WARNING: Lots of questions

[Castaway57]

Regarding #3 - Ok, I see. Yeah, that style wouldn't be my cup of tea.

I actually don't mind reading paraphrases such as the Message, I am just careful to not call them scripture, or, the word of God, or, the Bible. The Message can actually be quite enlightening in many areas. But I would make sure to check it out by an actual Bible too. I noticed that the E Sword Bible software now includes The Message as a paid add on book.

 

[TheOmegaMan19]

I actually don't mind reading paraphrases such as the Message, I am just careful to not call them scripture, or, the word of God, or, the Bible. The Message can actually be quite enlightening in many areas. But I would make sure to check it out by an actual Bible too. I noticed that the E Sword Bible software now includes The Message as a paid add on book.

I'll tell you what I DO have, though... The audio KJV on cd, read by James Earl Jones. I transferred it to my ipod. Best $60 I ever spent.

 

[TheOmegaMan19]

First off I just want to say that I've been on this crazy journey to find the "right" church and I think (and hope) that the SDA is the one I've been looking for. I've considered the following churches: LDS church, Jehovah's Witnesses, Pentecostal, Non-denominational, Baptist and Anglican.

Now, I've only heard nothing but positive things about the Seventh-day Adventists, unlike the LDS and Jehovah's Witnesses, who have countless amount of negativity against them (some is warranted, but most is unfair, but that's for another thread). Really, the only thing I've heard that is negative is Ellen G. White, and the Clear Word "Bible" and that's really about it. The church is growing at a mind-boggling one million a year. The Mormons and JWs only get ~250,000 and they are supposedly the fastest growing Christian churches in the world, which they obviously aren't. Anyway here's my questions:

1. Why is the church growing so fast? And why isn't the media even taking about this? How fast is it growing in Canada and the United States?
2. Who is Ellen G. White, and what has she done for the church?
3. Why is the Clear Word Bible so hated upon?
4. What is distinctive between the Seventh-day Adventists and your traditional Protestant in America and Canada?
5. What Bible translation is used most often, and is there an official Bible translation?
6. Where is the church mostly concentrated?
7. What is the church service like? I hope it's not as boring as a Roman Catholic service.
8. Is there a lot of Bible studies conducted in the church?
9. Why do you worship on a Saturday, and does the Bible specifically say that Saturday is the Sabbath day?


And I just have to say that the Adventist website is absolutely beautiful (along with the Canadian version), so I commend who ever made the site! And it's more likely then not that I've found the church I have been looking for, but I just need some clarification and assurances.

Here's something you might find interest in...another link that contains 33 last days bible studies

http : // remnantofgod . org/ books/ lastdays/ studies . htm

(as with the other link, re-connect the URL and put it in your search engine)

 

[Castaway57]

I'll tell you what I DO have, though... The audio KJV on cd, read by James Earl Jones. I transferred it to my ipod. Best $60 I ever spent.

That sounds like a very wise investment. I have an old I Phone I don't use anymore, but I loaded 200 hymns onto it, and now I use it for sort of an Ipod and play that stuff while I do my drywall work. It really makes the days go better when I do that, plus, it is like an all day Bible study as I am essentially listening to scripture in the songs.

 

[amandatea]

Thank you for all the replies. All of them were very straight forward and easy to understand. I believe my decision is that I want to join the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Nothing about it cries out "cult" or "non-Christian". It is totally Christian in my opinion. The one thing I absolutely love about this church is that it has a balance of orthodoxy and modernism. What I mean is that it has its members adhere to the bible strictly but also has the contemporary feel to it, which I really like. And what I really find amazing is that it's not American centred anymore, it covers the world! In my country, Canada, it has 65,000 members, and what I've heard is that it grows by about 1,500 a year. I hope to be apart of that 1,500.

The nearest SDA church is about 30 minutes from my house in a city called Belleville. The church is right beside Lake Ontario, and is fairly large, and the houses are very nice that surround it. There's also a college for the deaf there as well. This is a prime place for me to help people out, and the church is a perfect way to do that.

My one problem is my parents opposition to me leaving the Catholic church. They say that I was baptized Catholic and should stay Catholic, they're basically saying I don't have a say in my religious life.

