| Author |
Message |
Chris
Registered user
Username: Chris
Post Number: 962
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 2:25 pm: |     |
Pheeki, in context, Jer. 3:16 is talking about the Messianic age. Whether the Messianic age is now (post cross) or is during a future millenial reign on earth is another debate.
Chris |
Dd
Registered user
Username: Dd
Post Number: 510
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 8:40 pm: | |
Marcell,
I hope you haven't left yet...I might be too late to add what a friend told me she felt was the "SDA trinity":
THE SDA church = God
THE Sabbath = Jesus
EGW = The Holy Spirit
It really is so true. I think you have hit the nail right on the head about the missing piece of the puzzle being the presence of the Holy Spirit. Jesus told the disciples that having the Holy Spirit in their lives was far better than having Him continue to live with them here on earth (I am away from my Bible and I am unable to give an exact verse - John 14-16 are the chapters where Jesus does a great deal of teaching regarding the Holy Spirit).
The Holy Spirit is the next best gift I can think of (after the grace of God through the death and resurrection of Jesus) that gives us the Real Truth and Real Joy of a fulfilling life. What a difference the Holy SPirit makes in my life TODAY! His presence is not something to look forward to in the future. He is the indwelling Jesus in the lives of all who claim Him as their Savior.
He is the one who will be with you as you mingle with family and friends this weekend! My prayer for you is that you will hear His voice of peace, comfort and knowledge and that you will feel sustained! |
Javagirl
Registered user
Username: Javagirl
Post Number: 32
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 9:08 pm: | |
Dd
I really appreciated your comments on the Holy Spirit. That for me is the one constant that I am aware of in my life at this point. This journey is so lonely, and so confusing. I talk to adventists, and they are so convinced of their position, I come to this forum, and everyone seems so convinced of their beliefs. I go to the SDA chuch and feel empty, I worship at another chuch and feel lonely. Yuk. And I feel like I am the only one out there floundering around, and at this point getting more questions than answers. It is so overwhelming. I am reduced to tears. I want to forget the whole thing. Then thankfully I feel Gods presence, and get some relief at least for a bit. My morning prayers have changed from "please come into my heart today, to please make me aware of and responsive to Your presence in my life", and that has made such a difference for me. I really appreciate it when someone picks up on more than just doctrinal issues in a post. I really need to keep the bigger picture in mind and that helps. So thanks again. |
Cindy
Registered user
Username: Cindy
Post Number: 731
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 10:09 pm: | |
What clarity following Jesus--Christ alone, not a false prophet--brings!
Yes! Adventisms' teaching on the Sabbath---as the "seal of God" and as the "sign" of a true Christian--IS blasphemous to the primary place the Holy Spirit occupies in a Christians' life.
grace,
cindy |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 2369
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, August 03, 2005 - 10:20 pm: | |
Javagirl, Jesus is completely faithful. He really does lead us and keep our hearts at peace as we surrender. I'm learning that the key to living by the Spirit is my willingness to surrender whatever it is I'm worrying about. It's not always easy for me to completely let go; sometimes I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to be surrendering. But God is faithful, and when I ask Him to keep me rooted in reality, grounded in truth, and protected from evil, He helps me see what I need to entrust to Him.
Praying for you,
Colleen |
Dd
Registered user
Username: Dd
Post Number: 511
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 12:18 pm: | |
Dear Javagirl,
I KNOW, know, know exactly what you are feeling...adrift, scared, happy, excited...and noone to share it with. I praise God everyday for FAF and the ministry of the Tinker's.
"Floundering around" is such a great, descriptive word for the overwhelming angst of realizing everything I had ever known was based on false beliefs. Today one of the reasons I keep returning to FAF is to shout to anyone who will listen, "Hang on!!" God hears your cries! Jesus will restore your life! He will help you remove all the roadblocks in your life that come between you and His complete and unfailing love. You WILL have an abudant and effective Spirit-filled life - the life that God has planned for you. He WILL make Himself recognizeable TO you and He wants to make Himself recognizable THROUGH you!
Hang in there! God has brought me so very far. Just when He knew I had been alone near my breaking point, He brought some wonderful, new friends into my life that live close by (who are also "formers"). You may need something different that I did. God knows what that is - I am confident He knows exactly what it is you need in your life to help you through the ups and downs of this particular journey.
