I don't think I will be an SDA member

[Guest]

Quote:

Still smoke FREE since 4-8-2012 8:00pm CDT!

Praise God!

[Tammy]

Would you mind letting me know where that quote is from please?

The main reason that I have so much respect for my pastor and his family is because they are the very first pastor I have ever met and seen that actually tries to live what he preaches.

Sure OzarkWoman... That quote is taken from The Review & Herald, May 21, 1901, written by Ellen White.

[OzarkWoman]

Thank you!

[monty]

OW the Living Water and tobacco are not compatable! It is wonderful to follow your progress. I am still praying for you.

[Tammy]

Thank you!

Anytime! And I'm praying for you, too! You can do it! We can do ALL THINGS with the help of the Lord.

[OzarkWoman]

OK, I am still smoke free since last Sunday evening at about 8:00pm.

[Stan]

Cheering for you..

becareful of the trap of thinking "I have it under control, I will just have one"

Feels good doesn't it?

[Woody]

OK, I am still smoke free since last Sunday evening at about 8:00pm.

Very Good Accomplishment. Three Cheers.Your 7 day anniversary is coming up.

[Tammy]

OK, I am still smoke free since last Sunday evening at about 8:00pm.

That is WONDERFUL! YOU CAN DO IT!

[Gail]

Are you noticing a difference yet in your senses of smell and taste?

Keep going!

[phkrause]

Are you noticing a difference yet in your senses of smell and taste?

That reminds me of a friend a number of years ago that smoked and drank a lot of coffee, and when I say a lot of coffee I mean a lot of coffee! When they finally quit both they were amazed that food really tasted good. Whereas before they said they really had no idea how good food tasted.

[jamesonofthunder]

Thank you all for the replies. I just love certain ones with the holier than thou attitudes. I am glad that my first encounter with any SDA people were with this church I go to and this pastor. Many of you would have scared me away for sure.

You have no idea how what you are saying here shows who you serve.

The condemnation is not a holier-than-thou attitude, but a brother who has gone through it's attitude.

Praise God you quit smoking, I hope it sticks. The Spirit of Prophecy says if we are delivered from any sin it is from God and shows His power in your life even if you don't recognize it as such.

The night I was led to the Sabbath 17 years ago I was a rock and roll musician who had just played the biggest concert of my life. A sense of shame and condemnation came over me, so I picked up the bible given to me at confirmation and started reading. The next thing I knew I had not eaten all day and I was going to set the bible down and eat, but As soon as I set the bible down I recognized that the spirit of condemnation came over me again. So I gave up the plans to eat and continued to read. This went on for seven days and the morning of the seventh day when I woke up I could tell the Holy Spirit excitedly was drawing me to a conclusion but I did not know what yet.

I had made it through the old testament that morning and began to read the new. As soon as I got to Matthew 12:8 "For the Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath” A powerful warming light filled my mind and I could feel neural pathways connect and I knew I was forgiven for all my sins and immediately heard the still small voice which had been quietly leading me the whole time tell me directly, "This will lead you home" and I was given complete victory over every sin.

I ran to use the courtesy phone which had a phone book in the lobby of the hotel and found the only Sabbath keeping church in all of Fairbanks AK and called. I talked to the pastor who after hearing my testimony came to where I was staying and brought the conference president Jim Stevens along with him and they heard my testimony. I never went back to drinking again. I found that if I stayed under those wings I was safe but as soon as I wandered I had to go through the process of repentance all over again.

Friend Ozark Woman (my mom's from the Ozarks) I didn't say what I said as an insult. It is very very true what I was prompted to say to you earlier, but if you repent while imagining Jesus receiving the condemnation of your self abuse it leads you to never want to sin again. This gives you the power over sin.

Imagine Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and He is pleading with the Father to forgive us while at the same time terrified of being 'cut off' from Him. Being cut off from the Father is the punishment for sin. Imagine Jesus having to be cut off because you want to hold on to the destruction of your sin. The shame that follows should prompt us to immediately let go if we love Him.

If we let go, He carries our sins through the humiliation and second death hell that we deserve and dies with that sin on the cross. This is how we die to sin. I hope you will be blessed by this.

