I've got a question for everyone. I can't seem to find an answer anywhere. I was raised 7th Day Adventist. I have also checked out a number of other churches before going back to SDA. But the last time I was there I ended up walking out the doors never to return. They could not answer one simple question so I felt it was no longer the church I was raised in and walked.
I still feel the spirit within me but am at a loss as to what to do for one last dilemma. I would like to be baptized, but do not know how to have it done with belong to no church and choose not to enter those doors again.
Is there a way or place one can be baptized without joining a church? I would also prefer it to be done out in nature, in a river. Is that at all possible in this day and age in rural Montana?
Hello Amethyst Moon, Perhaps i can understand a bit of your frustration with the Seventh-day Adventist church. My mother had her name removed from the church books back in 1979 when the church officially gave a gold medal to the pope. Her words i still remember, are almost exactly like yours: "The church today is not the same one i joined". But she kept believing, and continued going to church many times, always walking out when they were teaching and preaching things contrary to the inspired word of God.
I have considered twice in my life, having my name removed too, but both times i see in the Bible and Spirit of Prophecy that THIS church is God's remnant church. It is very clear that God has not forsaken this church yet. One very powerful reason i can say that with confidence, is that in the SOP the SDA church is called "Laodicea" many times. Now is Laodicea one of the 7 churches of God, or one of the seven churches of Satan? And if it is not Laodicea anymore, who IS Laodicea today, and what event made SDA become Babylon? None of the "you must leave the SDA church" people can answer these two questions using either Bible or SOP.
God has a church, and he has a body. I advise you to read Chapter 31 - 35 of the 1858 Great Controversy book that you can read free on this website. It shows that Satan is angry against who? "But the sect of Sabbath-keepers we hate."
I have not been to the church where my membership is in Osaka for the last 7 years, after they openly refused to follow the Bible. But that doesn't mean that i never go to church. There ARE many places around the world where they really are trying to follow the truth - all the truth
May God bless you as you make a public decision for him in the necessary act of being baptised.
Not sure where to begin. I will never deny christ or God to no one. I've been in this town 7 yrs and am not sure I want to deal with anyone here, let alone walk into another church. It's a very small town and some of the people seem quite nice but the biggest majority.... Well lets just say I have become quite the recluse.
For some time I have felt that I don't necessarily need to be in a church to worship God. He's all around me. In the trees, the birds, the rivers, et cetera. I feel closer to him out in nature and that may be why I would prefer being baptized in a river. I guess I could check out the SDA here, but am afraid I will be disapointed again. I really don't know how more more disapointment I can take these days.
I was looking at the book the other day that you spoke of above. I would like to get a hard copy of that particular on. Even a PDF would be nice so I could go sit outside and listen to the bird sign to me while I read it. In the mean time I will begin reading it. I think I would prefer starting at the beginning but will make note of the chapter you speak of.
I was blessed with finding this place here to rent. 30 acres to wonder and wonderful people. I know God had a hand in me getting it and am very thankful for such a beautiful place to rest.
I will leave it at that for now, as I can babble forever, easily... Thank you for your responce and I will remember what you have said. I still seek baptism in Gods wonderful place we call nature. It's heaven to me.
But then, I must ask, is it possible to keep the Sabbath without supporting the Laodicea in the Sabbath sect of SDAism? YES!!! Praise the Lord to be free from the leaven of trinitarian SDAism!!!
Satan seeks to draw people off from Christ's body, the Seventh-day Adventist church. Yes, you need to get baptized into Christ's body, and you need to believe in the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
There are a number of Christians who can no longer worship in a corporate SDA church because of the gross error being taught there. Pray for God's guidance to lead you to some, either in person or on the internet. There are also many out of the corportate church who have simply brought the corporate errors of Laodicea with them. But Our Father in Heaven will help you to separate the genuine from the conterfeit, the Truth from the error, through His Word. One should not be baptized into any corporate body, but baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:19). Baptism is not to signify joining any church on paper, but rather your desire to to have your name written in the Lamb's book of Life, to join those brethren whose names are written in that book, whom only God knows. Any Sabbath-keeping disciple of Christ who is not advocating error and is upholding all 10 commandments can baptize you. Outdoors. If you want to talk, I'm at janehodges@mesnetworks.net and our web site is at 4runnerminstries.com. Also, at the request of others we have begun a Sabbath worship conference-call where you call in to a conference-call service for Sabbath worship. It has been very encouraging for those of us of the same faith but scattered far apart. Your only expense is the price of the long distance call to connect with the conference-call. We have found a dial-up service for 0.01 cents a minute (Pennytalk.com) that makes this affordable for us.
...One should not be baptized into any corporate body, but baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (Matt. 28:19).
Speaking of errors...
Matthew 28:19 was written into the Bible after the best and earliest manuscripts had been identified. If you think that the trinitarian formula should be used at baptism, why in the book of Acts did they baptise into the name of Jesus? They did this after Jesus ascended to heaven. Were they so forgetful of this triune formula at such an ecstatic sight as Jesus ascending into the clouds? I don't think so. You would not forget something like that. More proof that some men had ulterior motives for putting that verse into print after the third century.
I would like to say thank you to everyone and am sorry I haven't been here is some time. I have been quite busy with all my 4 legged kids. For the one with an email listed I will contact you soon or you can contact me at... I think I used amethystmoon@interbel.net. Either way that one will work too.
In Acts 8.29-40, the Ethiopian Eunuch asks Philip, "What is to prevent me from being baptized?"
And Philip doesn't give him an answer--as soon as they find water, Philip baptizes him. Find yourself any Christian who would be willing to baptize you. Baptism is of divine origin, not human origin--it's not the person doing it or the words spoken that make it a baptism. It's God's command. Either have them speak the trinitarian formula in Matthew, or simply the name of Christ as found in Acts. You're invoking the name of the God in whom you believe--that's what's important.
