If you know a Seventh-day Adventist, pray for them

Prayer Requests
#1

I was a member of the Seventh-day Adventist church for many decades. It’s only about the last 2.5 years that I’ve been freed from that bondage. But there are still so many stuck there, and I have found that few will even engage on any other level than trying to prove that they’re right, the whole rest of the world is wrong and we’re all goin’ to hell. Some will be “nice” but even those are often like talking to a rock. They don’t listen. And seldom do they want to speak of Scripture in CONTEXT.

I just saw a post on my brother-in-law’s Facebook page… this is not the whole post, but his “conclusion”. If you want to see what he is wrapping his spiritual world around, you can read for yourself.

(begin quote)
Christ risked his life and mission to rescue the Sabbath from the legalistic perversions of the Pharisees, and to show what was in harmony with the original law (Matthew 12:1-13, Mark 1:21-34; 2:23-28; 3:1-5; 6:1-6, Luke 4:16-18,31-41; 6:1-10; 13:10-17; 14:1-6, John 5:5-18; 9:13-16). He spoke no word implying the abolition of the Sabbath day. Why should he so carefully define, defend, and clear from superstitious accretions the Sabbath if it was to be abrogated? No one repairs a house as a preliminary to burning it down, or re-etches the letters of a monument prior to its destruction. Now, if the Sabbath day was to cease following Jesus’ death, this exhortation would be totally uncalled for. But such is not the case, because the Sabbath day will continue to be a day of rest, worship, and rejuvenation for God’s people (Isaiah 66:22-23). The Sabbath was intended by God to be a day of freedom, a day of delight, and the highlight of the week (Isaiah 58:13-14).
(end quote)

UUGGGHHH!!! I wouldn’t even know where to start with that mess of doctrinal snakes but I already know that arguing gets me nowhere. Pure Scripture will be "yeah but"ed, often with an Ellen White quote as their “trump card”, after all, she was their true prophet. Again… UUUGGGGHHHH!!!

These people are so messed up spiritually, at least a large number of them. I have actually known some who seem to have a grasp on what true salvation is all about. But so many are stuck like my brother-in-law, behind a veil, poundin’ the daylights out of their Sabbath and hiding out among their little groups waiting for that National Sunday Law to be enacted and them to be persecuted by the Catholic church. They are basically post-trib so believe they gotta stand through the whole tribulation or, likely, be martyred. (Some “blessed hope”.)

I don’t say this to be ugly towards anyone. And I know blanket statements often mischaracterize people, sometimes significant numbers. But I truly believe these people need the Holy Spirit to break down those walls of legalism and bring them into the fullness of His salvation.

Thank you for your prayers if you may happen to have a burden for these people. I’m certain there are other cults out there that believe they are the one true church as well that are in a similar situation. May God open their eyes that they would see.

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#2

Praise God for your deliverance Brian. :slight_smile:

Dear Heavenly Father we come to you today and ask that you bless Brian’s family with the conviction of your Holy Spirit. That their eyes may be open and their hearts filled with your insight. For those not saved we ask for you dear Lord to grant them salvation. That they would see the false teaching in their church and find it in their hearts (with great angst) to leave that cult and walk in the light as you are in the light. That you might bring them hope in your true and living life. We also pray for those caught in this false belief system, that you might provide opportunity for many to come out of their clutches. We ask this in Jesus name. Amen.

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#3

In prayer :pray: :pray: :pray: in Jesus name

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#4

Praise God that you’re out of this @BrianT.

I’ll pray on this.

It’s nigh impossible for me to fathom a doctrine that bastardises the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ‘salvation’ of a day of the week, yet there it is in your brother-in-laws post.

In fact the excerpt overall is so full of irony that I’d like your brother-in-laws address so I can send my laundry to be pressed.

Yours In Christ

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#5

LOL!! I hadn’t heard that one. But yes, indeed. I am so very thankful to be out from under the darkness.

Appreciate ya, Jason, and all of you all who have shared kind words. They make a difference. Blessings!

