They seem so strange to you---everyone who is non-Adventist. To you, they are uncomfortable to be around or perhaps scary, or deceived or downright evil and rebellious against God. You are supposed to go out and tell them about the Sabbath, but you can't really let them past your spiritual force field because they have some type power to deceive you. You pray for them, you might even go door to door slipping Revelation Seminar pamphlets behind their front screen. You see them on a daily basis at work, on the road and in the stores, but there is something inside you that always keeps them at a distance.
They are not safe. They are not Adventists and they twist things to make good bad and bad good. You listen to everything they say through the skepticism of Adventist ears.
You see every authentic Christian as Adventist or perhaps on the way to being an Adventist when you tell them about the Sabbath and the everlasting gospel.
Bad things happen in the world, not in Adventism--well, and if something happens it is because the Devil targets Adventists because they have the truth. And if a SDA leaves the church or just simply quits attending church and something tragic happen to them--it's because they left their faith.
You subconsciously judge everyone you meet: Are they smoking or drinking? What are they wearing? If its too stylish or if a woman is wearing too much make up or if she is wearing jewelry.... they are not safe.
Adventism is a safe subculture. You are not the world. The world is Protestants who lived in a semi-knowledge of truth. And Catholics... well they are the ultimate betrayers of Truth and house the great antichrist.
I think one of the greatest barriers between you as an Adventist and me as a former Adventist is that you have been taught to mistrust anyone who isn't in your church. As wonderful as they may be, as kind and as much as they love Jesus, they had one foot in the evil world and one foot in Christianity. And it is all that darn Sunday's fault. (That Constantine! That wayward 4th century church!)
You might be even scared to read this, for you think I might be a great deceiver out there to pollute your mind or confuse you.
This is where I ask you to be strong in the Lord. "Fear NOT!" Jesus says, "for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God." Take a very frightening step out in faith and know that God is strong and will not allow you to be swept away into annihilation of you peek out the SDA front door.
God is strong and He goes after His straying sheep. He is a God of love and mercy. He is a good God and will not allow you to be deceived if you consider other interpretations of scripture. This is where your faith must be used. I promise that I will not grab you and jerk you out of Adventism. I just want to "reason together."
People who are not Adventists see scripture in a different way than Adventists. Most know all the scripture Adventist think we ignore. I assure you, we are not ignoring it. We just read it differently. Adventists read scripture through the prophetess Ellen White. But there was a time before Ellen White and Christ gave His truths to all peoples, and all nations and all tongues.
Is it possible that Adventists are wrong and they are not interpreting scripture correctly? Maybe Christians out here didn't actually give up any scripture or truth, but just read scripture with a more ancient and universal interpretation.
Perhaps there is no bad guy here--no bad people out to deceive you, but true Christians who simply understand scripture a different way.
You see, I know what you're thinking. You are immediately thinking that your church was given Ellen White to interpret scripture the right way. Think of the visions? The good people in your church... Adventism has fruits that prove it is the true remnant. They have the Sabbath.
Yet.
Christianity is more than one day. Christianity is about Christ. We have really solid biblical and historical reasons we do not believe the Seventh-day Sabbath will be the test of Christianity. If you believe only Adventists can be trusted, then you will never ever accept anything I say as in any way truthful.
But why are you reading this? I know a whole bunch of Adventists are torn with cognitive dissonance in their belief system. Something isn't right and you know it but you are afraid to find out.
Pray and then read other mainstream Christian interpretations of scripture. God is strong, God is good.
And He will never let ANYONE snatch you from out of His hands.
They are not safe. They are not Adventists and they twist things to make good bad and bad good. You listen to everything they say through the skepticism of Adventist ears.
You see every authentic Christian as Adventist or perhaps on the way to being an Adventist when you tell them about the Sabbath and the everlasting gospel.
Bad things happen in the world, not in Adventism--well, and if something happens it is because the Devil targets Adventists because they have the truth. And if a SDA leaves the church or just simply quits attending church and something tragic happen to them--it's because they left their faith.
You subconsciously judge everyone you meet: Are they smoking or drinking? What are they wearing? If its too stylish or if a woman is wearing too much make up or if she is wearing jewelry.... they are not safe.
Adventism is a safe subculture. You are not the world. The world is Protestants who lived in a semi-knowledge of truth. And Catholics... well they are the ultimate betrayers of Truth and house the great antichrist.
I think one of the greatest barriers between you as an Adventist and me as a former Adventist is that you have been taught to mistrust anyone who isn't in your church. As wonderful as they may be, as kind and as much as they love Jesus, they had one foot in the evil world and one foot in Christianity. And it is all that darn Sunday's fault. (That Constantine! That wayward 4th century church!)
You might be even scared to read this, for you think I might be a great deceiver out there to pollute your mind or confuse you.
This is where I ask you to be strong in the Lord. "Fear NOT!" Jesus says, "for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am your God." Take a very frightening step out in faith and know that God is strong and will not allow you to be swept away into annihilation of you peek out the SDA front door.
God is strong and He goes after His straying sheep. He is a God of love and mercy. He is a good God and will not allow you to be deceived if you consider other interpretations of scripture. This is where your faith must be used. I promise that I will not grab you and jerk you out of Adventism. I just want to "reason together."
People who are not Adventists see scripture in a different way than Adventists. Most know all the scripture Adventist think we ignore. I assure you, we are not ignoring it. We just read it differently. Adventists read scripture through the prophetess Ellen White. But there was a time before Ellen White and Christ gave His truths to all peoples, and all nations and all tongues.
Is it possible that Adventists are wrong and they are not interpreting scripture correctly? Maybe Christians out here didn't actually give up any scripture or truth, but just read scripture with a more ancient and universal interpretation.
Perhaps there is no bad guy here--no bad people out to deceive you, but true Christians who simply understand scripture a different way.
You see, I know what you're thinking. You are immediately thinking that your church was given Ellen White to interpret scripture the right way. Think of the visions? The good people in your church... Adventism has fruits that prove it is the true remnant. They have the Sabbath.
Yet.
Christianity is more than one day. Christianity is about Christ. We have really solid biblical and historical reasons we do not believe the Seventh-day Sabbath will be the test of Christianity. If you believe only Adventists can be trusted, then you will never ever accept anything I say as in any way truthful.
But why are you reading this? I know a whole bunch of Adventists are torn with cognitive dissonance in their belief system. Something isn't right and you know it but you are afraid to find out.
Pray and then read other mainstream Christian interpretations of scripture. God is strong, God is good.
And He will never let ANYONE snatch you from out of His hands.
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