I finally came across a website that speaks the truth with scripture to back it up. I, too, was raised 9 years in SDA schools, high school and college (WW). I walked away for 20-25 years, however, without relinquishing the truth which I had learned. Then a few years ago I made a friend who was charismatic and started watching TBN with him, and had even gone to a few of guru Benny's side shows.
By the way, I never got "slain in the spirit" either and the tongues just didn't flow naturally like it seemed for others. I prayed many, many times that if this "gift" is from Him, to please let it come to me.
I kept re-reading Paul's writings to the Corinthians about tongues, and just really never came to a definitive conclusion about it, except that "tongues" were used to preach the gospel to others of a different language. Then I was told that it was some "special prayer language", but I couldn't find anywhere in the Bible where Jesus had prayed gibberish to His Heavenly Father, or taught anything close to that.
After listening to them and watching them go nuts I started praying that the Lord would reveal to me the truth. Was the truth I had learned while growing up correct, or were the charismatics correct, too, but just more noisy about?
I prayed for years on this, waffling on the charismatic stance, especially on that rapture thing. Where's that in the Bible? How do they come up with this garbage?
I prayed to know the truth of that, too, many times. Listening to John Hagee speak about it was powerful, but they mixed up the scripture about the second coming of our Lord! It seems that everybody I watched on TBN believed in this. I was beginning to think maybe my church had missed something, but again, I kept coming back to what I had been taught and that was scriptural whereas the "rapture" was not.
Just about a week ago I searched out false teachers and prophets. I found some really interesting material, not unlike what I have been reading on your website. I have listened to an 1-1/2 hour sermon online, still praying for truth, following the preacher scripture by scripture. Now I wish I could remember his name.
I already tried It Is Written and looking up SDA churches, E.G. White's books, etc., trying to get some information, but it looks like they don't want controversy online as I couldn't find what I was looking for. I still go to SDA churches, though not on a regular basis.
So after considerable reading on your site and others, I have come back to the conclusion that SDAs are really closer to the truth than anyone else (I was beginning to wonder for a while). I read on another site that E.G. White was a liar and that she plagiarized other writers' material; that she said she only had a third grade education and could not read. It was later found that she indeed could read, and other stuff that I need to check out for myself.
My heart sank when I saw that only around 38,000 have come to this site, compared to millions on others. The world loves its own. Those "feel good" teachings and outright blasphemy are lies from the devil. And Tommy Tenney is REAL GOOD at it.
It's been only a few days really since I came to see the truth once and for all about these false teachers. I must admit though I have enjoyed listening to Mark Chirrona and Clarence McClendon and TD Jakes a few times. Now, I almost feel sorry for them. I wouldn't want to be in their shoes on judgment day, deceiving genuine believers by the millions while raking in the cash.
How can anyone who seems so sincere and genuine in their heart (like Jan Crouch) be so ugly and vile and deceitful? I don't lie to others and I don't steal, therefore, neither does anybody else. That was my feeling most all my life, and it's still hard for me to come to grips with this.
I already passed on this site to my friend Tony, the charismatic. He doesn't have DSL so I don't know if he will download or not. I have tried talking to him about these things over the weekend, but he doesn't seem too interested and changes the subject. How can it be that people don't want the truth? I just don't get it. I find it so hard to believe that of all those people I've seen on TBN (and the likes of them), that there are not at least a few who are genuine and do really love Jesus.
I thank God I found your site. I will close now as I have more reading to do. Thank you for taking the time and effort it took to write all these articles and put up your site.
"To the law and to the testimony; if they speak not according to these things, it is because there is no light in them."
Take care now,
Mariel
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