| Author | Message | ||
| Becky Registered user Username: Becky Post Number: 19 Registered: 2-2005 |
Thank you, thank you, thank you for this forum and for all the prayers that accompany it. I had to share - I probably won't sleep tonight. My dad and I had a real heart to heart tonight - no arguing or anything. He now wants to read all I have on the SDA religion. This is unbelievable - nothing shy of a miracle really. My background is not SDA, but my parents converted to it three years ago, my dad being the most dogmatic. Like the other stories I have seen here, he has REFUSED to listen to anyone or anything that contradicted his new found "truth". I got in an hours' worth of info - no interuption from Dad. At the end he said, "I hear you, and I'm listening. Please send me that publication you are talking about." He means "The Proclamation." Oh, praise God, he wants to see "the red books and everything else I have too." I'm a bit too chubby to do a backflip, but I'm certainly trying!!!! Thank you all for the support you offer here. You've truly given me hope and saved my sanity. Love in Christ, Becky | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 472 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dear Becky, We will continue our prayers for your parents. Thank you for giving us information that shows the power of prayer at work. We will continue until the will of the Lord is fully manifested in your parents' lives. Belva | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2021 Registered: 12-2003  |
Becky, this IS a miracle! Have you emailed me his address yet? Do you have any idea what has put the crack in his armor? Praise God! Colleen | ||
| Jeannette Registered user Username: Jeannette Post Number: 98 Registered: 3-2003 |
Becky, thank you for sharing this great news with us, it has given me hope for my family. Colleen, am I still on the Proclamation mail list? I've been so anxious to get my copy and read the article on the IJ, I thought for sure it would be in the mail today and was so disappointed it wasn't. Jeannette | ||
| Praisegod Registered user Username: Praisegod Post Number: 319 Registered: 3-2004  |
Ditto, Jeannette  | ||
| Becky Registered user Username: Becky Post Number: 20 Registered: 2-2005 |
Thanks everyone. They're aren't out yet, but God is working on them! Prayer, prayer, prayer is the ONLY thing that works. I am praying for all of your loved ones also. God is faithful, just keep persisting with those prayers. My dad does not do computers. Does anyone know of any support groups, churches with former SDA's etc in the Redding, Calif area by chance? I sure would like a place to send them WHEN they are out. | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1552 Registered: 3-2004  |
Becky, Praise God, He is awesome in what He does. I am so glad for you and your Dad. God will continue to lead him just as He has lead you. Thank You Jesus, Diana` | ||
| Redhorsewoman Registered user Username: Redhorsewoman Post Number: 12 Registered: 5-2005 |
Congratulations! I know how difficult it is trying to get a JW to listen to anything that goes contrary to the Watchtower Society, and I'm sure it's just as difficult with the SDAs. Many ex-JWs have set up groups that get together through the Meetup site. Perhaps there would be some ex-SDAs that utilize this also? | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 330 Registered: 3-2005 |
Becky, God is truly working in your parents lives right now. My prayers continue for you and your parents. Stan | ||
| Another_carol Registered user Username: Another_carol Post Number: 266 Registered: 12-2002 |
I am not a regualar poster here anymore as I have many hours of work and I have been posting on CARM which seems to be my ministry now, not by choice but by obedience to God. I just wanted to say Praise God for any inroads; such as your Dad saying: "I hear you and I'm listening. My son-in-law, now ex, was duped into SDA in 1998 because of Y2K and I have prayed so many times to hear such words. I have never felt once that he was open to listening to anything and always had a"biblical,by way of Ellen",answer for all that I brought to his attention. I will definitely pray for your parents. God works in marvelous and mysterious way His Wonders to Preform. I am still praying and believing in a miraculous revelation for my son-in-law the father of my 2 grandsons. Many say, just give it up but how can you give up on someone you love and and want the best for: Jesus Christ? Thus I trudge on giving understanding of what I think scriptures in Romans, 2 Corinthians 3, Galatians,Ephesians, Hebrews and of course all corroborated by the Gospels especially John. Love and Prayers, Carol | ||
| Becky Registered user Username: Becky Post Number: 21 Registered: 2-2005 |
