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Melissa
Registered user
Username: Melissa
Post Number: 839
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 8:47 pm: |     |
You know, for a moment after I got the call, I waited for the tears. And I'm sure they'll come, but I know my grandfather had been asking to "go up" for months. He was miserable. He was active all his life and the last few months to have to be confined to a nursing home just was too much for him. The last time I saw him was the weekend of Martin Luther King weekend. There were moments you weren't quite sure he was aware of his surroundings, but when I took my baby up, I told him to wave at Grandpa, and Jonathan waved. And my grandpa waved back. It told me he recognized us and later when I took my grandma up to see him, he had said he saw me earlier. When I was leaving, he told me to take care of my kids, which is what he always said when I left. My grandfather was an incredible man, though fully human. His faith was much more simple than anything most of you have probably even encountered coming from the SDA background. We were as close as two could be 400 miles apart. I always knew he loved me and he treated each of us as if we were his favorite ones. I'm so thankful that I have good memories of him. He and my grandmother were married for 68 years and they met when they were 8 and 9... most of their years alive were together as playmates. I know she had a bit of a relief when he went to the nursing home because she was afraid he might be dead when she woke up in the morning, and that really frightened her. He had his shower this morning, went back to bed, and went to sleep...wouldn't we all wish for our end to be that way. Though that's not the purpose of this thread, it gave me a definate pause on this age topic. I leave tomorrow to drive the 400 miles to Arkansas. I'm leaving the kids here with B since I will return on Friday ... 16 hours of driving would be an awful lot of strain for a 2 year old.
But I truly am thankful to have been his granddaughter. He was a simple man, but he had integrity like few I've seen. Thank you all for your prayers. I will miss him, but I know the separation is temporary. There is great peace in that. We do not mourn as though who have no hope.... |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 1381
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 9:34 pm: | |
How right you are Melissa. The separation is only temporary. That brings a thrill to my heart.
And when you see him again, there will be no illness or sadness. It sounds like he was a wonderful Grandfather. Praise God.
He is awesome.
Diana |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 1779
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 12, 2005 - 9:52 pm: | |
Melissa, I'll be praying for you as you travel.
Colleen |
Somethinfishy
Registered user
Username: Somethinfishy
Post Number: 2
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 10:47 pm: | |
"The Lurking Friend" emerges...I half-asked Rick to start this thread, so I could get a feel of who is who...My husband and I quit attending SDA church when we moved to a new area last summer...less questions and sideways looks that way...we were kind of trying to hide.
I've seen comments on here about SDA's thinking that everyone who leaves does it because their feelings got hurt, or something "feely." I'm a little embarassed to say that this is probably true for us at the moment, but the hurt feelings, and the treatment we have received have been going on for long enough, and pushed under the mat by enough "administrative levels" that it appeared to me as a "sign" of a lack of fruit in the church...wondering if this is really a "Christian tree?"
Then you start looking into the "why's," and, well, you end up at a place where we are...a little lost and confused, and feeling a little like an island in a big sea...feeling tired and worn out after university, and weeding your way through your first "real" jobs. Not having much brain power left to dig deep into the intricacies of doctrine, or to pick through everything you knew to determine what is Bible, and what is EGW.
It's an overwhelming feeling. I wanted to know if there was anyone out there that could relate...I'm sure everyone can, no matter what the age, but I find myself in a different mindset/set of circumstances than my parents, who are also, for all intents and purposes, out of the SDA church (Hi, dad!). Just wondering if anyone out there can relate to my state of overwhelmedness...
Fishy |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 1792
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, April 14, 2005 - 11:22 pm: | |
Wow, Fishy--I can relate. Even though I'm probably your parents' age, my leaving was totally overwhelming. While I came at it from a different angle than you're describing, I still had more to learn than I could quickly grasp. There's such an emotional component to all of it; it's one thing to have to study and figure things out; it's another to process what you hear/read and let your heart catch up with your head.
You know, Fishy, even though you feel overwhelmed and unable to process details, I think you'll find a lot of your confusion resolving if you take some time (even if you go slowly) and begin reading two or three particular books that will probably help you sort out things.