[in Gethsemane]

"Here the mysterious cup trembled in His hand. Here the destiny of a lost world was hanging in the balance. Should He wipe the blood drops from His brow and root from His soul the guilt of a perishing world, which was placing Him, all innocent, all undeserving, under the penalty of a just law? Should He refuse to become sinners’ substitute and surety? Refuse to give them another trial, another probation? {CTr 266.6}

Separation from His Father, the punishment for transgression and sin, was to fall upon Him in order to magnify God’s law and testify to its immutability. And this was to settle forever the controversy between the Prince of God and Satan in regard to the changeless character of that law. {CTr 266.7}

The Majesty of heaven was as one bewildered with agony. No human being could endure such suffering; but Christ had contemplated the struggle. He had said to His disciples, “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!” Now is the “hour, and the power of darkness.”Manuscript 42, 1897. {CTr 266.8}

Peace...

[Woody]

Thanks for your thoughts James.

But I was curious about this statement:

Quote:

"the still small voice which had been quietly leading me the whole time tell me directly, "This will lead you home" and I was given complete victory over every sin."

Has this continued? Do you still have complete victory over every sin? Or was this taken from you at some point since then?

[phkrause]

You have no idea how what you are saying here shows who you serve.

This statement I really disagree with James. I also got the same from your post that OW felt. The only difference is nobody intimidates me. I've had a lot worse said to me and I was still a teenager/young adult, at an age where usually when some one says something negative, your out of there. Don't get me wrong, I agreed with most of your statement, just not how you presented it.

[OzarkWoman]

You have no idea how what you are saying here shows who you serve.

Thank you, but you have no idea who or what I serve and I find that statement of yours to be very offensive, to say the least.

[Kevin H]

OzarkWoman: Just wanted to let you know that you are still in my prayers

[Overaged]

Thank you, but you have no idea who or what I serve

OzarkWoman; I admire the polite way you respond to the heat that is sometimes generated here. A good lesson for many of us. Just want you to also know that I will keep you in my prayers. You are welcome here just the way you are!

[Overaged]

I have friend that literlly smoked over 100 cigarettes a day. He quit last week as well. You and he are killing all my excuses OW

You should be running out of excuses by now Mister. I am praying that you do. lol

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

Quote:

"the still small voice which had been quietly leading me the whole time tell me directly, "This will lead you home" and I was given complete victory over every sin."

I find this to be an intriguing statement. Especially in the light of this.

"If we claim we have not sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our hearts."1 John 1:10 NLT

God blesses!

[OzarkWoman]

Thank you for your prayers. At this time I have cancelled everything to do with that church, so I no longer have to worry about baptism at all.

[Gail]

Thank you for your prayers. At this time I have cancelled everything to do with that church, so I no longer have to worry about baptism at all.

OzarkWoman- I'm sorry to hear that!

Is it just the church or Jesus that you are backing away from?

((( OzarkWoman )))

[OzarkWoman]

OzarkWoman- I'm sorry to hear that!

Is it just the church or Jesus that you are backing away from?

((( OzarkWoman )))

It is just the church and the people. I am not even speaking to the pastor or his wife. This isn't just about smoking by any means. I don't really wish to get into it but, unless something and some people change a bit then I don't see me going back. I can see sermons online and I can read and study the Bible on my own.

[phkrause]

It is just the church and the people. I am not even speaking to the pastor or his wife. This isn't just about smoking by any means. I don't really wish to get into it but, unless something and some people change a bit then I don't see me going back. I can see sermons online and I can read and study the Bible on my own.

Ok, but where going to hold you to that. :)

[OzarkWoman]

Ok, but where going to hold you to that.

[LifeHiscost]

Originally Posted By: pkrause

Ok, but where going to hold you to that.

God is not finished with any of us yet. I was happy to see Gail posing the question about backing away from that church or from Jesus. Sometimes Jesus takes us in a circuitous route, not necessarily the ideal or most comfortable, but His promise is always true unless we wish to disengage.

"Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”"Hebrews 13:5 NKJV

God blesses!