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| Eternal_joy Registered user Username: Eternal_joy Post Number: 18 Registered: 9-2012 |
I have so much evidence so that if anyone says "The Adventist Church doesn't teach that anymore!" I can disprove them. I'm only 22, and I have tons of documentation of historic Adventism that came from me as a teenager. From papers I wrote in Bible classes in academy (in a progressive SDA academy, too), to stuff I said in online forums. Here's some excerpts: "In the beginning, when God created humans, he formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and then man 'became a living soul.' The soul equals a body plus breath. When someone dies, and breath leaves their body, the soul ceases to exist because it needs the combination of the body and breath to be a soul. The soul cannot exist without those two things." "When the door of probation closes, as in the story of Noah and the ark, it is too late. When God closed the door of the ark, Noah ceased his cries for the people to enter the ark and be saved. The door was closed and could not be opened. Whoever was in the ark was saved, and all who were outside of the ark perished. Today, the door of mercy and salvation is open. Repent while there is still time! Don't put it off another moment. No one knows when his last breathe will be. You could die tomorrow, God forbid. Please, take hold of the gift of salvation now! When you die, it is the end. You are dead, you have no more chances. You will either be raised with the righteousness at the second coming of Christ, or you will be raised with the lost after the 1,000 years in heaven. Also, just before Jesus comes, the time of probation (which we are now living in) will end. The door of salvation will close forever. We are so close to the time of the end. I cannot stress to you enough the urgency of making this decision now." “Some people reason that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday because Jesus was resurrected on Sunday. Still others say that the Ten Commandments, along with every other Old Testament law, was done away with and nailed to the cross. And there are an elect few who say that the Sabbath was never changed, that it is still to be kept on Saturday. So who is right? If the Sabbath is Sunday because Jesus was resurrected on Sunday, than why doesn't the Bible instruct us to keep Sunday? This view is pure speculation, for not one place in the Old Testament commands us to keep Sunday holy. And if God were to change the Sabbath, don't you think He would have come right out and said it? The Sabbath is not an issue to be taken lightly. The fourth commandment is the only commandment that begins with the word "remember." Hmmmmm...so if God wanted to change a day He instructed us to remember, don't you think He would have said, as plain as day, "I have changed the Sabbath to the first day of the week"? The truth is, it doesn't say that the Sabbath was changed to Sunday anywhere in the Bible. Not in one spot. But what about verses like these? Colossians 2:13,14 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:16, 17 16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. These verses seem to suggest that the Sabbath was done away with at the cross. These verses are misunderstood. They are talking about the sacrificial law. That law (sacrificing lambs) was a symbol of salvation, of what would happen to Jesus on the cross. But the Sabbath is not a shadow of anything to come. It is a day that we are to spend worshiping our Creator. It does not point forward to the cross. And if all of the ten commandments were done away with, why can't we steal, lie, kill, ect.? Why would God only do away with the fourth commandment, the only one He said to remember? Also, with the second verse, it says not to let anyone judge you for a Sabbath day. Did you know that a "Sabbath day" in the O.T. could also refer to one of the Jewish holidays and celebrations, such as Passover? In this case, that is what this verse is talking about. It's saying that we don't need to keep those holidays, for they were also a shadow of things to come. This is not talking about the actual Sabbath Day. If you study history, you will see how the Sabbath came to be kept on Sunday. The early Christian church, at first, kept Saturday as instructed in the Bible. But they soon noticed that the pagans, whom they were trying to convert, kept Sunday as a day to worship the sun god. To try and make the transition from paganism to Christianity easier, they began keeping both Saturday and Sunday. As time went on, Saturday became a solemn day full of tedious rules and regulations, while Sunday was a great feast and celebration day. They eventually dropped Saturday altogether. Saturday is still the Sabbath of the Lord thy God, for God never changed it. Man did, and we must obey God rather than man. Saturday is a day for us to rest from our busy wrok week, and to become closer to our Creator, worshiping Him and spending time with Him. The Sabbath is truly a blessing. I don't know what I would do without it!” “Once we have accepted Christ, we must allow Him to transform us into His perfect character." "If you would like to know more about salvation and Jesus Christ, as well as other confusing subjects in the Bible, may I suggest these Bible studies?” (and I posted links for Amazing Facts) “Outward adornment is not what is really important, because people should be drawn to Christ, not your flashy necklace. Adorning yourself with the fruits of the spirit is true adornment. Outward adornment can lead to pride. Pride is a sin, and why else would you want to wear a piece of jewelry, with the exception of a wedding ring? To draw attention to yourself, right? Think and pray about this issue, and study it earnestly. I also suggest looking up what Ellen White has to say about the subject. Ask God to guide you, and then make the decision for yourself after you have studied the matter for yourself.” "I do think that God is trying to lead His people back to His true Sabbath and that the Sabbath will be a testing point in the last days...Those of us who know the truth of the Sabbath have a responsibility to share it with the world.” "This chapter from The Great Controversy outlines the wonderful and beautiful work of mediation, which Christ performs in the heavenly sanctuary. The investigative judgment is a unique belief of the Adventist church, one that explains more fully the work of salvation. Christ’s work of saving grace did not end at the cross. It is still being played out today in this great drama between good and