Dear Carol, I have never been able to give up either. But after all the fights and arguments where they refused to listen to anything, I finally realized where God wants me - on my knees. It was painfully obvious the no FACTS of PROOF was going to get in the way of their "truth." I've heard that they are taught that any questioning of their church leads them right to Satan. I point blank asked my Dad to follow Jesus, not any church, and that Jesus would guide his heart. We went over the deceitful recruiting practices of SDA. I told Dad to ponder why a church would need a backdoor approach if Jesus, who can do anything, was really with them. I mean wouldn't Jesus provide the insight and strenth to help an honest church succeed??? Carol, I have cried myself to sleep so many times. I equate my parents conversion to SDA as having lost my parents to drugs or aliens. They were completely out of my realm to reach them. They are wonderful people and were wonderful parents. I COULD NOT GIVE UP, but I HAD to do it through prayer - everything else came up against a brick wall. It didn't matter to them that they've lost all their friends or had a complete overhaul in their dress, food, Saturday activities. My father has been competitive archer since he was a child and has one too many awards to count. Well, gone went that also. It made me sick. The constant prayers are working. I think God was trying to teach me not to be prideful and think I could enact a change. When you 'GIVE IT UP TO GOD' you will see a change - warning though, it doesn't happen very fast! With all of my prayers for you, Becky | ||
| Bob Registered user Username: Bob Post Number: 269 Registered: 7-2000  |
Becky, I wish your testimony above would be re-posted daily on this forum! We need to be constantly reminded of what you have found to be God's way of working to change hearts. Bob | ||
| Colleentinker Registered user Username: Colleentinker Post Number: 2025 Registered: 12-2003 |
Becky, such a powerful testimony. You are ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. No amount of arguing or "proving" will move an Adventist or any other person committed to false doctrine. Only the Holy Spirit can do that work. You are so right about part of the process being your own realization that you had to give up your parents to God. I'm convinced that one of the things God does when we have to deal with loved ones who refuse to "see" is to show us how we ourselves are hanging on to relationships that come between Him and us. It's not that the actual relationship with a person is wrong, but when we desire to mend or fix and KEEP a relationship with a person to the point that we can't mentally release that person into His care and allow God to decide what happens, then we have an idol. I have realized that I have to set aside my desire to "fix" some of the persistent weak spots in my sons and let God manage them. It's really hard, because sometimes I see them making decisions I think are really self-defeating. But if I really trust Jesus, then I have to believe that He knows better than I do what they need in order to grow. Ditto for my husband; I have to step back and allow God to teach him. Whenever I think I can "make him see" whatever I think I see, I usually run into a brick wall. When I can release Him and trust God to care for him, then God can deal with him without my meddling--and surprise!--God also shows me where I have to stop trying to play God! Becky, I know a wonderful couple who would be good Christian mentors in Anderson near Redding. They have not been Adventists, but they know a lot about it, and they get Proclamation. I'm sure they would be happy to talk to them and even to help them re-enter the Christian community without feeling alone. Email me if you want contact info! Colleen | ||
| Another_carol Registered user Username: Another_carol Post Number: 268 Registered: 12-2002 |
Becky, I understand fully. Been there done it. I no longer have conversations with my son-in-law since I too found out that the brick wall was there. I too told him about Jesus and none other in such a way; it is Jesus and Jesus and Jesus and then he would say and the word and I said: "Yes, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us and we crucified it and hung it on a tree and it came back Spirit and it's still Jesus and Jesus and Jesus and our conversation ends. I understand the tears and not only cry them for my son-in-law but for my daughter whom I have seen go from a very dependant person to one who is totally independant and most of all my 2 grandsons who now deal with the same lies that she did. Now that they are older it is really gut wrenching to hear them talk of the things that they, at their young ages 11 and 8, have figured out are not true but father is so hooked that he cannot see the demise of it all. I know that he has given up some of the strictness that he had in the beginning but like you say it takes a long time and I most definetly have given it over to the Lord since there is nothing else I can do, except pray. The main point of my post was to give honor and praise to God for whatever might be happening in your Dad's life. MAy the joy of this be a total reality soon, Carol |
