| Author | Message | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 63 Registered: 2-2005 |
Hi all, so now I've been accused by walk_in_the_light of lying about having love for Adventist friends and family, based on my "repulsive posts" on this forum. Here's a link to the discussion: link Evidently some SDAs adhere to the ten commandments given to Moses while neglecting the second great commandment of Christ. Greg | ||
| Bmorgan Registered user Username: Bmorgan Post Number: 25 Registered: 7-2000 |
Greg, If I could, I would apologise to you for Walk and Col. Really, I would. It is so sad "watching" and "listening" to them. I think their unabashed hostility is growing because y'all (Jeremy, Stan, Belva and Qal?)are not intimidated by their chiquaqua's type yapping. Even to themselves, they are not making sense. They don't sound like they are experiencing joy in their salvation. They react as though their very life is threatened. Wow! What a way to live. They certainly got religion-they must keep on doing. I wish they would boast or give evidence of their relationship with Christ. Then they could live in peace knowing it is DONE. Oh well, there is ALWAYS hope. With God, all things are possible. Bmorgan P.s Greg, would you post the link for the New Life Community Church in VA? The one you posted on the O'Ffil's Revival Forum.The section on New Covenant is great and could benefit many of us. Thank you. | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 64 Registered: 2-2005 |
Here's more Christian love from colporteur:
Bmorgan, I think it was Jeremy who posted that link, but here it is: http://www.new-life.net/sunday.htm Thanks for your kind words, Greg | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 65 Registered: 2-2005 |
Here's the link to the New Covenant page: http://www.new-life.net/newcov.htm | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1187 Registered: 3-2004  |
Greg, God has used you on the R/S forum. Who knows if a lurker or even one who has opposed you will turn towards Jesus and accept only Him. That is something only God knows. You planted a seed, God will take care of the rest. Father, thank your for Greg and his words for You, from only the Bible. May those who read them see Jesus and turn toward you. And Again I thank you for Greg, Jeremy, Justin, Bucky, Belva and others I do not remember at this time. May each one of them witness for you as only you would have it. God, You are awesome. Diana | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 66 Registered: 2-2005 |
Thanks Diana! Your kind words and prayers are much appreciated. Greg | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 208 Registered: 7-2004 |
I second that approval. I don't know if it is appropriate to gloat, but one of their own (well, maybe not for long) has just slapped their hands for being such snippy little chihuahua's, I think he called them. He was addressing his message to Walk and Col. Bmorgan, I agree, if either of them were to talk about the beauty of their walk with Jesus, I'd shut up, because I'd have to acknowledge that they had met Jesus, even in the SDA environment. Their unhappiness is so obvious, though. It's like they are desperately defending something, but don't really have the amunition they need. Ask them for a quote, and they can't give you a scriptural reference. They can't even give a good EGW reference any more. After they were called on their un-Christlike behavior, the tone of things over there has calmed down noticably. I found it interesting that they thought we had come to "their" site to post because we had questions. Greg, bless his sweet heart, made it clear we had come to defend a fellow believer who was being condemned to Hell by the SDA attitude. We have since learned that Bucky could hold his own with them, but I'll be he didn't mind getting the backup. My prayer for those people will continue, and will strengthen the longer I am reading what they have to say. I remember being in their shoes, and I praise God that I have been delivered from that confusion. Dearest Precious Jesus, you are the door, the pathway, the lamb of God, the everlasting until everlasting, and you have made it possible for humble sinning human beings to gain the victory through your precious blood. We ask with humble hearts that you will continue to use us to spread the information regarding your awesome gift to us, so that the world will have the opportunity to make their choice, and so that you can come and establish your everlasting kingdom. We also pray that you will continue to use us at R/S, if you need us there. Give us an extra helping of the Holy Spirit so that we can continue to show forth your completed work of salvation, and mix it generously with love. We also know that we cannot back down, we must stand up for that measure of truth that you have given us to sustain us until you do return for us. Keep us focused on what you would want, and soften the hearts of those who are destined to learn from our posts. We especially thank you for this network where even people who are shut at home can reach out to the world, or have the world reach directly to individuals. We are looking forward to that world without end, and the everlasting day we will enjoy with you. In Jesus name, Amen | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1200 Registered: 3-2004 |
