| Author | Message | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 635 Registered: 6-2005  |
I know this thread is somewhere far below, but to put this in the spotlight again.... When will the meetings with the Huntsville group begin. IOW, what TIME on Tues will the first meeting be. I cant find a flyer yet on the website for LAM...Will these flyers be available for questioning adventists. We need to make work arrangements soon to take off work if any meetings are held in the daytime! Please let us know asap. A couple of us may be driving up from atlanta area. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10153 Registered: 12-2003  |
Richard will get the flyer up. It's not on his regular computer, but he'll work on it! The meetings are August 4 and 5 at Whiteville Baptist Church. The first meeting is 7:00 PM, the second meeting is Wednesday afternoon (not sure of the time-I think 3:00 or so) and the third meeting is at 7:00 PM again. I so hope you can come! Colleen | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10158 Registered: 12-2003 |
Oops--mistake! I'ts WHITESBURG Baptist church...I got mixed up with Whiteville, NC, a town near the vicinity of Dale and Carolyn's travels. (No meetings scheduled for Whiteville..) So sorry! Colleen | ||
| Freeatlast Registered user Username: Freeatlast Post Number: 613 Registered: 5-2002 |
Lots of 'villes and 'burgs down yonder, huh? | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 637 Registered: 6-2005 |
I'm curious if anyone from here is going to huntsville, Im still deciding.... | ||
| Helovesme2 Registered user Username: Helovesme2 Post Number: 2108 Registered: 8-2004  |
Freeatlast, Lots of "villeins" and "burghers" too! Javagirl, check your facebook account. | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10192 Registered: 12-2003 |
Tomorrow we leave for the last set of meetings in the summer TOE: Huntsville, Alabama. Dale and Carolyn are already there; we fly tomorrow. The meetings will be on Tuesday and Wednesday this week. Ken Brantley, the local organizer of the meetings, has advertised widely. This week one newspaper religion editor was working with Richard to get a picture of Dale to run with a feature story about the meetings. It's possible that this venue could have a large attendance. One other interesting fact is that it's not a great distance away from Oakwood College. This venue will be different from the others in that the geography changes the culture. Michigan and Alabama are two different places, for sure! Thank you all for your prayers during this tour; thank you in advance for praying for this last venue, for God to be glorified, for truth to be known, and for all of us to be secure and strong in Him, speaking His words. Pray for a harvest of souls for God. Thank you...and I'll be updating y'all here as the week progresses. Colleen | ||
| Handmaiden Registered user Username: Handmaiden Post Number: 84 Registered: 7-2008 |
Colleen God bless you and ToE leaders and organizers and speakers for your faithfulness to give from your hearts the life giving truth to so many, who have been bound since birth in the lies of egw. Like the man who was born blind and the man who was lame for years and years i pray that the Lord will mightily move in miraculous ways to set them FREEEEE from the brainwashing of the enemy. i pray that many multitudes will have the veil lifted from their eyes and walking and leaping and praising God for thier delliverance will leave adventism behind for good. i pray that God will do a quick work in healing their minds and restoring their souls and quickening their spirits. i pray that it would not be a long drawn out process to turn from darkness and run into the light, as it has been for some of their predessors leaving adventism behind. i pray for strength and proctection and for the mighty hand of the Lord to go before you. i pray specifically that this last meeting would open the flood gates and there would be a mass exodus of people out of slavery to egw and into the wilderness to be set apart for God and to learn His ways and then to enter into the promised land of His provision blessed to be a blessing to those who would follow in their path, as you have been such a blessing to all those in yours. i thank God for you in all of my prayers for your heart for the lost and for this minsitry which has greatly blessed and touched my life. much love and prayers on your behalf handmaiden | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7304 Registered: 3-2004  |
Father in heaven, Thank you for the Tinkers and Ratzlaffs and the ToE and all they have done to teach others about You. Be with them as they travel. Keep them safe physically and spiritually. Put the words in their brains and mouths that You want them to speak. Be with the Adventists that go that they will learn of You and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Teach the Christian people that go about adventism and how to work with those who are leaving adventism. May the Holy Spirit permeate all the meetings and rooms in a palpable way. Thank you Awesome God for doing this. Diana L | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10194 Registered: 12-2003 |