One is Discovering the New Covenant by Greg Taylor. It's short and an easy read; it's Greg's story about leaving and studying his way out. I suspect this book would help you make sense of a lot of things.
The other is also interesting reading--it's the Cultic Doctrine of Seventh-day Adventists by Dale Ratzlaff. It's full of anecdotes and quotes that we never learned in school when we were studying the judgment and Adventism. It's quite interesting and eye-opening. Again, it's not a difficult read.
You can get both of these books at www.ratzlaf.com, and I just have a hunch you'll begin to feel both affirmed and less confused.
Don't forget to read regulalry in the Bible, too--ask God to help you know what you need to know and to be able to understand what the text actually means.
Also, check out the storie on this site.
With prayers for you and your husband,
Colleen |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 212
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 6:14 am: | |
Welcome to the forum Fishy! Glad you decided to come out of the woodwork.
I can totally remember the sinking and lost feeling that I, and especially my husband felt when we first started this journey. It was immensly overwhelming to us. Trying to figure out what was good to read, who to trust, how to understand the Bible, what the changes in our lives were going to bring...since we live and work in an Adventist University community. We held church offices, and our entire famiy/friend structure was Adventist. Those first two weeks or so, I thought I'd reached the end of it all. Thankfully, we're young enough and don't have kids yet to drag through this.
But slowly and surely, God led us in a direction and helped us to make contacts that brought some grounding back into our lives. Read Galatians and John. I read them over and over and over those first few months. Galatians is short, just four chapters. The cool thing is when you stop looking for SDA doctrines and "trying to understand" there is so much simple knowledge to be gained. And Jesus' words are Living Water for your soul in John. He will bring peace and calm to your feelings of confusion and the immensity of the situation you feel right now, will diminish.
But like Colleen said, it's important that you do find the time to study, even if it's in very small bites. As you grow with God He fills up the empty places and calms the confusion. Without Him coming into your life in a brand new way, it's far to easy to be tossed by the SDA storm.
I'll be praying for you! |
Somethinfishy
Registered user
Username: Somethinfishy
Post Number: 3
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 6:40 am: | |
I was "lucky" enough to be exposed to "Sunday" Christians through attending a Christian school when I was Elementary age. I was exposed to the simpleness of the Gospel there, and accepted it when I was 12 (not that I ever really heard it at Church). Since then, I have always felt that this same message is/was (my state-of being verbs are unclear, even to myself at this moment) IN the SDA Church, but that it was just not being emphasised either only where I was, or on a more broad scale, I was never sure, but so long as it WAS there, somewhere, I thought I could "change the world," and bring it out (again?).
I started really sharing what I was learning in school with friends from my own church, as well as friends from an academy not too far away. They ate up the freedom, as well as the worship style (aka the music) that they saw. As time went by, and I kept trying to translate my Christian school experience into my Adventist life, the more I found myself being shut down by the "adults," whether in my church, or in my conference. Even from the young age of 12, I experienced rejection by "my" church, and felt that they didn't really care about me anyways, at least that's what their actions told me....anyways...got to get going to work...skip to the end...I am definitely a born again Christian, have been since I was 12, but have been trying to contextualize it into my SDA situation until recently. I guess I just need to keep reading, and try to keep the SDA glasses OFF. I'll be honest that I don't know if I'm ready to read books from other sources about SDA beliefs. I guess at this point, I'm trying to make it through the Bible (again) to see (again) what it says(again), now that I am coming from a bit of a different perspective. But there are still lots of "what if they are right about this and that," especially regarding prophecy. Not that I really know exactly what all the ins and outs of the prophecies are. Roar!!!...off to work I go... |
Jerry
Registered user
Username: Jerry
Post Number: 452
Registered: 6-2002
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 7:35 am: | |
Welcome, Somethinfishy!
I have a suggestion for whenever you have those "what if they're right" thoughts:
Just remember John 14:6.
Jesus said, ". . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."
He did NOT say, " . . . Ellen G. White (or Joseph Smith, or Mary Baker Eddy) is the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by the SDA (or any other) church." |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 1794
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 9:42 am: | |
Jerry, that is such wise advice. If we can't come to the Father without a doctrinal interpreter, we have no foundation at all. The Bible IS the ground of truth.