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#6

Brian I am so glad your out of the bondage , your free in Christ .
Dear God Jesus ,
We pray for the people still in bondage, that they will receive your gift of salvation and be free in You ,
we ask this in your name Jesus Christ amen

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#7

I am praying, based on what I’m seeing explained as the problems with the people who believe in this manner. <3 I do not have nearly as much experience or knowledge when it comes to seventh day Adventists, so I struggle to get specific in my prayer. but I knew one family that used to be part of it. it’s a sad story. dad ran off with their housekeeper, and the faith of the family he left completely tanked. they left the church and stopped believing in God altogether. as traumatic as their situation was, I think it actually brought out the truth of how deep their faith was to begin with. but that’s a story that’s specific to them.

I went to visit more of that family one time, where a bunch of them lived in Michigan (I was dating one of the family members that had fallen away.) we went to their church while we were there, to meet them, but we didn’t sit in for the service. what I saw were very loving people who truly stood by their convictions and they didn’t try to press it on us. they completely understood why this part of the family had abandoned their church, and it was a great time really. they were lovely people.

I pray for this family based on the sad details I shared with you. and I’m praying for everyone, particularly of 7th day Adventist, and in your family, that regards their faith in this cold manner. it is sad to see and misses the point of why we Believe. thank you for raising this issue and making me more aware.

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#8

The SDA members definitely payers for the Holy Spirit to reveal biblical truth to them.
Years ago I found a brochure for a prophecy conference on Revelation. I love prophecy so I went to every session.
They didn’t reveal they were SDA. As I listened to their end time synopsis,it seemed quite Biblical but then there started being red flags.
I even went to one of there churches one Saturday :woman_facepalming:
Due to my love of prophecy, being raised in the church and self study of the Bible, I made a list of the red flags/ doctrinal concerns and started digging into the Word. I took each one and found verses that just didn’t mesh.
I had the pastor and his wife over during the conference to discuss these issues. They didn’t want to hear any of it so I parted contact with them.
A few topics I brought up ( some may not know their beliefs):
Annihilation for the unbeliever when they die vs eternity in a literal hell.
The sabbath is Saturday and one must keep it and worship on Saturday
The Holy Spirit can be taken from you or leave you ( a believer)
They adhere to the Jewish O. T. Dietary laws / women are not to wear jewelry, make up
They believe there is an “ investigative judgment “ taking place in heaven now instead of Christ’s finished work on the cross.( this is an interesting , in depth and confusing teaching).
Ellen White definitely took precedence over Christ regarding beliefs.
I’m definitely not an expert on their denomination but I just wanted to list a few things I remember from my interactions with them( This was about 20 years ago and I can’t recall every thing I researched. )
However, I wanted to respond because I did sense a desire/ love in them for Jesus etc but unfortunately they have it wrong.
I felt sad for their bondage to a legalistic lifestyle.
So many do not know their actual teachings and thus they are grouped in with “Christianity”
and are thus not viewed/ prayed for like the Mormons/ Jehovahs Witnesses who most know teach a different Jesus/ gospel.

We are in such a time where prayers are needed not only for persecuted Christians but also for denominations who are gravely deceived with false doctrines.
I’m so glad you got out of it.
God bless you and prayers being said :pray:

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#9

Unfortunately, that happens to many who leave. They have it drilled into them that ALL other churches are Babylon and if you leave SDA, you are leaving and abandoning God. When they do leave, so many take the stance that they’re doomed to hell so might as well live it up now cause when they die, they cease to exist completely, except for a brief time when they’re judged and thrown into the lake of fire where they’ll just be quickly gone. Or, a large part of them will become atheist, perhaps thinking that all religions are just totally bogus.

I was fortunate in that I started questioning some things and wanted to prove why I was an SDA. I spent many hours trying to convince myself of the beliefs. At one point, I had to choose who or what I would believe as absolute truth as one said one thing and another said another. I decided that the Bible would be that truth and so I read, and read, and read, multiple versions of the Bible, and without any agenda other than just to learn what it actually says… not what someone else thinks it says, but the actual words of Scripture. It was amazing how just spending that time in the Word laid an awful lot of heresy and false teaching in the dust. I didn’t stay an SDA long after that. Also I was fortunate in that my dear wife and I shared our journey out together. Couples that end up divided over the denomination often don’t make it.

