Try This Testimony of Sabbath

[BibleOnly]

Quote:

How do you do that ? How do you know if someone has the Spirit ? How do you know if a baptised believer is still unsaved ?

Don't concern yourself with OTHERS -

Look unto Jesus

So you think Paul was doing the wrong thing when he asked in Acts 19 'have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed' ? You think that we should not preach, present or discuss the Gospel at all ? How is looking to Jesus at odds with helping other people look to Jesus, too ?

I'm not concerned, I'm just pointing out that what day we go to church is not the thing God cares about most, and that we need to worship in Spirit and in truth. If it's wrong to discuss such things, what are forums like this for ? Why am I still here, if it's wrong to tell other people about Jesus ?

[Woody]

Quote:

So you think Paul was doing the wrong thing when he asked in Acts 19 'have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed' ? You think that we should not preach, present or discuss the Gospel at all ? How is looking to Jesus at odds with helping other people look to Jesus, too ?

I'm not concerned, I'm just pointing out that what day we go to church is not the thing God cares about most, and that we need to worship in Spirit and in truth. If it's wrong to discuss such things, what are forums like this for ? Why am I still here, if it's wrong to tell other people about Jesus ?

The answer IS : As I keep stating - your focus on others will cause you to fall. You need to focus on Jesus and when you do that you life will better reflect His if you Love Him.

My observation of what you do - is to NOT discuss Jesus - but rather you discuss others and what they do - so that you can judge them and their experience. This is NOT the Good News.

Again - if you kept your eyes on Jesus and beheld HIS goodness - you would better reflect Him.

[Overaged]

Please allow me to explain myself better. I don't always do a good job - specially after a 12 hour shot at drywall taping and mudding!

The reason I commented on the "rest" that is "left" for us the way I did, emphasizing how that our rest is in Christ, not just on the Sabbath is based on the very good Bible principles as illustrated in the following quote by Ellen G White:

Quote:

Christ's purpose in parable teaching was in direct line with the purpose of the Sabbath. God gave to men the memorial of His creative power, that they might discern Him in the works of His hand. The Sabbath bids us behold in His created works the glory of the Creator. And

26

it was because He desired us to do this that Jesus bound up His precious lessons with the beauty of natural things. On the holy rest day, above all other days, we should study the messages that God has written for us in nature. We should study the Saviour's parables where He spoke them, in the fields and groves, under the open sky, among the grass and flowers. As we come close to the heart of nature, Christ makes His presence real to us, and speaks to our hearts of His peace and love. {COL 25.1}

And Christ has linked His teaching, not only with the day of rest, but with the week of toil. He has wisdom for him who drives the plow and sows the seed. In the plowing and sowing, the tilling and reaping, He teaches us to see an illustration of His work of grace in the heart. So in every line of useful labor and every association of life, He desires us to find a lesson of divine truth. Then our daily toil will no longer absorb our attention and lead

27

us to forget God; it will continually remind us of our Creator and Redeemer. The thought of God will run like a thread of gold through all our homely cares and occupations. For us the glory of His face will again rest upon the face of nature. We shall ever be learning new lessons of heavenly truth, and growing into the image of His purity. Thus shall we "be taught of the Lord"; and in the lot wherein we are called, we shall "abide with God." Isaiah 54:13; 1 Corinthians 7:24. {COL 26.1}

Hopefully, this will explain what I am getting at a little more.

[Overaged]

If it's wrong to discuss such things, what are forums like this for ? Why am I still here, if it's wrong to tell other people about Jesus ?

As far as I am concerned you have done nothing wrong in trying to discuss such things. I am glad to see you on our forum, and atleast be willing to hear us out as we compare notes. Actually, it is quite important to note what others do, because it does reflect on one's doctrinal understanding, and what others do, or don't do, does tell us a lot about the Sabbath belief they actually have inspite of what they profess.

This forum is here for people such as yourself to come and discuss such questions; and I humbly apologize if I have done anything to make you feel differently.

I was just wondering BibleOnly. If we used your principles and ideas regarding Sunday vs Sabbath here, and we applied them to other days of the week; would you support the idea of celebrating Sabbath on other days of the week?

LOL; I mean, wouldn't it be great to have a Sabbath on Mondays when we are usually so burned out from the week end?

I'm just trying to get at what you are thinking here. And thanks for your patience with us when we get ornery!!

[BibleOnly]

The answer IS : As I keep stating - your focus on others will cause you to fall. You need to focus on Jesus and when you do that you life will better reflect His if you Love Him.

My observation of what you do - is to NOT discuss Jesus - but rather you discuss others and what they do - so that you can judge them and their experience. This is NOT the Good News.

Again - if you kept your eyes on Jesus and beheld HIS goodness - you would better reflect Him.

Well, I think you're mistaken. My focus is on Jesus, what He does for me, and what He can do for others. When I tell people here what Jesus does for me, they tell me it's the Devil. So, I don't talk about that any more, I just focus on what the Bible says.

[BibleOnly]

I was just wondering BibleOnly. If we used your principles and ideas regarding Sunday vs Sabbath here, and we applied them to other days of the week; would you support the idea of celebrating Sabbath on other days of the week?

LOL; I mean, wouldn't it be great to have a Sabbath on Mondays when we are usually so burned out from the week end?

