| Author |
Message |
Philharris
Registered user
Username: Philharris
Post Number: 17
Registered: 5-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 4:41 pm: |     |
Jim,
As you make your transition out of Adventism, what you are experiencing is very normal and similar to what each of us have gone through as we have made the same journey. The reason I say this is that when I was trapped in the SDA ways of thinking I assumed there was something wrong with me. I couldn't do what others seemed to be able to do. I was unable to live up to the SDA standard of perfection. I was terrified of going to hell, but just gave up and joined the worlds way of living.
About nine years went by before a real Christian came into my life. He prayed and witnessed in word (pure Bible scripture) and the way he and his family lived, the true message of Jesus Christ. Two more years went by before I surrendered my life to the Lord.
Then, came the transition that you are going through. I could see others living what it meant to be a Christian, but I had many doubts. The next issue was assurance. (In the middle of this transition, I got married and his wife led my wife to the Lord.) He and his wife had me read Romans chapter 8 over and over. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit lifted the blinders from my eyes and I knew I was saved, and had been since I was a small boy.
After that, all of the issues that you have mentioned in your posting were what I went through. It was not a quick process. It took about five or six years, much prayer, a lot of Bible study and a number of very patient teachers before I was emotionally free of EGW and SDA slavery.
My wife and I joined the Evengelical Free Church, and the word "FREE" came to have special meaning to me because, as it was stated in the last Proclamation Magazine, I was free, free at last.
Through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ,
Your Brother,
Phil Harris
(Message edited by philharris on June 03, 2007) |
Philharris
Registered user
Username: Philharris
Post Number: 18
Registered: 5-2007
| | Posted on Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 4:59 pm: | |
Oops,
The Last Proclamation said; "Alive" not "Free". For me I guess the two words mean the same thing.
Phil
(Message edited by philharris on June 03, 2007) |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 5982
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 8:16 pm: | |
I'm enjoying reading the verses and experiences that lifted the veil for all of you here. It's amazing how similar our stories are--yet how individually God designs our awakenings. He knows exactly what we need in order to "see".
Once again, River, thank you for your clarity. We need the admonishing you give us that can only come from the objectivity of slight distance. Your advice to us not to keep searching for understanding or shreds of spiritual nurturing from a system that is completely deceptive is really what we need to hear.
Jesus calls us to have undivided hearts. We must embrace Him and Truth and OBEY Him. When He says, "Walk", we must walk, trust that He will provide and comfort as we go. Sometimes we keep looking back because we loved where we were--but the results of looking back with longing can have disastrous results. Remember Lot's wife?
Loving those we leave behind is very different from looking for ways to justify Adventism. When Jesus shows us the deception, we have to fix our eyes on Him and embrace truth and reality. He provides and comforts, and He heals that rip in our hearts that results from our world being turned upside down. (And indeed, each of us who leaves has his world turned upside down. We lose ourselves...but Jesus gives us new hearts, and He becomes all we need. He brings people into our lives and Christian fellowship in His body...He is completely faithful!)
Colleen |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 1847
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, June 03, 2007 - 10:06 pm: | |
Colleen, Jesus indeed tells us to
quote:"Remember Lot's wife." (Luke 17:32 NASB.)
Jeremy
(Message edited by Jeremy on June 03, 2007) |
Jim02
Registered user
Username: Jim02
Post Number: 28
Registered: 5-2007
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 7:18 am: | |
Good Morning to all.