I just received an e-mail from Pastor O'Ffill in which he wrote I can only respond to posts that have a red star. Did anyone else get anything similar or has any one been banned from posting on the R/S site?? Just curious. Diana | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 439 Registered: 10-2004  |
I have not received an email from Richard O'Ffill. And I don't know what he means about posts with red stars--I don't see any, do you? Hmmm. Jeremy | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1201 Registered: 3-2004 |
I did go to the web site and saw no red stars any where. Hmmmm. I wonder what he is trying to say. Diana | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 67 Registered: 2-2005 |
Diana, I haven't received any email either. I'm sure I would be one of the first to receive an email like this. I know the forum software very well and there is no "red star" function. Maybe someone is trying to get you to stop posting. Can you paste the entire email here so we can examine it? Greg | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 128 Registered: 7-2000  |
"Red star" is a fitting symbol! His effort at maintaining tight control sounds kinda communistic to me! You guys must have really shaken them up! | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 209 Registered: 7-2004 |
I think I'll be the next to go. I received a question from Pastor O'Ffill direct within the forum as follows: ========== Belva, While Jesus was perfect for us, does that mean he was perfect instead of us? He died for us, yet we are told we must die to sin. Do you not think that what Jesus did outside of us, is not by His Spirit to be done inside of us-in our lives? ========== Here is the link to my response. Like Sir Tomas Moore I will say, here I stand, I can do no other! http://www.revivalsermons.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=6292#6292 In the peace of Christ, Belva | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 69 Registered: 2-2005 |
Belva, I think Richard O'Ffill is a reasonable person. I don't agree with his theology, but I still think he is reasonable. He appears willing to talk to "formers" without demonizing them. My sense is that as long as the discussion doesn't get too close to the pillar of Adventism (EGW), nobody will be silenced. Your replies to his questions reflect a patient, gospel-based approach. My prayers are with you as you carry on the conversation. In Christ, Greg | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 210 Registered: 7-2004 |
Please help, I almost feel overmatched. Who of you on this forum are former Adventist ministers? I feel like a fish out of water witnessing to a minister. It appears that is the condition I find myself to be in. I'm currently conversing with Pastor O'Ffill on two different threads--I can't even remember the names of the threads, but the topics boils down to the same in both cases. I'm saying that perfection will be established for the believer at the Second Coming, he is saying it will be established prior to the Second Coming. I'm confident that my Bible says we will recieve immortality as the result of our active faith in the completed work of salvation at the cross. Perfection in Christ is ours now, althought it will not manifest completely until after Jesus comes. As I said before, "There I stand, I can do no other." In Christ, Belva | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 211 Registered: 7-2004 |
Greg/Jeremy I want to acknowledge that I attributed something to Greg that rightfully belongs to Jeremy. You know, Jeremy, your statement that comes up every post that says "The power of sin is in the law." I probably should make this acknowledgment over on the R/S site, but I wanted to make certain you know that I had noticed my error. Please forgive. Belva | ||
| Greg Registered user Username: Greg Post Number: 74 Registered: 2-2005 |