I'm just trying to get at what you are thinking here. And thanks for your patience with us when we get ornery!!

Paul said we are free to recognise one day above another, so, if you want to do that, whatever day it is, it does not matter, so long as, whatever day you gather, what you teach about Jesus and about salvation, is what the Bible says. But, if you esteem one day above another or not, a Christian should understand that the Sabbath concept was a foretaste of the rest that Jesus came to give us, which we enter in to when we are saved. A Christian today is the temple of the Holy Spirit. For that reason alone, we should regard that our lives are holy, every day.

[Woody]

Quote:

I just focus on what the Bible says.

Unfortunately - I have witnessed you misrepresenting both what the Bible says and what the Church says and believes. And also what we continue to state personally. So I don't see you as very credible.

[BibleOnly]

Quote:

I just focus on what the Bible says.

Unfortunately - I have witnessed you misrepresenting both what the Bible says and what the Church says and believes. So I don't see you as very credible.

You're entitled to your opinion. His sheep hear His voice. I assume 'the church' is the SDA ? I am only repeating what I am told here. As for the Bible, I'm just saying what the verses say, and asking questions that, by and large, either go unanswered, or are answered to explain that they mean the opposite of what they say. I'm not sure how this is my fault, but, again, you're entitled to your view, and I sure didn't expect you to change your deeply entrenched beliefs, just because one guy came along and showed a view of verses you'd never thought of, that you're not comfortable with.

[Woody]

I am so sorry that I am witnessing such deception.

You come here with one false belief in us after another and even when others spend their valuable time to explain it - you appear to be deaf and continue to profess lies about our church.

I am so confused as to your motivation. Why would you keep doing this. It appears to me that your only goal is to tear down and not to build up.

AM I wrong?

[BibleOnly]

Well, you are confusing me utterly. I have been a bit snaky today, because doug has been attacking me. I've decided today that it's clear that no-one has any ability to give a clear answer on the 1844 thread, which kind of limits my interest, I've already said once that I felt my time here was coming to an end. What you're posting in the past hour or so is a total mystery to me. I have no idea what deception you're talking about, or what you think I am misrepresenting. Honestly.

At the core, I came here to try to understand the SDA more. I feel I've done that. You believe you need to keep the OT Sabbath. You believe the gift of tongues is natural languages, and only rarely occurs today. You believe that some sort of judgement started in 1844, because you believe that Ellen White was a prophet, and that her writings expand on and clarify the Bible. No-one seems willing to expand on that, especially when asked to use the Bible to do so. Did I get any of that wrong ?

If I have a goal now at all, it's to represent the Gospel of Truth in a dark place. As far as I can see, you're all very sincere, and some of you are very nice, but not one person I've spoken to here, is a Christian, because not one person I've spoken to, has the Holy Spirit, and most actually think that the evidence of the Spirit, in the Bible, comes from the Devil today. I am happy to have this discussion, I am certainly learning a lot, even if it's through refuting the claims being put to me. But, I am just as happy to end it, because I feel like it's running it's course, and, everyone here having rejected the Gospel, I'm just going to be the annoying guy who keeps bringing up the stuff no-one wants to talk about.

But let's be clear on one thing. I know what you believe, but every one who has discussed it with me, has failed to prove your beliefs from the Bible. Therefore, I am not ignoring what I've been told. I am rejecting it as being based on having to ignore or explain away specific verses that contradict what you believe, and using convoluted chains of human logic to make the Bible fit what you do believe.

[Woody]

Herein lies the difficulty between us:

Quote:

but not one person I've spoken to here, is a Christian

You believe we are demon possessed,UNChristian and unsaved.

I believe you are a Christian saved by the blood of Jesus.

This is the comparison that those reading will see. Let each person decide for themselves.

But I find it impossible to have an honest discussion with you. And the reason for that in my opinion - is your constant judging and condemning of your fellow brethren as witnessed above and many other times.

Again let me assess what I feel is the problem here - You are deceived in your beliefs. This is no biggie. But you hold onto them and refuse Truth. You only want to attack your fellow brothers and sister. This is your focus. Take this away - and you are empty.

Let me state again - that I don't fault you in your deception. God still loves each of us in our ignorance. Knowledge is over-rated. Yes - we should study to show ourselves approved unto God. WE can better glorify Him through being serious students. But here is the bottom line - WE ALL FAIL in our knowledge. Each has a little corner but not the whole. And we will not have the whole till we get to Heaven. Our human eyes are so clouded over. Perhaps the Glory of God when He comes in the clouds will remove all those hinderances to being able to SEE HIM. I don't know. That is a new Woody invention. But I do believe that we will need to study for most all of eternity about the goodness of God.

So, my desire for you is that you continue on your journey - but keep your eyes on HIM and not US.

[BibleOnly]

Herein lies the difficulty between us:

Quote:

but not one person I've spoken to here, is a Christian

You believe we are demon possessed,UNChristian and unsaved.

I believe you are a Christian saved by the blood of Jesus.

[Overaged]

I am sorry, Bible Only, that you are being treated the way you are here.

[Tom Wetmore]

Moderator note:

Let's refrain from derailing a topic by making one another the topic of discussion. Keep the topic the subject of your post, not each other.

Thanks.

SInce it seems some failed to heed this warning, this topic is now locked.