I am praying for you, Javagirl!
Hey, I'll meet you at Starbucks, too, but it's Chia Tea for me! |
Windmotion
Registered user
Username: Windmotion
Post Number: 182
Registered: 6-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 1:01 pm: | |
Chia? is that tea made from the leaves of a Chia pet? LOL j/k I could not resist. I am quite passionate about chai tea myself. But it has to be made by a barista. Those powered drinks that you can make at home just don't cut it.
Discriminatingly,
Hannah |
Carol_2
Registered user
Username: Carol_2
Post Number: 349
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 2:03 pm: | |
Javagirl....any time you want someone to sit with in church, please join us!
10:00 a.m. Sunday at the Lockheed Union Hall on the South Loop, right next to Southern Polytechnic University.
You're in our prayers......
Love, Carol |
Ric_b
Registered user
Username: Ric_b
Post Number: 289
Registered: 7-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 4:52 pm: | |
Javagirl--there are plenty of us here who still don't think we have it all figured out. I'm happy to stand at the front of that line. And you can watch threads where many of us have different (and sometimes VERY different) views. We looked for a new church for 8 months before leaving SDAism, and a year after leaving, we still aren't completely settled somewhere. But there have been many, many blessing along the way as well.
I guess what I am trying to say is that you are among friends who understand and that if the process was easy, we probably wouldn't all be here. But the True God is bigger and greater than all of the hurdles that have been put up. |
Dennis
Registered user
Username: Dennis
Post Number: 440
Registered: 4-2000
| | Posted on Thursday, August 04, 2005 - 6:00 pm: | |
Chris,
Thanks for the excellent reply about the tables of stone.
Dennis Fischer |
Javagirl
Registered user
Username: Javagirl
Post Number: 34
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 5:34 am: | |
Yes, Chi Tea works for me too! Thanks for the replies, it does help with the isolated feelings, and I am grateful for this forum.
Carol, I am planning on visiting your church. Its next on my list. Ill let you know. The church my son and I visited had a great youth group and he loved it. I was undecided, but I loved the music and the sermon! The hundreds of new faces was daunting. My husband has no interest in attending any church at this point, so that adds to my lonliness. He is supportive of my journey, but has 0 interest for himself in spiritual things right now. Those of you blessed with spouses sharing your journey ought to add that to your praise list, and give them a great big hug!
BTW, most of the time the excitement and joy of this journey wins out! I probably just dont post as much then. God is good, and I am blessed beyond measure. |
Bmorgan
Registered user
Username: Bmorgan
Post Number: 57
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 10:53 am: | |
Hi Javagirl,
What's up with the name, any particular meaning? Just curious!!
You said: " my husband has no interest in attending any church at this point, so that adds to my loneliness. He is supportive of my journey, but has 0 interest for himself in spiritual things righ now..."
Be encouraged! Perhaps you'll find some consolation if I tell you I've been where you are now.
Yesterday a woman in my bible Study class reminded me of the times we used to pray for my husband. She said she feels joyful every time she sees him in church. Praise God!
He was so jaded by the Adventist nonsense that he refused to go to any church though he supported my journey out and venture to fellowship with believers on Sunday.
He even insisted our teenage daughter should go to church. She was resisting, so every Sunday, he personally took her to a church where there were teenagers she knew. Funny!
I remembered the feeling of loneliness in a sea of strange faces Sunday after Sunday. After the worship service one Sunday, I reluctantly approached an Elder and asked the church to pray for my husband. WOW!!
Some months later, my husband made an attempt and ventured to church one Sunday. I was so blown-over it took me months before I realized What happened. A Miracle...
Today, you wouldn't know he was such a spiritually-tired soul who would simply say to me;
"I don't need the fellowship. You can go church, I will not stop you, but me, I've been there, and done that."
Ever so often, I need a jolt to remind me how things were different back then.
Your expression of joy thunders in your statement below.
You said, "... most of the time the excitement and joy of this journey wins out!
.. God is good, and I am blessed beyond measure in there."
Exactly! |
Javagirl
Registered user
Username: Javagirl
Post Number: 35
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 4:29 pm: | |
B, the name Javagirl has a rich history, but it is rather long! It does refer to experiences at a coffee house, among other things. Certainly no connections to computers....It also comes from a similar name I use on a spades league. Tsk Tsk. THe funny part is that I used the same email address here that i use for spades: 4excape@bellsouth.net. It was meant as mental escape originally with spades. The irony is not lost on me and makes me laugh every time. Please feel free to email me if you wish.