(Very short version…)

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#10

Actually, you did very well recalling many of the major issues. And thank you for sharing!

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#11

Oh…now i get it. Sneaky Jason :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

#12

Wow. Really good capture / caption / and overview. Thanks :slight_smile: Stephanie.

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#13

I was a SDA until the age of 13. It was then, I told my mom to get me out of the house. Reading you post, triggered memories. Not good memories. My sibling, two sisters and a brother, have all been scarred from that unbiblical teaching. I live in Michigan roughly 3 hours away from Andrews University, a SDA college. I am hoping to go to Andrews and put up fliers of the ABC’s of Salvation. I have also made post-it’s with the ABC’s of Salvation I want to put in the local grocery store, Apple Valley Market. (I currently put them in stores I where I live) Please pray for this. I was saved in 1999. Because of this warped “religion”, looking back it has been a struggle to find truth and a church that actually teaches TRUTH. Looking back, I see that I have been susceptible to the worlds false religions. I started out if one empty church. Left that to attend a Mega-Church. It was amazing. All show, but no substance. I left that church to did nothing. It took a broken ankle 2017, complications from that broken ankle 2018, a trip to China in 2019 to bring home my dying sister who was teaching English, and finally the CCP Virus to lead me to the truth I had been seeking. God is good. I finally found solid Biblical Teaching. What’s interested, my sister, that was in China, was a hard core agnostic. She wanted nothing to do with God, she did even talk to me for 10 plus years before I went there. She was so hurt from growing up a SDA. She knew the evil that was done to me. She also knew, I was a Christian. Ten years prior, I talked to her a lot about finding Jesus. (Granted, I wasn’t the best example to a Christian) I landed in China, Nov 22, 2019. My sister’s story is, she found Jesus in China. Her Chinese caregiver, Zhonghong and the 3 foreigner that cared for my sister in the hospital. I she told me several weeks after I had arrived that she accepted Jesus. I remember wanting to bring up the subject but didn’t because I had bugged her for years, then she stopped talking to me. When she told me, I was so happy. I told her we will be in heaven together, we will play with the animals. As children, I remembered that was something we wanted to do. I also, remember her telling me she didn’t want to die. I didn’t want her to die either, but if she did, she will be with Jesus. I left China, December 23, 2019. We arrived in Texas. Two days before we left, she wasn’t doing so well, I almost didn’t go home, BUT GOD. Only God got me home. ONLY GOD.

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#14

Hit the wrong button: I never really spoke to her. She died December 27, 2019. I will see her again. Satan didn’t win. Looking back, God placed in my sisters heart the desire to teach abroad. He knew she would go to China, get diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. Choose to be treated in China. He planned on sending me to China. Anxiety prone, I don’t walk very good. He sent me there to also find out who GOD is. To teach me to trust in Him. To teach me to lean on Him, and ONLY him. If you read this know, God loves us so much. God loves us. (Check out Lander Tee on YouTube, there is a video she made while I was in China for my sister and I to return to the States) Luke 21:28 Jesus is coming soon. thank you for taking the time to read this. This is the first time since March 2020 that I have talked about it. My Grief Group was cancelled so long ago.

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#15

Mimi1, thank you for sharing! God is good to have brought us out.

The first church I went to after SDA was also a “mega-church”, one pastored by a former SDA. He was helpful for us and we are grateful for his being there for us. We didn’t really fit in with the mega-church but it was a stepping stone for us. We’ve tried to attend numerous others but haven’t really found one that we’re comfortable in. Either the weekly heavy metal rock concert / praise service chases us off, or the unbiblical teaching. So mostly, we watch numerous services online. We miss the fellowship. We miss simple hymns. (I was a musician for over 40 years.) But we look forward to His return to take us home very soon, like we’ve never looked forward to that before. God is good!

