Reflections from a former Worldwide Church of God member
So what has been challenging? The fact that there is no “redo button”. I spent 50 years in a world that was just filled with lies, an alternate reality that was, in my mind, a demonic fabrication. Oh, it sounded good on the surface, but underneath, it’s a very dark place. I can’t get those 50 years back. And as I look back at the life I lived and the decisions I made based upon the lies and fabrications I believed, my heart aches.
Even though I have been so sinful, I have to trust God with the outcome and start again, just trusting the Word and knowing Jesus’ righteousness has paid it all. All things are new in Christ! If others are like me, I think they, like I was, are concerned about their reward. I will have a whole lot of wood, hay, and stubble at the Bema judgment seat. I spent too much time destroying the body of Christ, promoting blasphemous theology, to expect a reward for any of my time spent “witnessing”.
Now I hope that my present and future sacrifices promote the one and only true Gospel and stay as closely as possible to the biblical New Testament teaching. This commitment is concurrent with the discovery of Tom Kirkpatrick, promoting Church of God Worldwide, a free association. He has published 20 fundamental beliefs; which as nearly as I can tell, are very similar to the Adventist 28 fundamental beliefs. It’s just a boiled-down recycling of Herbert Armstrong, and that’s precisely what I renounced.
Instead, I have to hope in Jesus. To be near Him and learn from Him is far better than any Adventism or Adventist off-shoot.
Who will win those Church of God people to Christ?
My prayer comes from Ephesians where Paul asks them to pray for him. There is no Paul on the earth now, but somewhere there are people who speak out as Paul did, opening their mouths in the way they ought to speak. Perhaps you are two of them. Thank you for what you do on the Gospel’s behalf! Amen!
Blessings to you as you minister to those who are needing instruction and healing from SDAPTSD: Seventh-day Adventist Post Traumatic Stress disorder. It matters. Amen!
—VIA EMAIL
Response: Thank you for writing. Yes, we who have been rescued from a deceptive cult have unique marching orders. The Lord gives us understanding and redemption and opportunities to speak the gospel. He is faithful!
Need Help With Revelation
As a new former Adventist, I am querying some things about EGW’s claims about how the end will be.
Can you provide a study on what the Bible says about this? I know in Revelation we won’t be able to buy nor sell and so forth, as I am not fully knowledgeable on how to interpret Scripture on this.
I would appreciate any guidance.
—VIA EMAIL
Response: I’m going to direct you to our recent Former Adventist Podcast series on Revelation and also Daniel. Nikki Stevenson and I walked through these two books verse by verse and talked about our Adventist understandings and showed how the Bible teaches very differently from what we learned. Here are links to these two series:
Response from the writer: Thank you. I stumbled upon your podcasts and already listened to three back-to-back. I will go over again and take notes as I was blessed and excited by the studies. Praise God for His goodness and for the ministry you are doing to help people like myself. †
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