Thanks for your post. It is encouraging. Sometimes, I am so filled up with the SPirit, and the freedom that I am finding, that I just want to grab my husband by the hands, and twirl in circles, and throw my hands up in praise, and laugh out loud. When I share something with him at those moments, he says "thats nice..." or looks at me strangely...It kinda brings me back down for a moment, and saddens me, but then the stupid grin returns anyway. I am blessed with friends who do share my experiences with me.
I read a novel at the beach called Pen Pals. It was about women in prison unjustly, and it was hilarious. Their joy in finally gaining freedom after imprisonment was so similar to my experience. Even the grass looks greener, and food tastes better! The parallel journeys were not lost on me. I believe that few people can appreciate the freedom in Christ as deeply as someone who has come out of a legalistic enviornment.
Carol, it looks like I will be able to join you this sunday if you are at your church. It will be just me, and you will know me. We have spoken, and you understand the position of trust that I hold for many people in the SDA church, and my resulting dilemma, and the reason for my anonymity at this point. Looking forward to seeing you and Wayne. |
Jeannette
Registered user
Username: Jeannette
Post Number: 100
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 5:20 pm: | |
BMorgan, thank you for posting the miraculous change your husband has experienced. It gives me hope that my husband will join me one day. He has been very supportive of my journey but is very reluctant to follow me. Last night at my small group meeting our host shared a miracle with us.
My friend's dad has been very angry with God for 43 yrs. his mother died of cancer in his arms when he was a young teenager. When my friend became a christian his father was very upset, so upset that he pointed a gun at my friend's head. My friend has been praying for his father for a long time. Several months ago his dad had major surgery and while he was still recovering from the surgery he heard his dad mention Jesus. The fam. thought it was just the influence of the drugs. This past week my friend to to his dad about mentioning Jesus during his recovery and he said it was not due to medication but it was real and that he and his wife were going to start going to church.
Your story and my friend's story has given me so much hope not just for my hubby but for my oldest son who claims to be an atheist, my brother who is an agnostic and my younger son who is like a sail boat sailiing in the wind.
|
Carol_2
Registered user
Username: Carol_2
Post Number: 350
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 5:50 pm: | |
So glad you can come Java! We'll look for you out in the "foyer" area just before 10:00 a.m. Trust me, I understand the situation very well.
Love and prayers, Carol |
Wooliee
Registered user
Username: Wooliee
Post Number: 29
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 6:24 pm: | |
I had an experience this week of seeing a very hardened individual broken to tears by God's grace. He was and is a stranger to me, but we met at a crossroads in life and how awesome that God gave me the priviledge of witnessing to him and praying with him. We were different from each other in every way possible, but similar in our desperate need of redemption and the love of our Heavenly Father. When I said my final good-bye to him for the day, he said "keep praying for me." It gave me such goosebumps knowing that I had been on Holy ground. It reminded me of how one of God's specialties is in lost causes, and using uncommon methods of reaching His children. We were no more alike than night and day, but God put us together for a reason. I still think to myself, "Thank you Lord, thank you for using me!" I am so humbled by the whole experience, and it is just one more example in my life of why I should never never give up.
I will probably never see that man again in this life, but I pray I will see him in the life to come. If you could send up a prayer for him now, he sure could use it. Call him Mr. B.
Julie |
Leigh
Registered user
Username: Leigh
Post Number: 29
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 05, 2005 - 6:32 pm: | |
Javagirl, as I read your post i was reminded of a song by Steven Curtis Chapman. I heard this song on the radio years ago and I just recently checked the cd ("Signs of Life") out of our library. This song was written and recorded by Steven Curtis Chapman while he was working with Prison Fellowship.
FREE
The sun was beating down inside the walls of stone and razor wire
As we made our way across the prison yard
I felt my heart begin to race as we drew nearer to the place
Where they say that death is waiting in the dark
The slamming doors of iron echoed through the halls
Where despair holds life within its cruel claws
But then I met a man who's face seemed so strangely out of place
A blinding light of hope was shining in his eyes
And with repentance in his voice he told me of his tragic choice
That led him to this place where he must pay the price
But then his voice grew strong as he began to tell
About the One he said had rescued him from hell, he said...