I just want to express my gratitude to every single one of you. Everything counts, everything said is to my profit. What a blessing. What sharing and building up in faith. Thank You all. |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 3733
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Monday, June 04, 2007 - 7:49 am: | |
Jim,
You also asked what set us free from tithing. After my name had been removed from the church books, without my knowing it, I still paid tithe and it was accepted. This was way before I knew about EGW and left for good. Back to the tithe. I noticed when I paid tithe that I had to pay some bills late which meant a late fee. I got tired of paying the late fees, so the summer of 1986 I decided not to pay tithe so I could pay all my bills on time and have money for a vacation with my son. I did it that way and was able to save some money. When I moved to Las Vegas in 2002 I started to pay tithe again as I thought I was going to be re baptized into the SDA church. God had other plans for me and brought my attention to the D. Anderson web site about EGW and the rest is history. I now pay what God puts in my mind to pay to the church. I pray about it because the Bible tells us in the NT that God loves a cheerful giver and I want to give cheerfully. When I go give it is done with joy and love for a God who has done so much for me.
I cannot help but know that He is so awesome.
Diana |
Doug222
Registered user
Username: Doug222
Post Number: 567
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, June 05, 2007 - 11:08 am: | |
Jim,
In addition to Hebrews 4, a couple of other verses that might be worth considering as it relates to the Sabbath are Exodus 31:12-17
quote: 12 Then the LORD said to Moses, 13 "Say to the Israelites, 'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy. [a]
14 " 'Observe the Sabbath, because it is holy to you. Anyone who desecrates it must be put to death; whoever does any work on that day must be cut off from his people. 15 For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death. 16 The Israelites are to observe the Sabbath, celebrating it for the generations to come as a lasting covenant. 17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever, for in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained from work and rested.' "
Another verse is Nehemiah 9:13-14:
quote:13 "You came down on Mount Sinai; you spoke to them from heaven. You gave them regulations and laws that are just and right, and decrees and commands that are good. 14 You made known to them your holy Sabbath and gave them commands, decrees and laws through your servant Moses. 15 In their hunger you gave them bread from heaven and in their thirst you brought them water from the rock; you told them to go in and take possession of the land you had sworn with uplifted hand to give them.
Couple the fact that these verses specifically mention that the Sabbath was given to the Children of Israel with the fact that the Sabbath was never mentioned as a command until Exodus 16. Ine would have to ignore the plain text of scripture to arrive at the conclusion that the Sabbath is an eternal institution. Hopefully these will be helpful in your journey.
Doug |
River
Registered user
Username: River
Post Number: 836
Registered: 9-2006
| | Posted on Wednesday, June 06, 2007 - 10:16 am: | |
Jude 1:20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,
Jude 1:21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Look for it, anticipate it, Ephesians 2:21 In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:
That's us folks.
River |
Laurie
Registered user
Username: Laurie
Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2007
| | Posted on Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 3:43 pm: | |
Hello everyone -
This is my first post, I have been lurking here for years.
Jim:
I could not stop thinking about your question. You asked how do you get over the fear of breaking the sabbath. I know how you feel, I know exactly how you feel. I wanted to help you so badly that I finally registered to post so I could answer you and hopefully try to help you.
It is not easy to get over that fear. Let me just share a few things that helped me.
Romans 5:13, 14
there was no law from Adam to Moses, therefore no sabbath keeping from creation.
Romans 10:4
Christ is the end of the law.
2 Corinthians 3
The glory of the new covenant. Such an awesome chapter.
Galations 3 and Colossians 2
Freedom from the law.
Hebrews 8
Jeses as the minister of a new covenant.
Dueteronomy 5
The 10 commandments were not in effect before Moses. They were given to Israel. A covenant with the Jews.
Something else that really hit me was realizing the term "sunday keeping church" was an adventist term. People in the SDA church kept asking me, how can you go to a sunday keeping church. Then I realized there are no sunday keeping churches. I have never met anyone or heard of any church that keeps Sunday in place of the Jewish Sabbath. That simple realization was life changing to me.
Contemporary christian music also changed my life. I never listened to it because to me, christian music equated to the Heritage Singers. One day I got in my car and my husband had left the radio on the christian channel. I just sat and could not stop listening to the song that was on. It was Third Day, You are so good to me. Simple pure lyrics that said:
You are my Father in heaven
You are the spirit inside me
You are my Jesus who loves me
I had never heard such a song. I went out and bought every Third Day CD I could find and listened to them over and over and over. It truly did change my life. I thought "these people get it! They get the pure straightforward gospel and love of Jesus".