Anyway, I am looking into buying the King James bible, but I'd like to have that SDA quality to it (preferably a medium sized bible, not a pocket or huge bible), and does anyone know of a site I could use, or could you give me a direct link to a bible that I could buy. Willing to spend about $80 dollars (Canadian).

Thank you and God bless you all. You have all been a HUGE help to me. All my answers were answered, and were answered so good that I am 100% sure the SDA church is my new home.

Welcome to the forum and to the SDA church. I hope that the church you go to is as lovely as mine (Ebenezer SDA Church in Mississauga). I've been a Christian and SDA for about 8 months and my church has become my family. I've never been to a more friendly, caring and knowledgeable church before starting there.


My mom and her family are from Frankford so I know the Belleville area pretty well.. I hope they treat you well there!

 

[mrasell]

2. Who is Ellen G. White, and what has she done for the church?
4. What is distinctive between the Seventh-day Adventists and your traditional Protestant in America and Canada?
5. What Bible translation is used most often, and is there an official Bible translation?
8. Is there a lot of Bible studies conducted in the church?
9. Why do you worship on a Saturday, and does the Bible specifically say that Saturday is the Sabbath day?

Ellen White was one of the founders of the church, the best place for info is: Ellen G. White ® Estate: The Official Ellen White ® Web site

The SDA church observes the Sabbath on Saturday, and believes in the soon return of Christ. However, these beliefs are held by others, actually the only unique doctrine held by the church is the heavenly sanctuary, I have a book about that: Exploring the Heavenly Sanctuary - Home

The SDA church does not have their own translation, people use different ones. I prefer KJV, although nowadays a lot of people use NKJV, but people have all sorts of mainstream translations.

There is a Sabbath School program each Sabbath morning before the worship service for Bible study, people are invited to join a class and discuss the lesson.

We believe in keeping the 10 Commandments. The seventh day was sanctified by God at Creation (Gen. 2:2-3), and is part of the 10 commandments, this has never been changed or abolished. Jesus and the apostles kept the Sabbath on the 7th day of the week. A good website for info about this is: SabbathTruth - What day is the Sabbath and does it matter?
(I also have a book called, "Nehemiah the Sabbath Reformer", which explains the origin of the Sabbath in one of the chapters).

Marc Rasell

 

[amandatea]

The SDA church does not have their own translation, people use different ones. I prefer KJV, although nowadays a lot of people use NKJV, but people have all sorts of mainstream translations.

This is true, but there is a study bible where the commentary is done by Andrews University (an SDA Uni in Michigan). The translation, as far as I know is NKJV and they are very nice - but fairly pricey - bibles. I had one of the "gift" versions of the Andrews Study bible that I received when I got baptized because Andrews University had a group here doing an Evangelical Event at Mississauga SDA Church. It was a very nicely put together bible but I gave it away to one of my piano students.

 

[Huusoku]

Wow many great replies here!! I especially appreciated Jake1958's reply (#15) as I was born and raised SDA and don't have any direct experience with what other churches are teaching (apart from larger oppositions to the Bible that I've learned in school and church).

If you look in Genesis, the Seventh day was set aside as a special holy day by God, made for man. It has never been changed or set aside and the Bible tells us will continue when we go to be with God.

Saturday is generally accepted to be the seventh day of the week and the Jews have been keeping it for 3000 years since God taught them of it in Sinai.

Another point is that we have literary proof that Jesus Himself kept saturday as the seventh day of the week Sabbath, and certainly if anyone knew what day is intended to be kept as the Sabbath, it would be Jesus, the One who created it in the first place (we believe Jesus is the creator God [John 1:3 relating Jesus to Gen 1:1, and many other supporting texts]). This is an argument used as proof that we haven't lost or slipped a day through mistaken or broken calendars, and that today's 7th day of the week must be the same 7th day of the creation week otherwise Jesus would have kept the wrong day, would have rested in the grave on the wrong day, et cetera.

Regarding the Clear Word "bible", I also don't know of anyone in our church who uses one. All of the SDA churches I've ever been to have all had King James Version Bibles in their pews. It's the oldest translation of the Bible into English. Another version I've seen our church goers use is the New International Version, which is easier to read, but I find its translations aren't as reliable as the KJV.

Huusoku