| Author | Message | ||
| Belvalew Registered user Username: Belvalew Post Number: 630 Registered: 7-2004 |
While lurking at R/S I saw a phrase I used to hear frequently while still SDA. It had to do with the adult children of other SDAs and was an allusion to their being lost. It started me thinking. Of course there was no talking about "being saved" because that is a phrase that true SDAs dare not use, but frequently I'd heard about this or that person being lost, when in fact they had stopped being Adventists. Okay, I've said that as a set-up for this next story. I've told you that I attend Bible studies with a group of ladies that are very much in love with Jesus Christ, and we pray for each other, and for our families and the people we care for. One of those people is the brother of one of my ladies and the brother has terminal cancer. My friend was concerned for her brother's illness as well as his lack of faith in Jesus. His lack of faith had her more concerned than the illness, really. The brother, we will call him Paul, has been deteriorating recently, and just last week my friend had to fly to his side because they felt his time was being measured in days. We all got a call this morning that was so filled with joy. Paul is still facing his own mortality, but the joy was because "Paul has been saved!" We have all been praying for him, so he got on the phone and talked with one of our number who is not related to him. She is the one who was gushing to me this morning. She was certain because she could hear it in his voice, in the things he had to say, and the types of questions that he asked. I relate this story because I was hearing the other side of things probably for the first time. I've spent a lifetime hearing about how this or that person is "lost." This morning was a victorious statement of joy and forever disciplehood. Yes, I know the man was facing eternity, but I believe that he truly has met the risen Savior. I guess I'm more than willing to see it as an answer to prayer, but these ladies and I have seen lots of answered prayer since we've been praying together. We've seen people healed, relationships healed or resolved, and we've seen offspring give up drug-dealing and start hungering and thirsting after righteousness. The only thing I've never heard while worshipping with these women is that someone is lost because they have given up a denominational viewpoint. What I'm going on and on about is that now I have a much better perspective--I watch for miracles and answers to prayer. I see, literally see altered lives in answer to prayer. This is so much better! | ||
| Cindy Registered user Username: Cindy Post Number: 783 Registered: 7-2000 |
Yes, Belva... I've noticed a similar thing from members from a Baptist church we attended for awhile but then decided to go elsewhere, closer to home. Their calls and concern where just wanting to make sure we had a fellowship of Christians to be with...not that we were "lost" by not going to their denominational church. A far different tone from Adventist doctrine which equates leaving the SDA church with "apostacy". grace, cindy |