Hi, all--we're in Tennessee! This is brand new territory for Richard and me; we rented a car when we got to Nashville today and drove to our hosts' house. Again, the beauty is stunning. No fireflies here, but the noise outside at night is startling. I asked our Mrs. Host what creatures I was hearing, and she said, "Everything." Unfortunately, "everything" doesn't totally answer my question because I'm definitely hearing beasties that don't live in the desert Southwest! I think crickets are a component, but there's something much louder; I've heard the cicadas in Texas, and this sounds different, although I think cicadas might be in the mix. It's just startling to hear a dark, partly-cloudy night in the country, far away from street lights, roaring with insect noise! It's not unpleasant; it's just totally surprising! We're really tired; last night was short! But I'll keep you updated. Love ad prayers for you all--and thanks to God for everyone here and for His Spirit Who unites us in community, Colleen | ||
| Spokenfor Registered user Username: Spokenfor Post Number: 114 Registered: 12-2003 |
Hi Colleen, You all will be in my prayers this week for the meetings in Huntsville. I had toyed with the idea of flying out for this event as a dear friend of ours - one that was instrumental in our leaving adventism - is giving his testimony on Wednesday and I would have loved to be there to support him. I believe it will be the first time he has spoken publicly about his experience in leaving. I thought too how wonderful it would be to meet you and Richard! But things did not work out for me to come so I will lifting you all up before the Lord. Blessings! Spokenfor | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 649 Registered: 6-2005 |
Im still trying to come. My co-worker is sick, and she was going to cover group for me tomorrow night, so I still dont know. I will probably drive up on Wed at minimum, God willing. Anyone from the forum going? Email me from my profile in the member section if you dont want to post here. Im curious as to who I would meet if I am able to work it out. Lori | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10202 Registered: 12-2003 |
Sorry I couldn't post yesterday--Richard needed the computer in the evening to work on the schedule for tonight, posting BibleStudiesforAdventists,etc. Tonight was the first meeting. I'm really not sure about attendance; I'm guessing around 200. Our hosts, who know a lot the local Adventists, said they thought the audience was about 1/3 Adventist. We could feel the effect of the Adventists; the audience was much less responsive/reactive than a more evangelical one. The meeting opened with the senior pastor, Jimmy Jackson, welcoming everyone and introducing the participants. Two people sang songs at the beginning, and then the whole congregation san "In Christ Alone". Richard and I gave our faith story, and Dale gave his talk on the ten major differences between Adventism and Christianity. He was, as always, very good. The Q & A panel consisted of the senior pastor, Terry Herald, the preaching pastor of the satellite church we were meeting in, Earla Lockheart, an amazing woman who is an associate pastor at another Baptist church in the area, Dale, me, and Richard was moderator. When Richard asked the senior pastor why he was holding this set of seminars at his church in a town where so many SDA live, his response went back to his past and his major spiritual influence: his dad. But his dad taught him to be agnostic/athiest, and he was 17-ish before he heard the gospel. He became a Christian, and he said his goal is to help others who do not know Jesus to become new in Him. Hence his commitment to these meetings. All in all the meeting was good and uneventful. I 'm certain that some of the Adventists present wanted to argue, but because we wouldn't take questions unless written on cards, no one was allowed to disrupt. Tomorrow Dale has two presentation; I confess I am falling asleep here, unable to write more detail. But this is the main overview; the evening went well, God kept those who desired confrontation quiet, and tomorrow there will be more. Thank you so much for your prayers. Please continue; God is faithful. Colleen | ||
| Javagirl Registered user Username: Javagirl Post Number: 653 Registered: 6-2005 |
Hey Colleen, I am heading up today! Cant wait to see you all again, and to pray in person, and to see if I know any of the Adventists there! Please check your email ASAP. What a great turnout! Praise God! | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10203 Registered: 12-2003 |
What a long day! This afternoon Dale presented his second session which is designed for pastors. There were more than expected...but the audience surely wasn't all pastors! This meeting was held in a conference room at the Whiteburg church's "The Center", which is a large and lovely building with meeting and conference rooms, a wedding chapel, a fast food cafeteria, a gym, etc. There were perhaps around 30 people at the second session, and several of them were Adventists. Lori, it was just great to see you walk into that room at the beginning of the meeting! This is the presentation in which Dale shows the SDA evangelistic Sabbath argument and explains how to minister to Adventists. It was good, and people were interested. There were a couple of Adventists there, however, who were argumentative and attempted to monopolize and derail the very brief Q & A afterward. Since the meeting ended about 5:00 and the evening session began at 7:00 at a different venue, a meal was provided for those who wanted it: baked potatoes, fried chicken (absolutely delicious--this is truly the South!), salad, and cookies and drinks. Yummy! The final meeting had fewer present than last night--there were around 80. I think there were