| Author | Message | ||
| Cortney Registered user Username: Cortney Post Number: 88 Registered: 8-2006 |
One of my SDA relatives told me the problem with evangelical churches is that they don't know or care to study the bible, that is why they are growing so fast, they are biblically inept, it's a 'hippy, love all, euphoria' not bible based. He said they are all about doing whatever you please, once saved always saved. I never felt good enough to be saved as an Adventist, and I was always looking to judge others so I didn't have to feel guilty about my own shortcomings, and as far as studying the bible, well it was usually studying chapters and subjects I already knew like Daniel and Revealation,or something pertinent to the SDA cause. I was wondering if anybody had any similiar experiences or thoughts on this. I'm very frustrated. Also, if SDA is the 'truth' and holds the 'last day message' for the world, why haven't more people heard of the religion, I'm military and some families I've met through the years have never even heard of SDA, nor I until I met my hubby at age 22. Why isn't the SDA church growing, like evangelical churches? I've met and have evangelical friends who seem to know the bible well, and are quite consistent. As for many Adventist, I find much contradiction. | ||
| Cortney Registered user Username: Cortney Post Number: 89 Registered: 8-2006 |
another question... If the sabbath is the 'test' of obedience, hence sda salvation. Why do Adventist need Jesus? What is the purpose of the new testament to them, if everything stands or falls on obedience to the 4th commandment? Why do they even bother. I'm thinking the sabbath has become an idol to many Adventist. EGW never fully teaches the importance of Jesus and the importance of truly knowing Him and accepting Him, but the sabbath.. that's life or death to them. Sunday Laws? What is the likelyhood of that? Is our journey a walk of obedience or faith? SDA is so contradicting, in my opinion. When I was a member... my thinking was basically that you accept Jesus and obey the commandments, mostly the 4th, but it will not save you and on the other hand people can accept Jesus but in the endtimes if they refuse sabbath they will not be saved. Either way, your lifeline is the sabbath, what about Christ? I don't know who the Adventist God is, this cannot be my God? It breaks my heart my hubby is still involved with this religion, he considers himself a more 'liberal' sda, I don't think it matters, either way your bound by the Law and EGW. I'm just so tired of arguing with his family, over how the kids will be taught, in regards to religion. As an SDA I thought, there has to be more to life than this? Either EGW lied or God did, because supposedly He gave her some pretty wierd visions and ideas and SDA's always cover up for her. I truly believe the God I worship and the God they worship are not the same. Just frustrated... | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 6015 Registered: 9-2006  |
They are just bent out of shape because they can't get the chickens to quack like ducks. Their demand is for the chickens to go down there and quack along with them, and if the chickens don't, they claim the chickens aren't trying hard as they are to quack like ducks. The truth is, most chickens have enough common sense not to quack like a duck, lest he be identified as a duck. The ducks don't know a barnyard from a mudhole, and they try to lead a smart chicken into a duck quacking mudhole along with them. But the chickens are happy just being chickens, because they know the egg that laid them. The ducks are silly and foolish, and expect, no...insist on the chickens be just a silly and foolish as they are. No thanks...this chicken is happy with his own barnyard.  River | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7936 Registered: 3-2004  |
Cortney, How old are your kids? I could not afford the sda books with their Bible stories. I read the stories to my son right out of the Bible. When I read him the story of David and Bathsheba he looked up at me and said "The Bible is full of stories of real people". Looking back now I see God was in charge and not me. I was raised sda and fell for it all, hook, line and sinker. Thank our awesome God b/c He knew what I needed and patiently showed me. Diana L ps: All I knew about the Bible was what I had been taught. I trusted the teachers/preachers as they "knew what they were teaching". On any subject, it was sda doctrine, I used the proof text method. (Message edited by Flyinglady on February 16, 2010) | ||
| River Registered user Username: River Post Number: 6016 Registered: 9-2006 |
Quote: I'm thinking the sabbath has become an idol to many Adventist. And your just now figuring that out? All Adventist is more like it.Not counting the ten percent who are on their way out. River | ||
| Philharris Registered user Username: Philharris Post Number: 1994 Registered: 5-2007  |
While an Adventist I was well trained in the Bible which, of course, was the Adventist line via proof texting. I have come to call this the 'historical view' because I knew the stories of what people did. But, not the why and meaning of why, especially why God did as he did. In short, I was totally missing the gospel message of Jesus Christ. As a small example; what a surprise to study I Cor. 3 and discover there was nothing in there about defiling the temple of the Holy Spirit via not understand the 'health message' and to see Paul was really warning us to not stray from the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, putting our attention and loyalty on personalities such as Ellen instead of our Savior is what Paul was teaching defiles the Church, the Temple of the Holy Spirit. Fearless Phil | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 273 Registered: 5-2009 |
Our SDA relatives plead with us to study the Bible so we won't be deceived, but they mean prooftexting. The church we attend now has lots of Bible study/teaching classes. When we formers go to these sometimes we think we already know so much Bible from years of Bible classes, etc. Then we actually sit there in the class realizing that we were, like Phil said, taught through prooftexting (and of course EG was all thru everything even if she wasn't mentioned). Wow! What a surprise to find out I am so Biblically illiterate! And all these 'just plain Christians' who I used to look down on because they didn't really know their Bibles, already know this stuff. Pretty humbling. | ||
| Asurprise Registered user Username: Asurprise Post Number: 1184 Registered: 7-2007 |