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#16

I feel very fortunate. I still have family in the SDA church. They know my position. My brother is saved, but has been damaged by the SDAs. I am comforted with the understanding that there will be a massive turn to Jesus. I know there is a better word for it, I just can’t think of it. I’m not a fan of the word Revival. God is so Good. I remember how angry I was at God after leaving the SDA church. It lasted so long. God never gave up. I will say, it seems before I found Truth, I was a magnet for all things false. I had never heard of NAR, but was introduced to them in China and for a very period, Churches that spoke in tongues. I couldn’t do it, so I felt inadequate. I have been slowly understanding the Holy Spirit. I miss fellowship too. When his daughter sang The Old Rugged Cross. That was my favorite hymn as a child. She did such a wonderful job. Thank you for posting about the SDAs. (Pastor Billy Crone did a 8 part series on SDA Church. It was healing ) I never understood; We live in this world, we are not of this world. I do now. Yes, God is so so good.

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#17

I understand the things you are saying. I still have family that hang on to SDA though I am not so sure why. They don’t practice most of it but still appear to have a “fear” about, “What if Ellen is right and it is all about the Sabbath?” Some of them appear to have a real relationship with Jesus but yet have that cloud over them. I continue to pray for them and love them. Arguing, preaching, stuff like that, seems to bounce off of them like a rubber ball on a concrete wall. But God. I know the Spirit can do mighty things we can’t even begin to imagine so I am trusting in Him. They are His own, just as much as you or I.

I did have a bit of anger initially. But my anger was never towards God. My anger was more towards those who I came to find out KNEW error and continued to propagate it among those they could control with fear. That made me angry. My parents were among those who were “controlled by fear”. There are still many I believe are in that category. I wouldn’t want to be those knowingly preaching and teaching heresy. But there are many who are just plain deceived. They’ve been encouraged NOT to read their Bible but to read Ellen White’s books, which are pretty much considered to be equal to Scripture if you dig through their beliefs. (They will say not, but the official church statements say otherwise when you drill down into them.)

My anger has tempered over the years I’ve been out. I’ve learned that few of them have any interest in any real discussion about spiritual things beyond allowing them their “proof texts”. I’ve had them offer to study Ellen’s books with them to which I have refused and reminded them to READ THEIR BIBLE. It falls on deaf ears. I have come to the point where I do not engage them directly unless the Spirit leads me to do so. More often the Spirit tells me to just “walk away” (and yes, He really has done that).

Sadly, most of the people we called “friends” for so many years have joined the rank of “acquaintances” that spending time with is uncomfortable. For the most part, they wanted me for my musical abilities, not much else. And so we feel as though we’ve lost most of our friends. We have made some new ones but when you’re pushing 60 years old, “lifelong friends” don’t come as easily. Yes, we have many brothers and sisters in Christ but few that we can have lunch with or sit by the pond in the swing with a cold drink, just fellowship.

On my journey out, I started by questioning what I believed and decided that the Bible would be my authority and truth. So as I read, starting in Genesis, I had begun to wonder whether I was destined to become a Messianic Jew. But when I got into the New Testament, it became clear that what I was to be was a born again Christian.

As I think I mentioned, when I came out of SDA, my first church was a “mega-church”, actually a Calvary Chapel. Many good things happening there (I know they’re not all the same). But I couldn’t do the weekly rock concert, no matter how hard I tried. And I found that in multiple Calvary Chapels. If that’s your thing, God bless ya. To me, it’s fingernails on a chalkboard X 100. Following that, we went to several Baptist churches locally but did not find them a whole lot better. The rock concert was toned down somewhat but they were also teaching some things we had a problem with in some cases. (Many of the local Baptist churches are downright MILITANT about their KJV ONLY status. And while I believe the KJV is a good translation, the militant stance and the belittling of all other translations is not easy for me to just sit through.) To be honest, all I want is a basic, conservative Bible church. Unfortunately, in this area, they just don’t exist. I’ve looked and looked and looked.

And so, we do the online church thing. Mostly, it’s Andy Woods and J.D. Farag with a few others such as Ken Johnson and Barry Scarborough (the last two aren’t pastors) as regulars that we enjoy. All of those don’t necessarily agree with each other on every point but those are the ones I enjoy the most and feel like they are teaching sound Bible doctrine at their core.

Anyway, I may be rambling a bit… I have the habit. Blessings to you! And again, thank you for sharing!

#18

You were a Nun too!?

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#19

LOL!!