fewer Adventists there, but there were still several who were pretty exercised although not disruptive. Dale's presentation on the Sabbath from a biblical perspective, addressing almost every Adventist argument, was absolutely wonderful. Again, he ended with a presentation of the faith of Abraham as taught in Romans 4, and he made a strong appeal for people to accept Jesus and be covered with HIS righteousness, apart from law. The Q & A was a little bit shorter because the meeting went longer. Keaven Hayden from Kentucky was there and gave a brief testimony about how reading Hebrews opened his eyes ad started him on the road out of Adventism. There was one couple there who were totally excited and on fire. They are in their late 20s-ish, and she was a Baptist and he a fourth-generation (bilateral!) Adventist. She married him but began a three-year study of Adventism because his family was pressuring her to join. She became increasingly convinced Adventism was not true, and she searched the internet for information. She found Proclamation on line as well as other sites, and through following links, etc, she finally located Ken and Jan Brantley. She called them, and they studied with them. Today the husband of this couple is totally alive in Jesus and on fire for the gospel. The young woman is so relieved that her husband saw the truth and is united with her in Christ. There were also a couple of people present who have Adventists connections but who have become Seventh Day Baptists. They are equally adamant about the Sabbath as are the Adventists, and tonight, I learned after the fact, they even came to the meetings with some of their literature. (!) Sigh. The Adventists at this venue were particularly entrenched. But God is faithful, and I am certain that Dale's talk tonight planted seeds even if nothing else "happened". It was truly powerful. All in all, it was a good experience, and the people who attended (at least those who aren't SDA!) were thrilled with the whole event. Thank you for your prayers; We and the Ratzlaffs ask that you continue to pray as we return home. Richard and I fly back tomorrow; Dale and Carolyn are driving and plan to be home on Saturday. God is faithful--and He has promised that His word will not return to Him void. Dale preached the word tonight! Colleen | ||
| Handmaiden Registered user Username: Handmaiden Post Number: 90 Registered: 7-2008 |
PRAISE THE LORD for the mighty work of pulling down strongholds of the enemy He has done through ToE and the willing and yielded hearts of the Ratzlaffs and Tinkers. You have truly been laying down your lives for those in bondage and i continue to pray that many multudes would be brought to life in Christ as a result. May God grant you a safe journey home and abundant blessings as you have been the river of life to so many others as He has poured through you. May you come home revived, refreshed and renewed in your hearts from the battle field and may you soon be rested in body as well. much love handmaiden | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10206 Registered: 12-2003 |
We're home! The Ratzlaffs are still driving but should be back this weekend. I'm starting to understand what made this trip difficult in a unique way. We weren't able to define the "problem", but we felt fatigued and weary in an unusual way--and the crowd seemed sort-of hard-to-reach even though there were many positive responses. We learned that the regional conference where we were meeting notified the local churches to fast and pray against our meetings. No WONDER the evening of the first meeting, Carolyn Ratzlaff said, "We passed the SDA church on our way here, and the parking lot was FULL like on a Sabbath morning when there's a really important guest speaker. I wonder what's going on?" To be sure, I kept thinking we were experiencing spiritual warfare, but I couldn't identify the nature of it. I kept praying, but the whole thing "felt off". Now I understand. And God truly IS faithful! Colleen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7326 Registered: 3-2004 |
I will continue praying for all those who were at the Huntsville, Alabama meeting that God show them who He is and that all respond to His invitation to join Him. Colleen, thanks for the updates and the work you, Richard and the Ratzlaffs have done. You are doing the work God knew you would do from before you were even thought of. Diana L | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 963 Registered: 7-2007 |
People in cults are praying to a different god. They think they're praying to the God of the Bible, but they aren't. The god of the Adventists isn't omniscient so he has to conduct an investigative judgment to see who can be saved. He couldn't finish the atonement at the cross, so Adventists have to strive hard to "pass" the investigative judgment and "keep" the 10 commandments. Salvation isn't a free gift for Adventists, Ellen White's angel made it very clear in King James English. "Get ready, get ready, get ready. Ye must have a greater preparation then ye now have" and "It will take all to enter glory." Then a little further, Ellen White writes: "As I saw what we must be in order to inherit glory..." ("Early Writings"; in the chapter called "Mark of the Beast") Anyway, THAT is not a free gift! So, if they weren't praying to God, then what other beings are out there willing to accept prayers? Demons. The first prayer of a person in a cult/unbeliever that God answers is their prayer of genuinely seeking after Him. |
