| Author | Message | ||
| U2bsda Registered user Username: U2bsda Post Number: 414 Registered: 11-2004 |
As you were leaving Adventism or after you left Adventism did any Adventist tell you that you were lost or in danger of being lost? | ||
| Susans Registered user Username: Susans Post Number: 312 Registered: 8-2006 |
Yes, because I was "rejecting the light of truth, and God holds us responsible for living up to all the light that He provides" (which of course means all those 28 and everything EGW said). Susan (Message edited by SusanS on January 05, 2007) | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 765 Registered: 8-2004  |
Yes, I was also told I was an agent of the devil and dragging my family to hell. Mary | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 767 Registered: 8-2004 |
To be fair, there were those who came to me and hoped to see me 're-fellowshipped' as soon as possible as well. Mary | ||
| Lynne Registered user Username: Lynne Post Number: 483 Registered: 10-2005 |
Anyone who has been an Adventist and learned the "truth" as taught by the Adventists knows that if an Adventist doesn't uphold, or at least continue to believe in the Sabbath day as special and holy, and remain Adventist, they are lost. Many Adventists are courteous, yet fearful of confrontation like I was. I was taught and believed that Satan was pretty powerful. And if it were true that ex-Adventists were so bad (overtaken by Satan, rejectors of God, evil), then I would rather stay out of harms way. Why would I come out and tell somebody who is lost (especially a former Adventist) they are lost, when they know they are lost? Nobody has told me I'm lost, but I've been Adventist long enough to know what an Adventist believes. As an Adventist, I would have distanced myself from anyone who rejected the truth out of fear that they were demonic. Rejecting the Sabbath and Adventism after understanding and knowing the truth, only Satan would want you rejecting the Sabbath or Church! I now know Jesus is so much more than the Sabbath day or any church! | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 3258 Registered: 3-2004  |
God has been good to me because no SDA has said anything to me. Of Course, I am not around them at all since I quit going to church. My family, 3 sisters, particularly, have not said anything to me, because they have not practiced adventism for years. None of my brothers have said anything except congratulations you left and my oldest sister, who is my half sister, was happy for me. She was never baptized SDA even though she graduated from an SDA academy. So, I am very thankful I have not gone through any of that. Diana | ||
| Susans Registered user Username: Susans Post Number: 314 Registered: 8-2006 |
Very true, Lynne! I still get the rare comment from Adventist friends. The last ones being "it's my fondest wish that someday you and your husband will be sitting in church on a Sabbath morning" and "we know the final movements will be rapid ones". Meaning you need to come back before it's too late. I know these things are spoken out of love, but where is the acknowledgment that I am a Christian??? | ||
| Godssonjp Registered user Username: Godssonjp Post Number: 6 Registered: 1-2007 |
I haven't heard it said to me, yet. Probably because only a few know why I haven't been attending. Since Dec 2005, I've only been back 4 times. And that was because of special programs and I was invited back by friends. Most people think I just left, I'm sure. I keep getting asked to come back and assume my responsibilities. I haven't had the nerve to let everyone know the reason, yet. I'm working toward that real soon. Pray that I find the right words to say when it's time. I'm sure once more find out they'll say the normal stuff I heard said about others when they left SDAism. | ||
| Freeatlast Registered user Username: Freeatlast Post Number: 492 Registered: 5-2002 |
My father, and SDA Bible teacher for 36+ years, solemnly warned me that to declare Ellen White a false prophet would be a sin that God could not forgive because anyone who calls the work of the Holy Spirit the work of the devil has committed the unpardonable sin. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 5209 Registered: 12-2003  |
Yes, Freeatlast, your experience is not the same as but is similar to ours. Richard's relatives tell us the blessings we experience from God are from a "differen spirit". Quite recently his mom had a dream that a puppy in her house was bitten by a poisonous snake. When she looked at the puppy, which had fang marks on its chest as they took it to the vet, it had Richard's face. Her dream ended before she knew whether or not the puppy's life was saved. She told him, "I can't just say to myself, 'He's an adult; let him be' because time is short. I have to warn you." Sigh. Colleen | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 324 Registered: 9-2006  |
The conversation and bent of this thread reminds me very much of the below texts of scripture. (Mat 10:33 KJV) But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. (Mat 10:34 KJV) Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. (Mat 10:35 KJV) For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. (Mat 10:36 KJV) And a man's foes shall be they of his own household. You are experiencing exactly what Jesus said would happen and it should come as no surprise. The Bible states (Heb 4:12 KJV) For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Heb 4:13 KJV) Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Heb 4:14 KJV) Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. Now you have become (or some) (are becoming) rooted and grounded in the word of God and no longer grounded in the useless deceits of Adventism with its investigative judgments, and denial of meats and its demands of a perfection which is hard to bare up under. So when we become alarmed we must return again to that place of rest in Christ Jesus and in so doing find that perfect rest unto our souls. Paul to the Galatians was pretty adamant when he said (Gal 1:7 KJV) Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. (Gal 1:8 KJV) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Gal 1:9 KJV) As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. The pure word of God will set us at variance with many seeing it divides our own soul and penetrates even the thoughts of our own heart ìanother gospelî then becomes grating to our ears and sets our teeth to grinding. It is then that we must allow the Holy Spirit of rest too sooth and to heal. Dear friends, as I sit here and write to you this morning, Gods Holy Spirit of rest is so present, he drives away all uncertainty that I have within my own self and gives me peace and I can give all uncertainty of my own short comings over into his hands and truly find rest from all alarm and trial. River | ||
