HOME / PROCLAMATION! MAGAZINE / 2008 / JULY/AUGUST / LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

JULY / AUGUST 2008
VOLUME 9, ISSUE 4

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D E P A R T M E N T S

LETTERS to the Editor

 

Truly amazing

I just listened to some of the last Former Adventist Fellowship weekend online. It was truly amazing! I look so forward to seeing Proclamation! magazine come in my mailbox. You have done such a great job with it, and I know there are so many people who have come to a full understanding of what happened at the cross because of you and everyone there.

We have been former Adventists since 2001; we are in a Spirit-filled, thriving Christian Community, and yet it just feels so good to still encounter ex-Adventists (especially through the ministry of your magazine). I think that is because it takes so long to heal from childhood indoctrination, and it actually helps us heal when we are seeing others healed.

New Bern, NC

 

Get a fortune teller

I have an idea! Why don't you stop wasting your money sending Proclamation! to historic Adventists and invest in establishing a "club"! Then you can booze, dope, eat ham sandwiches, and "swing"! You don't have to get permission to sin or think up ways to justify it!

We don't care! God doesn't either.

It's a personal matter! Don't send your "maggie mag" to me anymore! My mailbox is already stuffed with letters of praise to God, spiritual testimonies, and new friends that have found "peace past understanding".

In truth, I shouldn't have wasted this paper!

P.S. Go get a fortuneteller to tell you your fate!

Hollidaysburg, PA

 

Dealing with Adventism in Slovenia

I am a missionary in Slovenia, Europe. Just two years ago the Lord guided us to move to a region in Slovenia where there were only three born-again believers. We are doing church planting, apologetic work, evangelism, writing, and more. Just a month ago, we were on furlough in the States, and Dr. Norman Geisler suggested we get your books, since we have issues with Adventism in our town, literally around the corner. They come to our Wednesday Bible studies and often try to insert their own beliefs. They also hope to be equipped to do their own church planting. We are trying to be courteous and respectful while firm in our conversations. Your writings have been very helpful in understanding their background and some details in their theology. We love them, yet hope to help them find freedom in Christ. Anyway, just wanted to let you know that your work is making a difference on the other side of the world, too. Thank you. May the Lord give you health, strength, and wisdom as you strive to follow Him.

Slovenia, Europe

 

God's wrath

As one who studied their way into the Adventist Message from the Bible only, I know that you are misrepresenting Adventists or perhaps outright lying about them. With the signs of Christ (sic) soon return all around us, it is obvious to me that you are doing the work of Satan in opposing the work of God for this time. And because of this, you will suffer the wrath of God and your organization will come to naught. Remove my husband's name from your mailing list promptly.

Paw Paw, MI

 

Signs of a cult

Thanks for your publication. I think it is great hearing about people being set free in Jesus. In regards to those Adventists' emails that are negative—they just show the signs of a cult. They think your magazine is anti-Adventist. The Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, and others all say the same thing. They don't like being contradicted, and the shameful thing is people like this don't like reading that their prophet is wrong. Meanwhile they are very critical towards the evangelical church. Just keep doing the Lord's work; Satan does not like Adventists hearing the truth that Ellen White is a false prophet. I am an evangelist that has dealt with the cults for many years.

Via email

 

Satan coming into my home

I did not order your Proclamation! magazine, so please don't send it to my home anymore. I do NOT agree with your beliefs. You are the very example of what God tells us in His Word about how we are going through the "great shaking". You are part of the signs of Jesus' return—He will weed out the unbelievers of the fullness of the truth. I will not be deceived by your misinterpretations of God's word and His commandments. You may still be a believer in Jesus, but you are not a true follower. If you love Him you would do as He commands. There are two parts to God's law—two tablets of stone. The first tablet is part one, commandments one to four which tell us how to honor God. The second tablet is part two, commandments 5-10 which tells us how to treat others. If you don't honor God then you are honoring the devil (you can't serve two masters... so pick one!). If you practice the traditions of man you honor the man or men that make those traditions... you are not honoring God. If you fail to honor the 4th commandment you certainly are not honoring the first which is to have no other gods before Him as well as the 2nd and 3rd.

You talk about Ellen White, but Adventists base our beliefs on God's word (the Bible) and that's where Ellen got her wisdom from. So please repent and don't send me any more of these horrible publications of your magazine. If you send me anymore magazines I will throw them out. Just touching it makes me think of Satan coming into my home. Please pray for guidance and deliverance to depart from these teachings. I pray you will see the true light.

Via email

 

Good work

I've been getting your great magazine and decided I just had to send you a donation to help your ministry. Keep up the good work.

GA

 

Discovering Adventism

I am not an Adventist or former Adventist but have an interesting story regarding an Adventist situation.

I attended a singles' ministry for 20+ years (off and on as I was struggling seriously with my faith in some of that time) at [a local] Presbyterian Church.…[During] the last few years the church no longer provided a full time pastor [for this ministry], and the ministry struggled to continue as faithful lay men and women led it. In those last few years a new member, who was also attending theology school while working, volunteered to help lead the group.

I also made a new friend in those years who attended an Adventist church. I knew nothing about Adventists at that time, other than they worshiped on Saturday (I thought that was unusual but discounted any problems with that church).…

Everything changed last November…[The] church announced around September that they were discontinuing the ministry. The singles resolved to find another church as it's sponsor, and I was chosen to lead the transition team to another church. Four churches were presented for consideration, including an Adventist church recommended by my Adventist friend. A couple of new attendees to [our church] brought to my attention some issues with Adventism. I said I was not aware of any issues but wanted to investigate for myself.

As I started to investigate Adventism I became alarmed and shocked at what I found. I used as many sources as possible to determine the truth. I approached my Adventist friend twice, gently trying to explain why I was going to motion to remove the Adventist church from consideration.

What happened next stunned me then—and still does. When I tried to explain Adventism in a meeting of 20 or so friends whom I have known for years, they did not want to hear anything I had to say nor see my material. They were only concerned about whether I had offended my friend.

I needed to know where they stood, so I forced a vote to remove the Adventist church from our list. The new leader who was in theology school did not support me and used The Kingdom of the Cults to prove I was wrong. Only four stood with me, and I resigned that night. Fortunately, they did not end up at the Adventist church.

I have now become immersed in the doctrine of Adventism, and God has already used me to help one person avoid it. I am amazed how ignorant true believers are about Adventism. I could not find anything in the Christian bookstores opposing it, and I never hear messages about the erroneous cultic doctrine of Adventism. I have felt very alone at times and questioned myself again and again, researched again and again to make sure I did the right thing. I know I have done the right thing, and my heart breaks for my friends. It has cost me so much, but I pray God will continue to use me to help others avoid Adventism.

Via email
 

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Send letters to the editor to:

Editor, Proclamation! Magazine
P.O. Box 7776
Redlands, CA 92375

Or email editor: proclamation@gmail.com

Life Assurance Ministries

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To proclaim the good news of the new covenant gospel of grace in Christ and to combat the errors of legalism and false religion.

 

Motto

Truth needs no other foundation than honest investigation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a willingness to follow truth when it is revealed.

 

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"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not of works, that no one should boast." Ephesians 2:8,9