Lastly, I must mention Ellen. When I read this, I was done once and for all. This is from Present Truth, Aug. 1, 1849.
I saw that Jesus had shut the door in the Holy Place, and no man can open it; and that he had opened the door in the Most Holy, and no man can shut it: (See Rev. iii:7, 8 and that since Jesus has opened the door in the Most Holy Place, which contains the Ark, the commandments have been shining out to God's people, and they are being tested on the Sabbath question.
I saw that the present test on the Sabbath could not come, until the mediation of Jesus in the Holy Place was finished; and he had passed within the second vail; therefore, Christians, who fell asleep before the door was opened in the Most Holy, when the midnight cry was finished, at the seventh month 1844; and had not kept the true Sabbath, now rest in hope; for they had not the light, and the test on the Sabbath, which we now have, since that door was opened. I saw that Satan was tempting some of God's people on this point. Because so many good Christians have fallen asleep in the triumphs of faith, and have not kept the true Sabbath, they were doubting about it being a test for us now.
I don't think I really need to comment on that. She says the Sabbath was not important until 1844. That's all I'll say on her.
Jim -
I just want you to know it will get better. Not just better, but it will become wonderful. It takes time, it is not easy to undo a lifetime of brainwashing. I don't use that term lightly, I truly believe I was brainwashed.
I am thinking of you and praying for you. You are not alone. Trust God. Ask simply for His guidance. I apologize for such a long post, but I just feel so strongly what you are going through.
Laurie |
Grace_alone
Registered user
Username: Grace_alone
Post Number: 579
Registered: 6-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 4:09 pm: | |
Hi Laurie,
Welcome!! Thanks for your awesome post. Glad you registered.
 Leigh Anne |
Doug222
Registered user
Username: Doug222
Post Number: 572
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 5:31 pm: | |
Great first post Laurie!! We'll expect all of them to be of this caliber from here out <smile>. Welcome.
Doug |
Bobj
Registered user
Username: Bobj
Post Number: 196
Registered: 1-2006
| | Posted on Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 6:59 pm: | |
Welcome Laurie!
Glad you're here.
Bob |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 6012
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 7:13 pm: | |
Laurie, welcome! What a wonderful post. Thank you!
Colleen |
Flyinglady
Registered user
Username: Flyinglady
Post Number: 3746
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, June 07, 2007 - 7:39 pm: | |
Laurie,
For a first post, that was good. Thanks for coming out of the lurking mode.
You have seen what we write, so please join in and tell us about yourself.
Diana |
Toria
Registered user
Username: Toria
Post Number: 146
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 12:41 pm: | |
Laurie,
Welcome. Happy you joined us.
Toria |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 6017
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 3:52 pm: | |
Toria, does this mean you're back from your treatment? I've been thinking about you and praying for you. How are you?
Colleen |
Toria
Registered user
Username: Toria
Post Number: 147
Registered: 2-2006
| | Posted on Friday, June 08, 2007 - 4:48 pm: | |
Hi Colleen;
Yes, I'm home again. I'm fine. Still dealing with the last of the side-effects of chemo. Each day brings new strength. I'm home until the 28th. Then I have to be back for assessment and if things are still ok, then my next treatment will be the 30th. It's really good to be home.
Thank you for the prayers.
By the way, I had a chance to witness without realizing I was doing it. One of the volunteers noticed that I always read in my small Bible during my treatments, and decided to ask me about it. She likes to read, but has never read the Bible, and had questions about why I read it so often, and what I get from it.
Well.... She now has a small Bible which she plans to read for herself, and seemed very happy with it.
I guess we never know who is paying attention to what we are doing.
Blessings
Toria |
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