Somethingfishy--I hope this insight helps a bit. I just came from our women's ministries monthly Systematic Theology class. We're using Wayne Grudem's Bible Doctrines as our text, and he walks through, text-by-text, every Christian belief and explores every angle the Bible uses to discuss it. Today we finished the chapter on the Nature of Christ.
Elizabeth Inrig, our teacher said this: "It's not enough to be able to say Who Jesus is. Many people can accurately say He is the Son of God. You have to be able to know accurately what He did regarding salvation."
This is the sticking point, really. Adventists have his identity pretty much right--at least officially. They do not, however, really understand His work of salvation. Because of the investigative judgment, Adventism has His atonement skewed. Even though they say "He died for my sins," They don't see that as the essence of our salvation. They really DON'T have the true gospel.
On the conservative end, they say that the atonement was only begun, not completed, at the cross. It continues, they say, in heaven, and the righteous will not know until the second coming whether or not they received "final atonement" based on their worthiness. The ideas of worthiness and "final atonement" are simply nowhere in the Bible.
On the liberal end, they may or may not say He died for our sins. They are likely, however, to see the cross as simply an object lesson of God's love--not an atonement payment for MY sin. They see the cross as simply a statement to the universe that God is loving and forgiving--a statement proving to Satan that he is wrong. They do not see Jesus as becoming the literal curse to release us from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13).
Instead of "trying to make it through the Bible" again, try asking Jesus to guide your reading and to reveal the truth to you. This time, begin in John and Galatians. It's just really important that, however small an amount of time you have, that you spend some regularly in Scripture.
Beyond the Bible, ask God to bring to your attention the books or material you need to read at the time you need it. He will be faithful. As my husband and I studied our way out, God faithfully led us, step by step, to exactly what we needed at the time we were ready for it.
As far as books "about" SDAism--I'd like to reassure you about the books I referred you to above. Taylor's book is literally a Bible study showing how he searched Scripture to discover the answers to his questions and to make sense of the cognitive dissonance. It is not a persuasive essay explaining his opinion--although his conclusions are clear in the end.
Ratzlaff's book is, even more, not a subjective piece. It is his presentation of research showing the history of the early days of Adventist doctrinal formation and is exhaustively footnoted.
But don't feel pushed to read other things. As I said, God will guide you. You have been in His hand all these years, and He has brought you to where you are now. It is He who has put the desire and the circumstances into your life to cause you to want to know what is real. He will be faithful to show you that reality as you let Him guide you.
Like so many of us here, I know from painful experience that the confusion/dissonance of Adventism is often connected to other personal struggles as well. What I have discovered is that God never heals us in only part of ourselves. As we begin to honestly seek Him and become obedient to His call for us to know truth, He begins to bring the rest of our life into focus as well.
Sometimes it seems as if pursuing truth unleashes chaos. That is normal--changing our entire worldview and grounding ourselves in reality precipitates great change and new insights and new invitations to surrender to Him. Just know that God's peace is bigger than your confusion, and He is holding you in His hand.
With prayers for you,
Colleen |
Somethinfishy
Registered user
Username: Somethinfishy
Post Number: 4
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 15, 2005 - 3:01 pm: | |
Esther, how long since have you been "out?" I'm 26, and 2 years out of (SDA) University. My husband and I are both teachers. I taught last year in the SDA system, and my husband is teaching this year in the public system.
We quit calling ourselves SDA over this last summer, but, I would say my journey out began back when I was 12, and I genuinely accepted Christ at a Pentecostal youth rally (as opposed to the other in-genuine times every year at campmeeting when I stood up at the call, so that I would not be the only one sitting down). My husband never considered any other option than SDA until sometime during our University years, and after last year, working for the church, we both wanted out. We haven't removed our names from the books, can't be bothered, but we are not attending SDA church, nor are we affiliating ourselves with it. It was an easier transition for us than some, maybe, because the timing of our exodus happened to correspond with moving 1000 miles from the last church we attended, and not making ourselves known to the SDA church in the new community (well, we tried, but after word "leaked out" 8 months ago, we've had one pastoral visit, attended church once, just to reassure ourselves we were making the right decision, and a couple of phone calls from the pastor, as well as a request for us to do special music, which seems is all we're usually wanted for, anyways, no matter where we go). Basically, it was easy to disappear.
