| Author | Message | ||
| Jonah Registered user Username: Jonah Post Number: 14 Registered: 3-2006 |
What's up family, I love you guys. All of you, really. From the Reformed cessationists to the Charismatic linguists. I learn a lot from the healthy dialogue here. I'm just blessed to have fellowship with others who have been set free from EG White, her debilitative system and the spirit that drove her and her fellow clerics. I must apologize because I have yet to formally introduce myself and tell you my story. But that would require time and energy... two things that are in short supply. LOL. Somebody might need to put some pressure on me to do that one of these days. Until then, I will remain a lurker who laughs with you, crys with you, prays with/for you and hopes with you somewhere in cyberspace. Really, you guys mean a lot to me. On with my story for today and why I felt compelled to post.... I am a former 4th generation SDA. My father is an SDA minister (also trained other pastors at the AU Seminary) and my Grandpa is a retired SDA minister/educator. The Lord started bringing me out of the SDA bondage in the mid 90's (maybe all my life) and I was fully set free about 3 years ago... give or take. In the mid 90's, the Lord made it pretty obvious that He had called me to ministry but I couldn't harmonize ministering the gospel of Jesus and the message of righteousness by not wearing jewelry, not eating pork, not pumping gas on the Sabbath, not wearing make up and a whole host of others that I am sure that you all are very familiar with. Anyways, to make a long story short (I will save the long story for later) and to get to my point. Ever since I discovered the New Covenant, accepting the idea of serving the Lord as a pastor has been as exciting as being born again. The Lord has definitely opened doors and I am grateful. I am now serving as a Pastoral Intern at a great church in Phoenix that just celebrated 25 years. Starting with just 11 people to now serving almost 12,000 people weekly under the leadership of an anointed man of God who shares our common heritage in the SDA system. Serving at this church has been an absolute blast/blessing. I get to serve the Lord alongside great men and women of God and see people's lives tranformed in front of my eyes. Since the Senior Pastor at the church is a former Adventist, the church gets a lot of inquiries (phone calls, email, and walk ins)from people curious about the Adventist system, transitioning Adventists or Madventists who can't believe that anything can be wrong with their system. Yesterday something happened that really broke me down and I had to share it with you guys. A lady and her 12 year old son came in for counseling. The issue was that the young man's older cousin who converted to Adventism over a year ago had said some things that greatly upset the young man. I won't get to the details of what was said but I will say that it was the standard issue SDA propaganda (mark of the beast, Sabbath issues, clean foods, cosmetics and jewelry). As I sat there and listened to this boy tell me what he was going through and how he felt as if he had lost his cousin because of all of the new changes, I simply lost it. I lost it because it once again fruits of Adventism were so clear to me. No matter how you slice it, color it, or dress it up all Adventism does is spur fear. Fear of what is about to happen. Fear because you don't know if you are going to be or can be saved. Fear because every other Christian might be the one who will sell you out for going to church on Saturday. Fear because what you eat has a direct relationship with how you stand with God. Fear because what happened on the Cross 2000 years ago may not have been enough to forgive you and to save you from your sins. Fear that I praise God for setting me free from. The Bible tells us that God hasn't given us a Spirit of fear but a Spirit of peace and sound mind. I shared this with the young man and told him that anything or anyone that tries to cast fear on him (he is a born again Christian)in the name of God is a false teacher or is following a false teaching. I praise God that he has given me assurance and freedom from fear. I remember a confession that my last SDA pastor made to me. After a doctrinal debate, he told me that it seemed to him that most of the new converts to Adventism due to Revelation seminars are fringe people who thrive on fear and conspiracy theories. That's probably why most of their ads for these seminars have scary beasts. I did marketing for my undergrad and we learned that you need market for your target audience. I guess the guys at Amazing Facts took the same course. Anyways, this post just officially became longer than I intended. I will check you guys later. In Christ alone, J | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 4009 Registered: 3-2004  |
Jonah, I am so happy you found what God had for you. That young man you spoke to yesterday found a good one to talk to about his fears. God has put you where you are to do a work for Him. Of that I am sure. He is so awesome. Diana | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 1096 Registered: 9-2006  |
Jonah, Hey don't stay away so long, congrads on getting into a Pastoral internship, is that under Pastor Mark Martin? I am not much on herding sheep, but it is a great and fulfilling calling. God sure knows who he needs where and when. I am sure you helped the boy. Anyways if it is under Pastor Mark, tell him a friend said hello. River | ||
| Jorgfe Registered user Username: Jorgfe Post Number: 417 Registered: 11-2005 |
J, what a profound testimony! It almost made me cry. I can so understand the bewitching death grip that Adventism puts its victims under. There is no genuine peace, just a fear of the "end times." They "hammer away" about the Sabbath, but get the wrong Sabbath, and refuse to acknowledge what the weekly Sabbath pointed forward to! They refuse to enter the ultimate Sabbath Rest in Christ described in Hebrews 4 -- because of their unbelief. And Adventism capitalizes on that fear. Before my dear father passed away a little over 15 years ago, he and my dear mother spent their final moments together anguishing over whether they had confessed every possible sin they had every committed. There was no peace in Jesus. No assurance of their salvation. Just fear that they were not perfect enough. How tragic! How sickening! Adventism is emotional rape of the soul. Its toxic poison is emotional abuse in the extreme. For that we have every right to be very angry when they continue to lie and deceive others. We need to redouble our efforts to warn others, and not get weak-kneed about the true gospel. Richard, Colleen and Dale are providing an invaluable service! May we each be as faithful. Congratulations on your new position. What a wonderful opportunity! May God stand by your side, and keep you safe from all the mean people out there. Gilbert Jorgensen | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 6340 Registered: 12-2003  |
Jonah, it's so good to see you here again! We love you, too--and I'm so grateful that God has put you into this particular internship. He knows what we need—He knew what you needed, and He knew what all those people who have walked through your door this summer have needed—and He has arranged for them to meet you. What a sad and powerful story. Gilbert, your assessment of Adventism is accurate. I keep thinking of River's image of Adventism being a monster that devours its own. As brutal as that image is, it is true. You, Jonah, are seeing a true representation of that devastation this summer. We spent yesterday with Joan and Galen Yorba-Gray, the couple who does the Spanish translating for Proclamation. They have both been through devastating experiences in their lives and have deepened and matured in the Lord Jesus instead of becoming hard and self-protective. It was so interesting to sit with them and answer their questions about Adventism. Because of their translating, they are learning the details of Adventism in a way most never-been-SDAs don't. To hear them talk about the subtle, hidden realities as they discover them is eye-opening for me. They are not ho-hum or equivocal in their reaction to Adventnism or their assessment of it. They believe it is dark, that it holds people by a spiritual power of darkness, and they are aware that they have to be careful about officially partnering with Adventist churches in their HIV ministry in third-world countries. As Joan said, it's spiritual compromise. All I can say is, Thank God that He is revealing the truth about Adventism in His time and with His absolutely certain light of truth. It is a dark secret that has hidden in the Christian community for decades. I believe God is bringing the truth about it to light. Colleen | ||
| Dennis Registered user Username: Dennis Post Number: 1166 Registered: 4-2000  |
Jonah, God is counting on you! Oh yes, please submit your story. Like Diana often says, "God is awesome!" Hurry back! Dennis Fischer |