For anyone interested, here are links to the threads Belva mentioned: Who is Responsible for the Moral Decline in Society? From New England Into All the World! It would be good for a pastor to jump in at some point. The issue is whether sanctification happens at some point after the acceptance of Christ or at the time of acceptance. It seems pretty simple to me, but I haven't been to the seminary. When Jesus said "believe in me and you will have everlasting life" (John 6:47, John 5:24, etc.) and "believe in me and you won't come into judgment" (John 5:24) and "remain in me so you will bear fruit" (John 15), the sanctification arguments seem a little hollow. I think people get hung up on Jesus' statement in Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect..." and immediately set about to be perfect in their lives. But Jesus was addressing the Pharisees who already proved this method of salvation was not possible. By saying we should be perfect and be more righteous than the Pharisees (Matthew 5:20), Jesus is clearly showing us that it isn't possible for a human, though his own efforts, to attain salvation by attempts at perfect law-keeping. That's where remaining connected to the vine comes in. Does the fruit on the vine understand the mechanisms by which it is growing? No...the fruit only "knows" that is connected. It is the vinedresser and the vine that do the "work". Our job is to remain connected to the vine, not to know the mysteries by which the fruit is produced through us. Maybe I'll post this over there and see what whithering attacks this simpleminded belief produces. In Christ, Greg | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 215 Registered: 7-2004 |
Thanks, Greg, I think our messages dove-tailed nicely. The pastor is a good man. He is discussing, with love, the issues that have been chewed over and over up to this point. The only problem I see that he has is a simple application of the word, and your explanation regarding the Pharasees should put that in perspective. Belva | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 1599 Registered: 12-2003  |
Even in this discussion of perfection (or sanctification), the real issue is Adventists' refusal to understand the new covenant. Adventists also misunderstand sanctification because they don't acknowledge that we have spirts which are real, knowing entities and not just breath. When we accept Jesus, we are justified at that moment and also receive the righteousness of Christ (that's our perfection!). See Romans 3:21-22. Where Adventists get confused is that they cannot see that we receive spiritual "perfection" apart from physical "perfection". When we are in Christ, our spirits come to life, and we at that moment receive eternal life and are covered with Christ's righteousness. We are made complete in Christ. Our bodies, however, are not made perfect until the resurrection. That means that we continue to struggle with our inherited weaknesses and woundings which have engraved our minds with habits and responses which are decidedly not righteous. Spiritually, however, we are seated with Christ in heavenly places (Ephesians 2:6) and are already children and heirs of God (Romans 8:16-17). As long as we are in these mortal tents, however, we will continually be hearing the Holy Spirit's call to surrender attitudes, habits, and responses to Jesus for His healing. We are completely justified and sanctified already as Christ-followers born of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 1:2; 6:11). At the same time, we are being sanctified by the Spirit's ongoing work in our sinful flesh (1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2) We are completely sanctified--set apart and holy--people who nonetheless groan as we wait for the redemption of our bodies (Romans 8:22-23). Our sanctification is "already but not yet", like the kindom of heaven. Our essential selves--WE--have been sanctified and cleansed by the blood of Jesus, yet in our flesh we submit and respond to Jesus and the ongoing sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit. Adventists will never understand the Biblical teaching about sanctification because they vigorously resist the idea that we have spirits that are separate from our bodies. Yet Paul is clear in 2 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1 that "we" are not identified by our bodies, and "we" can be absent from our bodies and present with the Lord. While Sabbath continues to appear to be the great deception of Adventism, I'm coming to believe it is "small potatoes" compared to the Adventist belief in the nature of man's (and Christ's) spirit. What we believe about the nature of man and the nature of Christ sets us on the path toward truth or toward heresy. Between the Adventist heresy of insisting there is not truly a new covenant and their heresy of insisting that man has no essential spirit, they have insulated themselves against the Biblical teaching of salvation in just about every nuance of the subject. Praise God for lifting the veil! Colleen | ||
| Jeremy Registered user Username: Jeremy Post Number: 442 Registered: 10-2004 |
Colleen, great post. I agree--I have also come to believe that the foundational heresy of Adventism is the belief that we don't have a spirt--that spirit = breath. They can't even believe in being born again, because Jesus says that it is our spirit that is born again--brought to eternal life by the Holy Spirit. "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." (John 3:6 NASB.) How do SDAs interpret this verse?? They certainly don't believe that our "breath" becomes born again! Jeremy |