We've gotten involved with a great local, evangelical church in town, and have a great core of friends. They don't totally understand where we have been, or where we are coming from, so it's a bit awkward at times, trying to explain something to someone that you don't really understand, yourself, but we'll get through it, I guess. Since I am substituting right now, I am able to attend a great women's Bible study most weeks, during a morning. I am finding it interesting, as we are reading "In the Grip of Grace," a book that I started reading once before, but didn't finish. I do think I have a good grasp of the concept of grace, but look at it without trying so hard to squeeze a simply complicated concept you actually understand in to an Adventist-shaped box is refreshing. I haven't had this kind of fellowship since my High School discipleship group.
I feel like my story and thoughts are coming out in random, disjointed ramblings, so I hope I'm not too hard to understand..
Fishy |
Ric_b
Registered user
Username: Ric_b
Post Number: 239
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2005 - 2:44 pm: | |
Great to see you "Fishy". |
Paulcross
Registered user
Username: Paulcross
Post Number: 5
Registered: 4-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, April 16, 2005 - 7:19 pm: | |
Colleen;
Thank you for your post it really blessed me today, I needed your words of encouragement TODAY. I praise Him for your willingness to speak what He gives you.
Somethin;
When I get hit with the "What if their right" thought I just ask myself if this thought is meant to cultivate "fear" or is this building my trust in my hope of glory, "Christ in Me"? If it is making me check myself against what someone else is saying or thinking and NON teaching me to listen to and tune to the voice of the Spirit working in me - then it is time for me to tune it out. This text helps me!
Romans 8:15,16 [NIV] For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba, Father." The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.
Welcome Somethin, I am very new around here also.
By the way I'm not a 20 somthing... but my kids are!
Paul Cross |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 214
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Monday, April 18, 2005 - 7:05 am: | |
Fishy,
Reading your story brought unexpected tears to my eyes. My best friend since 7th grade is an elementary teacher, and her husband a teacher at the SDA academy. She is 5 days older than me, and we've shared every stage in life, but not yet this one.
What a blessing that you are leaving...or have left, now. Even if you don't feel like you fully grasp the implications, or the "doctrine", etc. Whenever I think that God has blessed me so abundantly, and allowed us this experience at this point in our lives, I am so in awe of His goodness!
We have been "out" for a little over a year. Unlike what your story sounds like, I had little (almost no) association with non-SDA Christians. Though I like to think of the SDA's I know as Christian, I was raised in a highly historic SDA family...whose roots go deeply in the denomination. I was raised on SDA doctrine, was educated in SDA schools, and worked in SDA outreach. By the time I finished college and settled into working, I thought I had put to rest all the wavering questions I had felt in my youth and teens. I had come out of my high school year rebellion, and was actively seeking God. My husband and I keep extremely busy, and shortly after getting married, we left the University church to take rolls in a vital (we felt) church family in a neighboring community.
The thing is, I am highly moved by nature. I love animals (all of em...but insects) and love the beauty in this world. God placed us in a location where my drive every day, to and from work, took me through this incredible marsh. And every day I would watch the geese and ducks as they went about their lives. Crazy I know, but every day, as I drove through, slowing down many times to wait for them crossing the road with their fledglings...I would find my heart just crying out to God to show me what He wanted of me. I really didn't even know what I was asking, nor felt despair or desperation. Yet, this prayer was always on my heart. It was the exact day of Jewish passover last year that He brought our Adventist world crashing down, so to speak.
It hasn't all been a walk in the park since then, but knowing the God of Grace and the Gospel is the greatest thing that any human can know in this life. And He provides "REST TODAY" (Heb) in spite of dealing with SDA family and friends. And in our case, an SDA pastor who won't acknowledge our resignation letter, and yet, talks about us to everyone but us.
It's good to hear that you have found a good fellowship group. It might be very well that this is just your route. Pick up a normal Christian life and procede as God leads...which sounds like what you've done.
