Some Understanding Please?

[JonMiller]

The Theodicy of the Great Controversy. This is that humanity, and the earth, is central to a Great Controversy between God and Satan, with Satan saying that God's laws are unjust. That this is being observed by the rest of the universe.

The soon, visible, real second coming of Jesus Christ (no Rapture!). There are better words for this.

I will let the Investigative Judgement be done by someone else, I beleive it might be true, but I don't think that it is important.

That humans are physical beings, there is no seperate soul that exists after death, and since we are our physical selves, we should take care of the health of our physical bodies, as well as our spiritual and mental aspects. This also coincides with the beleif that upon death we cease to exist, with God bringing us back into existence when He ressurects us and that those who are not saved will not burn forever in hell.

That the 7th day of the week, is the Sabbath, and should be celebrated, by among other things not doing work on that day. This goes back not just to the 10 commandments, but to the creation story.

We have a robust study of prophecy, which makes at least as much sense as any other groups study, and perhaps more. Note that this ties in with the Investigative Judgement.

That Ellen G. White was a prophet inspired from God. From her and from the study of prophecy, we beleive in a remnant and a time of trouble, before Christ's return.

The major sources of disagreement among adventists are over the level of inspiration of EG White, the accuracy of IJ and our prophetic understanding, as well as issues relating to living a Christian life. There are also some adventists who keep to some of the positions that the church had moved away from 50+ years ago..

JM

 

[TrustAndObey]

So what you have said makes sense and i haven't seen an argument against that in my church.

In fact I've always been taught that there is no clear cut understanding in the bible as to whether you die and go to heaven straight away or whether you die and only go to heaven once the second coming happens.

You're very lucky. My childhood church taught the lie, and it wasn't until I read the bible myself that I realized it was a lie.

I do think that the bible is very clear cut on this topic, but I grew up (Baptist) being told that people went immediately to heaven when they died.

I'm just glad you took the time to read what I wrote. I really do appreciate that.

I've always been taught that it's not REALLY that important as to when you go to heaven or what goes on in heaven. Whats more important is that you get there and you take as many friends and family with you.

I absolutely agree that our main goal should be getting there and bringing as many people with us as we can (with help from the Holy Spirit of course), but I do think the truth of death is VERY important.

Here's why.....

"You won't really die" was satan's first lie in the bible. And if you really stop and think about it, it's a lie that continues to this day and deceives more people than any other false doctrine out there.

If someone you loved passed away, and then suddenly they appeared in your bedroom telling you that everyone will be saved, God doesn't care if we keep His law anymore, and that we should have idols in our homes.....at that moment you are being set up to swallow a whole lot of false doctrine and you'd become an open door to deception if you didn't know scripture.

It's happening all the time now. People are having "visions" of dead people (that they loved dearly) telling them to do all kinds of unscriptural things. They don't think it's deception because the person they're seeing MUST be in heaven right now.

Mary is a good example, but people see their dead loved ones a lot too.

Falling right in line with satan's character, a lot of people see their dead children.

So I think it's very important to know the truth about death. Not only to know the truth, but to recognize the beauty of the peaceful sleep of death before Christ returns. It's more beautiful than the fairytale that most churches teach (at least in my opinion).

Saying to someone that has just lost a loved "don't worry they are in a better place now." I think is just something people say as a comfort.

It's just like when someone clearly hurts themselves the first thing you say is "oh are you alright?" when clearly you know they aren't.

It's just one of those things you say.

Well, I should've been a little more specific. Really our loved ones that have passed away ARE in a better place, especially if there was pain and suffering before their death.

What's more alarming is people just downright telling a person "your husband is with Jesus right now". Matter-of-fact, judge and jury, he's in heaven. That isn't what the bible says and there's no way we can judge a person's heart like Jesus can.

Yet when you go to a funeral, you can almost bet the preacher is sending that dead person straight to heaven, every single time.

Do you remember when the pope died a few years ago and mayor Rudy Giuliani said, on national television, "well, now we don't have to just pray for the pope...now we can pray TO him."

My only question tho would be you say above "when God's true children rise first."

Do SDA's belive they are the only ones going to heaven?

Do SDA's belive that you are the only true children of God?

I think people from every denomination will be in heaven. I believe that with all of my heart.

However, I know that a person in any denomination has to accept Jesus Christ (unlike what Oprah says) as their Lord and Savior.

Churchianity has become so "you get to do whatever you want and it's OKAY!" They think just believing in Him is enough, and that isn't what scripture says either.

Christ said: Matthew 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

I take those words very seriously. We all should.

Imagine the great sadness of THINKING you had done wonderful things for the Lord, only to hear Christ say He never knew you. I can't think of anything sadder.

 

[TrustAndObey]

Ok so what doctrines do you have that would conflict with most christian churches?

(don't included doctrine that conflicts with the Catholic church as I feel alot of their doctrine conflicts with the Bible and the wider church as a whole.)

I'd say our church is probably as far from the Catholic doctrine as you can get honestly. However, they don't have EVERYTHING wrong.

That's how satan works...mix some truth in with the lies so it's not as easy to recognize as false.

That being said, I must say that some of my dearest friends are Catholic. I love the PEOPLE. The doctrine/dogma? No way.

Jesus said we are either for Him or against Him. There's no gray. It's all black and white.

When you recognize a church teaching falsities....it's not for or of Him.

History speaks for itself, but sadly most people don't have a clue what being Protestant even means.

The biggest belief that seems to separate us from others is the Sabbath. God's holy day.

It's a blessing commandment, but so many people ignore it. One of my favorite pastors likes to say "while God told us to remember His sabbath day, the whole world tells us to forget it." And it's the truth.

24 hours with God. Reading scripture, praying, teaching, giving up wordly things to commune with our Creator. It truly is a blessing!!

Most churches teach that you can go to church one hour a week and then do whatever else you want the rest of the week. I just always saw that as hypocritical, even as a child.

But I don't want to give you the wrong impression, Adventists do worship God 7 days a week. We don't cease from all work and keep all 7 days holy though. You really cannot do that anyway, because the commandment says to work 6 days, and reserve the 7th day for God.

One church thought to change God's times and laws, and the rest of the world just accepts it and follows. We don't.

Our church is big on prophesy too and wow, it really does feel like we're right on with that. Nothing else I've heard even comes close to what I see in Revelation.

Thanks for all the questions!

God's many blessings to you and your family,
~Lainie

 

[smooze]

hellooooooo lainie

 

[TrustAndObey]

Herrro Jonathan!