I knew enough of the "proof" texts (and Ellen White), to hold the whole SDA thing together in my mind. Then when I'd read the Bible and I came upon verses that contradicted what I believed, I either skipped over them or read quickly through them, figuring that I just didn't understand them. Which reminds me of another difference between when I was a Seventh-day Adventist and now that I'm a Christian... When I was an SDA, I couldn't keep my mind on what I was reading in the Bible. My mind would wander all over the place and I'd find that I'd read the same three or four verses over and over without comprehending them. I'd force my mind back on the Bible and manage to stay focused on the three or four verses before giving up for the day. Now I can read three or four CHAPTERS and keep my mind on it! What in the world happened?????!!! | ||
| Skeeter Registered user Username: Skeeter Post Number: 533 Registered: 12-2007 |
The "veil" was removed. :-) Praise God ! Francie | ||
| Psalm107v2 Registered user Username: Psalm107v2 Post Number: 585 Registered: 10-2008  |
quote Why do Adventist need Jesus? What is the purpose of the new testament to them, if everything stands or falls on obedience to the 4th commandment? Why do they even bother. I'm thinking the sabbath has become an idol to many Adventist. Response: Gal 2:21 For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die. Proof texting is the modus operandi of SDA adherants, even those who are "lapsed" from the church have those texts tatooed on thir brains. Ask an SDA to prove the Sabbath or to tell the story about the little girl hit with a rock who became a prophet and they can tell you chpater and verse but ask them to give to give 3 verses to prove the Trinity and the average SDA will look at you like you asked them to explain all the laws of thermodynamics. When I was an SDA by our daily family worship, reading of the quarterly I was "programmed" to be an SDA mouthpiece but I did not "know" the Bible until the Holy Spirit indwelled in my heart (John 14:16-17) | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 10947 Registered: 12-2003  |
Nowisee, your experience parallels mine. I thought I KNEW the Bible...wrong! I had no idea how it all tied together with overarching themes that reveal God's own story. It's amazing! I've loved the teaching at our church! Cortney, I agree: Adventists do not worship the same God we do. He is the "Adventist Jesus"...and he is not the Jesus (nor is their God the God) of the Bible. Colleen | ||
| Cortney Registered user Username: Cortney Post Number: 91 Registered: 8-2006 |
Thanks for all your support and input! My kids are 7 and 5, right now my 7year old goes to non-denominational christian school and loves it. The Adventist family doesn't approve-big surprise! Not! I'm tired of them accusing me of being 'decieved by the devil' aka 'leaving the truth'. They think people who leave 'the truth' are either upset with something not related to church doctrine or have become possessed by the devil. I've been told by my mil 'if you don't come back to the truth you will surely burn in hellfire'! I just get so angry! The truth she always refers back to is sabbath-keeping, which adventists copied from seventh-day baptist anyway. I feel EGW or SDA's brought nothing knew to the table, mormans were around before them and were already practicing health-reform and seventh-day baptists were keeping sabbath first. I just cannot stand that they think they are so superior, and everyone is just biblically ignorant or possessed. My husband didn't even believe me about the morman church health-reform, until i googled it, and showed him proof. They believe health-reform was something new, EGW discovered the 'new light'. That is false! I want to know how it is that they can keep up these lies, regarding false doctrine and EGW, and yet judge the world for not keeping the sabbath? | ||
| Jrt Registered user Username: Jrt Post Number: 988 Registered: 10-2008 |
Cortney, I SO understand your frustration. And it is right to be angered when the Biblical God is so denigrated. The Holy Spirit living in us gets angry to see such heresy taught. I agree the Adventist god is not the one true God of the Bible. I applaud you sticking to your convictions to NOT have your children schooled in the Adventist system. I will be praying for you. Keri | ||
| Cortney Registered user Username: Cortney Post Number: 93 Registered: 8-2006 |
Thank you-Jrt! prayer is greatly needed | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7940 Registered: 3-2004 |
Cortney, Praying for you, your children, husband (what branch of the military is he in) and your MIL. There was one time when I had to keep my MIL from seeing my son because of something she did. It was not about religion. You may have to do that if she keeps saying things, especially in front of the children. Pray about it. Diana L | ||
| Cortney Registered user Username: Cortney Post Number: 95 Registered: 8-2006 |
He is in the Air Force. I don't feel I can trust my in-laws to be alone with the kids, it honestly scares me. They say they will 'never' give up hope for me and eventually i will come back to the 'truth'. My hubby is not much help in that area, he is Adventist minus-keeping the sabbath fully and EGW-he doesn't know how he feels about her-My inlaws did not want him in the military for fear he would leave the 'truth', but it for sure made him look outside the Adventist view, which is a blessing. He doesn't judge me but, i think it bothers him i have 'left' the 'truth'. We no longer share the same view in regards to religion. I feel like an outcast at times with his family, but i also look at them and think..'how can they believe this crap? It's a cult'. | ||
| Grace_alone Registered user Username: Grace_alone Post Number: 1635 Registered: 6-2006  |
Cortney, I used the feel the same way with my in-laws. When my daughter was about 4 she told me that her grandma told her she was "lost". Who says that to a 4 year old?! Anyway, I've just held my ground, shared my faith (in a non-threatening way) and continued to take the kids to church with me each week. Hubby started coming with us about 7 years ago and although he's still afraid to commit, he gets that it's important to all of us that we're there together. In that time, the in-laws have resigned to the fact that we're not SDA, and have learned to be respectful of that. (Many times they even ask me to sing hymns for them during family worship times!) The kids are 8 and 10 now, so since they're older and have had time to build a solid faith, I'm not so nervous about letting them spend alone time with the in-laws. They love them very much, and I appreciate that. Leigh Anne | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 7943 Registered: 3-2004 |
Cortney, with the Air force moving you every 4 years, that will minimize the time spent with the in laws. That is GOOOD!!! Just keep loving your MIL and do lots of praying. Oh, tell you husband thank you for his service to our country. My son is in the Air Force also. Diana L |