I had a good chuckle too when you mentioned, "as opposed to the other in-genuine times every year at campmeeting when I stood up at the call, so that I would not be the only one sitting down". These experiences marked my campmeetings as well. Though I was sincere in wanting to be saved, but felt the futileness of rededicating my life only to ruin it again by my lack of perfection. lol. Again, so amazing that my former life was so external, even though I was trying my best to do what God expected of me. And from my heart I wanted to serve Him, but there is just no comparison to what He's given me now.
Blessings! |
Somethinfishy
Registered user
Username: Somethinfishy
Post Number: 6
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, April 21, 2005 - 11:29 pm: | |
Had dinner at our new church's pastor's house last night...great couple, we really click well with them. They know about "our past," and know a little about SDA (his wife dated an SDA once in high school), but we got into more discussion about how we grew up, etc. last night.
I was trying, I guess, to explain things as I had been taught, not as something I necessarily believe now (I'm sorting out what goes and stays at this point). I've explained SDA beliefs, and even some interpretations of prophecy to other Christians before, but always assumed the strange look they got on their faces was for my lack of ability to explain it properly. Now, as I told it last night, I began to realize how it REALLY sounds.
While it was good to talk to someone face to face, and verbalize some of the things that have been going around in our heads, I hope they don't think we're crazy, or that we were crazy up until we "left" this "crazy" church.
I find myself just really wishing it was simpler. I know there is the simple end of it. Jesus gave His life to bring Salvation to anyone who will receive it. There is so much other stuff in life, though, that has been added to the plate. I'm daunted by the tast of sorting through it all.
I also feel a little shallow for the reason that we have chosen to walk away, because it does appear shallow. Time after time, I have been walked over, walked on, and walked through. The church, whether local, conference, etc., has been willing to take everything it can get from me, by way of my involvement and commitments, but when I have been in need, their backs are to me. Or, it is fine to bend the policies and rules when it is me that is giving extra to them, as an employee, but when I need something extra, it is all of a sudden very important to stick to "the policies." I am just having a hard time reconciling the beliefs with the actions. OK, in the past, I have HAD a hard time reconciling the beliefs with the actions, and now I know that it is not going to happen, so I walked away. Where I'm walking as far as earthly, finite, human spiritual organization and association goes, I have NO idea. I do know that all I want is to walk toward Jesus, and I have felt strongly for several years that that journey leads me away from the SDA church. I just hadn't had the courage (those pesky "what if's") to actually do it until last summer.
As for the final straw that gave me the courage to turn around, well, another story for another time.
Esther, thanks for your responses. They are encouraging to me, and I appreciate them. I am interested in knowing more of the events surrounding the "crashing down" of your Adventist world. Can I find your story posted somewhere in this infinite jungle?
Colleen, thanks, also for your responses. I appreciate your thoughts and suggestions. I realize "making it through the Bible" sounded a bit methodical, and I did not mean it in that way at all. I am sincerely reading it again to refresh my mind on what it says. A bit embarassed to admit that I haven't done it since I was overseas about 10 years ago. I wish I had the fire again that I had back then.
It's been 14 years since I gave my heart to Jesus, for real, and since then I have felt strongly that He was going to use me for something big. I don't know what the context of the word "big" is, but I have been searching for, and trying to follow His plan for my life since then. It hasn't been easy, as I have felt called to take some stands that were hard for me, especially being as young as I was. I have been feeling tired right into my soul for a long time, but keeping on keeping on, for "the sake of the call," moving one step at a time. Am I supposed to be "soul" tired at 26?
This feels like the world's longest post, and I know not very many will read through it (I rarely read posts this long...;)), and I appologize for my ramblings. I have been a rambler all of my life, so I hope I make sense, at least. It's rare that I make sense to myself, these days.
Fishy |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 1822
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, April 22, 2005 - 12:53 am: | |
Fishy, you make sense! Know what? You'll find that "fire" again as you re-acquaint yourself with the Bible and with Jesus. It does, though, seem to require that we be willing to surrender whatever He points out to us.
You've already taken a HUGE step in the direction of surrender and integrity. Actually, I don't see your reason for leaving as shallow. You perceived a great lack of integrity, and you couldn't continue to exist there. That's quite a profound reason to leave. God will bring more specific details to your attention as it is time. He's in charge; you don't need to worry that the ducks aren't all in a row yet!