I'm free, yeah, oh, I have been forgiven
God's love has taken off my chains and given me these wings
And I'm free, yeah, yeah, and the freedom I've been given
Is something that not even death can take away from me
Because I'm free
Jesus set me free
We said a prayed and said goodbye and tears began to fill my eyes
As I stepped back out into the blinding sun
And even as I drove away I found that I could not escape
The way he spoke of what the grace of God had done
I thought about how sin had sentenced us to die
And how God gave His only Son so you and I could say...
I'm free, yeah, oh, I have been forgiven
God's love has taken off my chains and given me these wings
And I'm free, yeah, yeah, and the freedom I've been given
Is something that not even death can take away from me
Because I'm free
Jesus set me free
And if the Son has set you free,
Oh, if the Son has set you free
Then you are free indeed,
Oh, You are really free
If the Son has set you free,
Oh, if the Son has set you free
Then you are free, really, really free
Oh, we're free, yeah, oh, we have been forgiven
God's grace has broken every chain and given us these wings
And we're free, yeah, yeah, and the freedom we've been given
Is something that not even death can take from you and me
Because we're free, yeah, the freedom we've been given
Is something that not even death can take from you and me
Becayse we're free, oh, we're free
We are free, we are free
The Son has set us free
If the Son has set you free
You are free indeed
|
Javagirl
Registered user
Username: Javagirl
Post Number: 40
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 4:16 pm: | |
Jeannette, adding you to my prayer list. Thanks for sharing all that.
Julie, thanks for that awesome story! Im praying for you as well and have been since we first "met"
Carol, very excited to see you, looking forward to catching up and worshipping together.
Leigh, thanks for sharing the lyrics to that song. I got a multi-disc chapman CD i bought at an auction, Ill look for that song. Music is sooo important to me. |
Bmorgan
Registered user
Username: Bmorgan
Post Number: 59
Registered: 7-2000
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 7:19 pm: | |
http://www.walkthroughlife.com/midis/christian/youputthisloveinmyhrt.htm
I posted this link on another thread, but think it fits here. |
Jeremy
Registered user
Username: Jeremy
Post Number: 910
Registered: 10-2004
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 8:46 pm: | |
Here are some wonderful lyrics (especially for us former SDAs!) from a song off of Buddy Davis's (of Answers in Genesis) cd Soar. I highly recommend this cd.
quote:I'd Like to Be What I'm Not
Chorus
I'd like to be what I'm not.
I'd like to say things I don't say.
I'd like to do what I don't do.
But Jesus loves me anyway.
I'm not perfect. I make mistakes.
But I'm striving hard to improve.
Sometimes I excel and sometimes, oh
well...my button gets pushed.
But it's everything You've done;
it's nothing that I've done.
I know my sin debt is paid,
and my name is written in the
Lamb's Book of Life,
and I'm one-hundred percent saved. (chorus)
Sometimes like Paul, I feel low down.
Life's yoke gets heavy on me.
Then I give my burdens to Jesus, my
Savior, and He lifts me up on my feet.
I'm just a saved sinner at war with the flesh,
but I'm still in the palm of God's hands.
That's what's so amazing
about your grace, Jesus,
and why I'm Your number one fan. (chorus)
Jeremy |
Riverfonz
Registered user
Username: Riverfonz
Post Number: 615
Registered: 3-2005
| | Posted on Saturday, August 06, 2005 - 10:17 pm: | |
Thanks for posting that song, Jeremy. I love those lyrics, and they give me a lot of encouragement.
Stan |
Colleentinker
Registered user
Username: Colleentinker
Post Number: 2379
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, August 07, 2005 - 12:36 am: | |
Thank you for the lyrics, Leigh and Jeremy, and for the story, Julie.
Jeannette, praying for you and your husband and sons. Jesus is faithful.
Colleen |
Javagirl
Registered user
Username: Javagirl
Post Number: 46
Registered: 6-2005
| | Posted on Friday, August 19, 2005 - 10:15 am: | |
Carol, a very late post, but thank you for inviting me to your church. I truly enjoyed the whole atmosphere and experience. I was able to enjoy communion without wondering if I was worthy!!  . Good to see you and Wayne, and I will be back. Schedule varies so much for many reasons, but Ill let you know. |
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