please pray that God will open the eyes of the Adventist people here and everywhere so that they too can experience the fullness of Christ that we have been able to. I would love to start a local SDA outreach program here in Columbus. If you can offer any resources or advice, I would appreciate it.
Thank you for this website and for allowing me to share my testimony with you.
May God continue to bless you,
Luanda A. Daniels
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. John 8:32
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LUANDA A. DANIELS