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| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 458 Registered: 3-2005 |
In the current issue of Proclamation! is an article on the back page by Steve Pitcher relating his experience and blessings received from fellowshipping with former SDAs. I would like to add my own testimonial to Steve's, and I would like to hear of other experiences with other local FAF Bible Studies. I attend the one Steve is talking about, and have found it a tremendous blessing. I have been out of the SDA church for over 22 years, but a lot of my family and friends are still there. For over 10 years, i had gotten out of SDA polemical discussions, and became comfortable with the idea that the SDA church was just another aberrant Christian group. In 2003, I just happened to stumble across this forum, and started reading the stories, and lurking for 18 months before becoming involved. I became convinced that Adventism's web of deception was far greater than I realized. When I was invited to visit the FAF Bible study this last Mar. 2005, I was initially reluctant, and very skeptical. I thought this might be another SDA-EGW bashing and gripe session, which I wanted no part of, because our faith can never be fueled by what we are against, but must be built on what we are for. My first FAF study was actually a Good Friday night service at Trinity EV Free church, which was one of the most inspiring Praise and Worship services I have ever experienced. It was truly special to be worshipping with other former SDAs in such a wonderful evangelical setting. I also experienced a new spiritual transformation since that evening which still carries on by His grace to this day. I became a regular member of the FAF group after that experience and it has been a great source of spiritual strength. I find the Bible Study that Richard and Colleen lead to be a deep, stimulating experience. Colleen does her homework, and truly has the gift of teaching. We are presently in Romans 9, and have spent several weeks just on verses 14-18. This is truly in depth teaching as we go very deep into Old Testament studying the great Reformation doctrines of Election, Pre-destination, and the total sovereignty of God. There is a new appreciation for these great doctrines especially to those of us who have been exposed to teachings that undermine God's sovereignty (such as those of Richard Rice who believe that God doesn't know the future), and also to those teachings from traditional Adventism (which teach that our salvation is up to us, and how we live). That is what is so refreshing about studying the Reformation doctrines of Luther and Calvin. It is not dead orthodoxy that is boring, but they are living doctrines where we can relate the Sovereignty of God to our own lives. For example, before the Bible teaching starts each week, we have a praise or testimony service of how God has worked in our lives that week. Last Fri. night, I was particularly impressed by one lady's story. She was going through a difficult time in her life, and when really down started studying the Psalms, and she also started reading J.I. Packer's Foreward to Martin Luther's book "Bondage of the Will", as well as Lorraine Boettner's book on Predestination! I sat there stunned, as I thought about the significance of what I just heard. Instead of picking up the latest fad book on pop psychology, she found strength in studying that God is truly in control of this world, and has left nothing to chance with regards to our salvation! What a tremendous truth to anchor our lives upon! We then have a time for prayer where specific needs are brought before the Lord. We pray for each other (This has been especially comforting for me whil my wife has been recovering from a stroke, and thankfully is doing very well). We are praying especially right now for the GC session in St. Louis coming up this week, that the Lord would work to open the spiritual eyes of those deceived by Adventism. After the 2 1/2 hours of prayer and Bible study, we go out to Coco's for dinner, and then visit sometimes to almost midnight. This is where we have fellowship with each other. I have been fascinated by the different backgrounds each person has come from ranging from the liberal left to the extreme right. This last Friday night we were talking about what Christian radio programs we like. There was special excitement about the teaching from R.C. Sproul giving an overview of Reformed theology. We also discussed the White Horse Inn, a radio show that I have been excited about for 15 years that is on Sunday nights-a panel discussion on Reformation theology which is very stimulating. I've posted this before, www.whitehorseinn.org and you can listen online anytime at this link. We also talk about a wide range of other topics, and it's just a great time of fellowship. I believe that we are in a spiritual battle against the deceptions that the SDA church has fostered for over 160 years. They are promoting Ellen White even more now, than when I left Adventism over 20 years ago. This is willful deception, because the leaders at the top do know that the validity of her writings can not stand any honest test of investigation. They also know that the doctrine of the Investigative Judgment has no basis in Biblical fact, yet they willfully promote this fraud. This is why I stand in support of Dale Ratzlaf, Richard and Colleen, and Life