evil. Ellen White explains this concept of grace in this chapter, clearing outlining the work of Christ in the heavenly sanctuary. Every deed performed by anyone, whether it is good or evil, is diligently recorded in heaven. The watchful eyes of heaven do not miss even acts performed in the most secretive and elusive ways...Christ’s work of mediation in the sanctuary is just as necessary to the plan of salvation as is His death on the cross, according to the chapter. The investigative judgment determines who is saved and who is not...soon probation will close, for we are living in the end of time. Ellen White explained in this chapter that, in 1844, Christ started His ministry in the sanctuary, beckoning in the end of time. Time is short. What are we doing to be ready for His coming?" "In Ellen White’s day, she noticed a wide movement of popular revivals that were sweeping across the nation. People, being controlled by the emotions of the moment, were giving their hearts to Christ in a spontaneous flow of feeling, without fully comprehending the gravity of their decision. They thought that, once they had been justified through faith, they could continue on in their sinful way of life, without allowing Christ’s love to transform their characters. The general feeling was that they were under grace and not the law. They saw obedience to God’s law as an unnecessary form of legalism. Sanctification was not a concept that they understood, which is very dangerous indeed. Satan loves to deceive God’s people into thinking that God’s perfect law is merely a list of do’s and don’ts that aren’t necessary to today’s Christian...If a person is still chained in bondage to the sin in their life, than what good is salvation? Salvation makes the sinner free. A person must, through the strength of Christ alone, follow God’s perfect standard of joy. If we keep God’s law because we want to please Him, we will be truly happy. The chains of sin are no longer binding us to death and destruction, but we are free and on the path towards eternal life. God made His law because He knows that when His creatures follow it out of love for Him, they will be joyful, happy, and free. To the Christian who allows Christ to change their heart, the law is no longer a list of do’s and don’ts, but a beautiful guideline of joyful living." "Lucifer began to plant more seeds of doubt into the minds of the heavenly host. He openly accused God of being an arbitrary ruler, and he cast a shadow of doubt upon the law of God. He said that God was not fair or just, and that He tried to force His law upon His subjects. He claimed that God did not really love His subjects, and that the law of God was a perfect example of God’s desire for power over His created beings. One-third of the angels believed Lucifer, another third weren’t quiet sure, and still another third remained loyal to God. There was a war in heaven between God and Satan (Lucifer). Satan and his third of the angels were cast out of heaven, and so began the great test God’s love. God still loved His erring creature, even though Satan openly defiled and accused Him. God pleaded with Satan to repent, to accept His mercy and grace. But Satan would have none of it. So, God had to prove to the watchful eyes of the universe that His law is a perfect example of His love, and that the lawless ways of Satan only bring sorrow. God did not destroy Satan immediately, but instead let him reap the consequences of his own choice. God has to let sin run its course, so that the universe will know once and for all that sin is the worst bane imaginable, and that God is a loving and just God. Jesus came to this earth to further solidify the fact that God is love, and that His law is perfect and full of grace. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate manifestation of love. Through this act, the universe could see that God does indeed love His creatures, as well as the awful results of sin." "I have always been taught that Jesus was perfect when He lived on earth, never sinning, which makes it possible for us to live perfect lives without sin." And I have MUCH more! | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 9872 Registered: 3-2004  |
Those are things I was taught grade school through college back in the 1940s, 50s, 60s. The SDA church has not changed. Diana | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 14150 Registered: 12-2003  |
Sigh, Oh, Eternal Joy, I completely understand. I have pondered lately how THOROUGHLY we were programmed to defend the Sabbath, the health message, the lifestyle issues...we were totally programmed with texts, a system of internal logic, and "common sense". We were taught implicitly to disbelieve the actual words of Scripture because our internal logic was at odds with God's word. Therefore, we were taught to use our SDA worldview to interpret Scripture. We ALL embraced EGW as God's true mouthpiece, whether we consciously believed her or not. The programming—in actual fact, the brainwashing—was complete. Adventists don't even know they live in a "matrix" of a false reality. I completely resonate with your reflections and the understanding and perhaps horror as you look back...I did all that, too. God is So faithful! He knew us before we had any clue about who He really was! He called us to Himself, and I am so thankful. I have no words... Colleen | ||
| Punababe808 Registered user Username: Punababe808 Post Number: 251 Registered: 4-2012 |
Yep, same stuff i was taught fifty years ago. | ||
| Punababe808 Registered user Username: Punababe808 Post Number: 252 Registered: 4-2012 |
Yep, same stuff i was taught fifty years ago. | ||
| Psalm107v2 Registered user Username: Psalm107v2 Post Number: 884 Registered: 10-2008  |
Thanks Eternal Joy It often perplexes me how young people (people younger than me not that I'm old at the wonderful age of 42) can have scientific evidence, tons of information available at their fingertips yet believe EGW and much of the SDA line. But the truth of the matter is we all have been programmed as stated above. Many of the same phrases keep popping up and the deception continues except now instead of slides on a screen at a rented school we now have the internet, youtube, satellites and 3ABN to spread this mess even faster. Glad to see that God can reach us at any age!! Enoch | ||
| Nowisee Registered user Username: Nowisee Post Number: 1214 Registered: 5-2009 |
Thank you, EJ! I'm 43 years older than you & was taught the same stuff, starting in Cradle Roll & with the Bedtime Stories. It was our reality & I trusted my Bible teachers & Pastors. |