| Violet Registered user Username: Violet Post Number: 491 Registered: 2-2001 |
I was just warned to be careful what I said as I would be embarrassed when I came back over things I was declairing at the time I left. Such as The Sabbath was no longer binding, and I could be saved and not keep the Sabbath any more. | ||
| Honestwitness Registered user Username: Honestwitness Post Number: 199 Registered: 7-2005  |
Just the other evening, my husband and I had a discussion about spiritual topics. This is a pretty rare occurrence, especially after my officially leaving Adventism over a year ago. Hubby is still very staunchly devoted to SDA, EGW, IJ, Sabbath...the whole 9 yards. Every once in a while, we try again to talk about spiritual things. After all, that's what husbands and wives are supposed to be able to do in harmony, right? Well, it never turns out to be harmonious. It started when I mentioned to him I has just been reading Genesis 3:3, where Eve was speaking to the serpent. I had noticed something I had never before noticed. Eve said, "But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die." Then I told hubby that I had noticed for the first time that in Gen 2:17, God said to Adam, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die." God didn't say anything to Adam about not TOUCHING, the tree. This observation may be nothing earth shattering, but that's where I started my conversation with hubby. I just wanted to talk, you know? Well, we did end up talking for almost an hour. It was a stalemate, as always. We discussed the Sabbath and EGW, and touched on our often-repeated objections to each other's views. It was done in total civility, as always. He's really a dear, sweet person. But, to answer the original question, yes. He managed to tell me that he's deeply saddened by my views on the Sabbath and out of deep love for me, his wife, he's very concered for my eternal salvation. He quoted 2 Thes 2:10, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." He reminded me it is possible to deceive oneself, implying that I'm doing just that. Things between us have been strained, yet in a cordial and respectful way, for a long time. The good thing about this constant tension is that it drives me to God in prayer and to His Word for deeper study. The Lord keeps reminding me of a saying I especially love: "He drew a circle that shut me out, but love and I had the wit to win. We drew a larger circle that took him in." I ask the Lord to use me as His instrument to show my husband His love. I also ask Him to remove the veil from my husband's mind and heart, so he will see that Christ is our all-sufficient Sabbath rest. Honestwitness | ||
| Prinsen Registered user Username: Prinsen Post Number: 27 Registered: 5-2005 |
Noone ever told me that they thought I was lost because I left Adventism. I believe that is because we basically have an evangelical Adventism here in Sweden. Many SDA's here are SDA because of the Sabbath which is not held by any other church here, family is also another reason for staying. If SDA's here would know about New Covenant Theology and the Sabbath in Christ more would find reason not to stay. Teaching and talking about the NCT and Sabbath in Christ is my greatest challenge. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 375 Registered: 6-2006  |
Honestwitness, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved." Jesus said that he is the *Truth*. Is this the scripture that SDA's use to apply to EGW's writings?? In other words is the *truth* the Sabbath or EGW in their eyes? If you think about it, they are blatantly substituting Jesus for those things. Getting back to the thread, I'll never forget the time my husband's grandparents told me (in Spanish, no less) that if I didn't keep the Sabbath I was NOT going to Heaven. Years ago when I mentioned being hungry for a chicken sandwich our beautiful little niece (who was 5 at the time) begged me not to eat chicken because if I did I couldn't go to Heaven. The 5 year old was the most telling. Her Daddy (my bro-in-law) actually eats meat, and was just as surprized as I was, but we found out that she learned it at school. That was enough for me to swear off SDA schools for my future kids. Leigh Anne | ||
| Stevendi Registered user Username: Stevendi Post Number: 28 Registered: 10-2006 |
I was asked by a family member how I could leave the church when I knew "the truth". They even told me that I "knew more about our (sda) beliefs than them because I had studied more than they. Weeeeelllll...there just might be the answer. As a last grasp at understanding, they asked me "you still believe in Ellen White, don't you?" I replied that I believe in Jesus, period. This person is immersed in the Bachelorite cultic teachings. | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 325 Registered: 9-2006 |
And what, may I ask is "Bachelorite cultic" teachings? River | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 771 Registered: 8-2004 |
"Bachelorite cultic" teachings would be in reference to the teachings of Doug Bachelor, an SDA minister who pastors a church in Sacramento, works with Amazing Facts (an SDA Media ministry), and has done several Televised Evangelistic Series, among other things. If you google "Doug Bachelor" you will come up with lots more information about and/or by him. | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 328 Registered: 9-2006 |
Oh yeah, that kook, now I know what Stevendi was talking about. Do you know what it takes to make an Adventist? Doug Bachelor and one other kook. Do you know what it take to make an Adventist squirm? A ham sandwich. How does an Adventist change a light bulb? He takes a good one and replaces it with a bad one. Why is the Adventist mad at the Catholics? They wonít let them hold the candles. Ok, Ok, I know when Iím not appreciated, Iím off. River | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 329 Registered: 9-2006 |
I shouldn't make jokes, I repent of that. River |