Assurance Ministries, in helping expose this ongoing deception, so the eyes of other SDAs who have been deceived (like many of those in my own family) may be opened, and that most importantly we can present a truly positive message of the most glorious gospel of Salvation in Jesus Christ alone plus nothing. I have been truly blessed by God in a special way. I have told this story before, but I was raised in a home of wonderful parents, but they were most zealous for EGW and historical Adventism, and it was very burdensome. My Dad was especially devoted to every word that EGW wrote. But through a miracle of God's transforming power and grace, and over 10 years of honest Bible study, he became convinced that he had been deceived by the Adventist system. He told me just 2 weeks ago, that when he was baptized into the SDA church at the age of 12, that he was not given informed consent! If someone had told me 30 years ago, that on June 12, 2005, that my dad would be sitting in the audience of a SUNDAY school class that I was teaching in a church that he now attends regularly, I would have said "impossible". But with God, all things are possible. In the words of the Reformers "Sola Gloria Deo" To God be the glory! Stan | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 537 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dear Stan, Thank you for being here and fellowshipping with us, as well. Reading your post makes me hungry to find that kind of group to celebrate with. Earlier this month I had the opportunity to spend a few hours with Diana, and even though we didn't get into a lot of talk about religion, it felt good to spend time with someone who had been raised in a manner similar to the way I was raised, and still be able to do "normal" things like go out to lunch on a Saturday. It was after that opportunity that I decided that I would continue to stand up for my beliefs when I'm around my SDA relatives and friends. Yes, I already do that, but try to do it gently so as not to offend, but they sometimes approach me like the dear souls on R/S do -- they have written me off as lost so they don't have to respect my right to religious freedom. From now on, the seventh day of the week will be referred to as Saturday, whether I am with SDAs or not, and I will proudly proclaim Jesus as my Sabbath. We have to be outlets for truth, and not let our past indoctrination to turn us into Milktoast. I do so agree -- Only Scripture, Only Jesus. Belva | ||
| Flyinglady Registered user Username: Flyinglady Post Number: 1654 Registered: 3-2004  |
Stan, Thank you so much for what you wrote. It was so good to spend time with Belva and know we came from the same background and still be able to do what other Christians do and not worry about it. I would so like to have a former SDA group with which to study, but so far, I have only met one former from my church and a another who is very sickly, whom I met in a hospital. She went to school with my sister at Lynwood Academy and thought I was my sister when I met her. So, I pray and let God lead and where He leads I go. I let people know what God has done for me and when asked, what He has taken me from. One of the P.T's and a COTA are LLU graduates, so they know from where I came. Like the both of you, I agree, Only Scripture, Only Jesus. He is so awesome. Diana | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 462 Registered: 3-2005 |
Thanks Diana. I think you said you went to school with some of my cousins at Lynwood Academy. Isn't it great to be free from the bondage of our former systems. I think it was so cool that you and Belva were able to meet in Vegas. There is a common bond of fellowship that is special when you meet with people with common backgrounds. I will borrow your phrase, God is truly awesome. Stan | ||
| Riverfonz Registered user Username: Riverfonz Post Number: 464 Registered: 3-2005 |
Belva, I meant to address both you and Diana in my previous post. I remember reading that thread about a great weekend you both had in Vegas. I'm glad both of you were able to meet and had such a good time. I hope you won a lot of money! Stan | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 541 Registered: 7-2004 |
Dear Stan, I'm not much of a gambler. I gave my kids money and they played til they ran out of my money. They clearly enjoyed it while it lasted. One of the most fun things I did was shopping in a pawn shop. The way that came about was that we got a little mixed up about where we were after we had lunch, so while we were lost Diana spotted a pawn shop and asked if we'd ever been shopping in one. Neither my daughter nor I had ever done so, so we looked at it as an adventure. Jenny lucked out because she found a tanzanite ring she really loved, plus a pair of small diamond earrings. All she had to do was talk me into buying them. I found a lovely little ruby ring, quite dainty and that's the way I like them, and the price was about $100 less than I expected, so I couldn't leave it behind. Actually, it fit me perfectly, so that means it was meant to be mine. Las Vegas is not inexpensive to visit, but since I'm easily entertained -- I can spend hours just watching the Bellagio fountains -- most of the cost was in food and housing. To anyone else considering Las Vegas as a place to visit, Diana is a lovely hostess for her town, and she will help you see things you wouldn't have seen otherwise. Thanks, Stan. Belva |
