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Post by newstartnow on Jul 12, 2009 22:33:22 GMT -5
I heard this preacher on the radio and he was speaking about end-time events. Everything seemed right on. I went home and found his website. It was a bible school. I couldn't find any info about a church. So my husband and I listened to a sermon and he taught from the bible and he was telling the truth about the condition of the church. So I went a little further and found a sermon on another website and he was teaching from an Ellen White book as if it were the bible. He kepth mentioning Sabbath School. ? What is up with the 7th Day Adventist?
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Post by LDM on Jul 20, 2009 14:16:00 GMT -5
I actually don't know much about SDAs. I can say that one time years ago I started listening to a ministry that really seemed to be on target. From Scripture discussions to end time events, they really seemed to have a good understanding. I came to find out that they were also an SDA church. Their view of what it meant to keep the Sabbath was the only thing I had issues with. Others may have more to share about what they really believe.
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Post by sirdent on Dec 17, 2009 17:20:36 GMT -5
From what I understand about the SDA is that they preach keep the whole law of the Old Testament. The Pharisees did this very thing, yet Jesus said that our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees to enter into the kingdom of God.
A lot of discussion takes place about the Sabbath day being Saturday and not Sunday. They speak a lot about man trying to change the Sabbath, but the Sabbath hasn't been changed. It is a hard thing to grasp really what they preach and teach without actually going to their services and lsitening to them.
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Post by aliciawebb on Dec 26, 2009 19:02:21 GMT -5
I was raised as a Seventh Day Adventist. I left the church in 2002 at the age of 21. I attended Oakwood College (a Seventh Day Adventist institution) my freshmen year of college. I guess I could answer a lot of questions for people on this forum.
What do they believe? That is a fully loaded question. My response to that question would be, about what? The belief system is so deep that I could not really sum it. On the surface, it would seem as though they believe what other Christians believe as far Jesus the Savior, His return, and baptism. Beyond that, it gets a little deep. Not simple at all. As a teenager I use to joke that you needed a special decoder ring to be a part of the Adventist church.
Why did I leave the church? I came to the understanding through study and prayer that they did not receive the Word of God in its fullness. They also hold the founder, Ellen White, and her writings as an authority parallel to the bible. This was unacceptable. Also, the organization was to legal. Jewelry, makeup, style of worship, diet, etc. All of these issues were regurlarly debated amongst members as if they debunked grace and the gospel. There was simply too much emphasis on the laws, rules, and regulations.
I can say that like many other denominations, there are people in that organization that love God and believe that they are serving him with all of their heart. I pray that they will receive truth and know that it is by faith and not works that we receive salvation. If you meet a Seventh Day Adventist, don't fear them. They are not all blinded cult members. Pray with them and minister the true gospel into their lives.
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Post by trayjay on Apr 14, 2010 11:39:19 GMT -5
My sister is a 7th Day Adventist, so my comments are based on what she and her (ex)husband have relayed to me.
The first thing that comes to mind is that they teach that we are still under the Law, which completely contradicts the Bible (the Bible says in Romans 6 that we are no longer under the Law, but under Grace). They teach that the eating of meat is sin (the Bible tells us in Genesis 9:3 that God ordained and originated the eating of meat so to say that it is sin is accusing the Lord of ordaining sin). They believe that the Tribulation Period has already happened - they do not believe in the Rapture. They believe that if you do not recognize and celebrate the Sabbath, you will go to Hell. They also teach that those who go to church on Sundays will go to Hell because that is the mark of the beast. They hold to the teachings of Ellen G. White much more than the Holy Scriptures. Ellen G. White translated her own bible which adds so much it is completly guilty of adding to, which the Bible tells us is cursable in Revelations. There is a video called "Seventh-Day Adventist - The Spirit Behind the Church" that expounds on Ellen G. White, her teachings, and why she should not be taken seriously. At one point in her lifetime, she actually gave a false prophecy and when it didn't come to pass, she told the people that God told her that He made a mistake.
My sister has been in the religion for 32 years. We have been praying for her diligently. It seems very hard to get through the strongholds. Her (soon to be ex) husband gave me and another sister a 9 hour (I kid you not) bible study, trying to convince us that we are in the wrong belief system. I tuned out just enough to keep from screaming, but listened enough to know what I was dealing with.
They are very sincere about their faith and really push holiness in their living. But when you dig into their beliefs, they are not really Believers because of their somewhat denial of the work of the Cross. They have too many stipulations for salvation that are outside of what the Bible requires. There are several things that they believe that are contrary to the Word of God till you wonder how they work it all out and still read the Word. But then, if they are reading the bible that Ellen G. White wrote, it probably lines up with what they believe, which is contrary to the true Word of God.
Sister Alicia Webb, you probably know my sister - I will send you an email as to who she is. She went to Oakwood, too. (if your email is not listed, my email is trayjay.tamar@fuse.net.
I hope this information is helpful and pray I have not offended anyone. Just sharing based on what I learned from my sister.
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Post by LDM on Apr 14, 2010 11:47:33 GMT -5
Trayjay,
Thanks for sharing this info. None of what is shared on this forum is done with the intent to alienate anyone or condemn others. The one goal is to lift up Jesus so that all may be drawn to Him. No matter the religion or belief, as soon as we look to man to not only define God, but how we should serve Him, we will go astray.
I don't know if this is the video you speak of, but Youtube has a series by that name which may be helpful for those seeking more info.
There are many parts to the series, so you will need to click each link for the next part of the video to see them all.
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Post by trayjay on Apr 14, 2010 12:07:43 GMT -5
Thanks, LDM. This is the video. I purchased it from the exadventist website listed under the youtube video.
We need to really pray for those who believe this way. I will never give up on my sister. Be blessed.
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Post by LDM on Apr 14, 2010 12:17:35 GMT -5
I too will add her to my prayers. If God could deliver me from religious delusion, He can do that for others. He is no respecter of persons. God Bless!
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Post by inchristalone on Jun 8, 2010 7:23:55 GMT -5
Thanks all for your posts. They have been very interesting to read and I came across these videos sometime ago which were really helpful. The person who actually shared the gospel with me when I came to Christ became a SDA and this caused a lot of confusion. I remember trying to keep the sabbath once and I struggled to understand where Christ fitted and could make sense of how a particular day determined it I was going to heaven or hell (in spite of Romans 14). However the Lord was amazingly kind to me! Although it was a difficult period of much confusion, the Lord used it to drive me into the word and search the scriptures for myself and seek him. I believe that it gave me a peace and confidence in the end that no one could have gave to me. God matured me in that time and taught me to be dependent on him, although I have to say exposure to SDA teaching gave me a hardened heart to the Holy Spirit and I was severely afraid of being deceived. But Glory be to the Lord who set me free from that bondage. Finally, when I looked at the teachings of the SDA church so many of them were unscriptural and a total deception e.g. investigative judgement, sunday being the mark of the beast etc I found this very good website a while back which looks at different groups and talks about SDA's. The author of this website was a Jehovah Witness for over 20 years and God delivered her. www.macgregorministries.org/
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