What matters is that you want a deeper relationship with Jesus. That is a desire God will grant. It may be painful, but there is joy in the process. The joy way makes up for the pain!
With prayers for you,
Colleen |
Esther
Registered user
Username: Esther
Post Number: 219
Registered: 5-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 22, 2005 - 6:24 am: | |
Fishy,
I think maybe many of us have felt that "soul tired" feeling at one point or another. And you shouldn't worry about the length of what you write. I for one, from time to time, spend quite a bit of time here. I don't always post, but do try to read everything. But that's one of the advantages I get for being able to have this up at work. But then, on the weekends, I'm not here at all 
Like Colleen said though, Jesus IS the answer! He can fill your heart to overflowing with love and joy and peace and rest. Don't feel that your reasons for leaving were shallow. God uses all kinds of things to reach us. The point is that it's evident that you love Him, and that from here you continue to grow. Each of us has our own "rate of growth" and own potential and calling in God's world. If you keep following His lead, He will continue to lead you...to just the place He wants you to be...and the work He has for you to do
My story is, as yet, not posted here. I think I've told snippets of it from time to time, but every time I try to sit down to write it all out, I get distracted, and by the time I get back, somethings changed. I have so many versions started on my computer. <sigh> It seems in the months I was writing, my attitude was constantly changing. At first I wanted to tell the world everything, then realized the world wasn't really interested, then I was angry, then hurt, ...anyway. I'd be happy to email you if you'd like. Colleen can give you my address...and drop me a note if you ever feel like it.
As for the "crashing down", a coworker and I held random discussions about religion. We were always on the White estate site looking up EGW quotes to support our views. That day I clicked on a random link and came up with Dirk Anderson's site. www.ellenwhite.org. I started reading things that really shocked me, but of course I couldn't believe them then. So i set out to prove him wrong...and voila. The night I read her Bible contradictions from my EGW books compared to my Bible, I think I cried the whole night. I scared my husband cause at that point...I was ready to throw the whole things out, go to bar and get drunk. Since I grew up with EGW interpretting the Bible, once she was wrong, I felt there was no God either. It took about a week for me to run that emotional gamit, and start picking up the pieces. But then, I just read my Bible...and everything else I could find. Reading Galatians and John, as well as Romans and other books, I found so much in the Bible that I had never grasped before. Since then, it only gets better and better.
I guess, i too, have rambled on for too long. Sorry Still praying for you!
Pillippians 4:19 "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." |
Dd
Registered user
Username: Dd
Post Number: 418
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Friday, April 22, 2005 - 9:32 am: | |
Fishy,
You are not alone. Your thoughts and feelings mirror mine. Post here as much and as long as you want. The ministry of this forum and Colleen and Richard Tinker is a direct hug from God. The absolute beautiful life I live in the arms of Jesus is so worth all the heartache of finding out the truth of my religious upbringing.
I believe one of the biggest spiritual holes in my life, as a SDA, was the knowledge of the power of living with the Holy Spirit. John 14-16 is an excellent place to start in realizing the Help that God has given us out of His boundless love and grace.
In chapter 14, Jesus tells His disciples that He is asking His Father to send another Helper to be with us here on earth forever. This Counselor and Comforter is called the SPIRIT OF TRUTH. Later in chapter 16 Jesus has told His disciples He is leaving them and He tells them that this should not bring them sorrow because of the Helper He had already told them about. "I tell you the truth, IT IS TO YOUR ADVANTAGE THAT I GO AWAY; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you."
We are better off today NOT having Jesus living here on earth with us!!! We have the Holy Spirit living right in us Whom IS THE INDWELLING JESUS! We do not need to be afraid. We do not need to worry if we are being led astray. We can shut off those SDA tapes that run through our thoughts haunting us and causing doubt. We only have to rest in Jesus and His Spirit will lead us into all truth (John 14:26; John 16:13; 1 Cor. 2:12,13,16)!
His promise of Matt. 28: 20 was fulfilled through the Holy Spirit: "...lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."
I am praising God today for you, Fishy!
GIVE ME JESUS! |
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