Amazing Facts

[OnTheHorizon]

A few years ago I watched a Bible teacher on TV teaching a series on Revelation. The show was called Amazing Facts.
I watched it several times and wanted to know more about them because they may have had a church close to me and I was thinking of attending it.

Come to find out that it is a Seventh Day Adventist church. I stopped watching the shows and decided not to attend because I didn't think Seventh Day was fully compatible with traditional Christianity.

Recently, I have been praying about a new home church for our family and this church has come to my attention again.
Can someone tell me more about what they believe and how it might contradict Christianity?
Their statement of faith seems fully Christian to me and it's been a while since I watched the show, but I enjoyed the Bible teaching.

Here's a link to the main site:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/

[Rev.3:20]

These sites should help you out.

http://www.alwaysbeready.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=81&Itemid=88

http://wayoflife.org/fbns/avoiding/avoiding00.htm

Charles Taze Russell founder of the Watchtower Society (Jehovah Witnesses) was a Seventh Day Adventist and some of his doctrines came from the Seventh Day Advent church.

[PlentyGroovy]

We BelieveWe believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God and is profitable for correction, reproof, and instruction in righteousness (2Timothy 3:16) and that it reveals the almighty God.

We believe that Jesus is the eternal, self-existent God and is not a created being. Even though He is fully God, He took upon Himself the form of a man to live and die for our sins.

We believe that the penalty for man's sin was paid on the cross of Calvary in Jesus' death. "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Romans 6:23. By believing on Jesus Christ and accepting the grace of His shed blood, we receive the gift of eternal life. "Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:9.

Because we love Jesus for His sacrificial death, we want to obey Him as he commands in John 14:15. We are not saved by our works; but, because we are saved, we choose to keep His commandments as the guide for successful living.

We believe that prophecy reveals Jesus is coming again very soon. Mathew 24:32-51.

I don't have any problems with this.

If doesn't sound 7th day adventist...:confused

[Paidfor]

A few years ago I watched a Bible teacher on TV teaching a series on Revelation. The show was called Amazing Facts.
I watched it several times and wanted to know more about them because they may have had a church close to me and I was thinking of attending it.

Come to find out that it is a Seventh Day Adventist church. I stopped watching the shows and decided not to attend because I didn't think Seventh Day was fully compatible with traditional Christianity.

Recently, I have been praying about a new home church for our family and this church has come to my attention again.
Can someone tell me more about what they believe and how it might contradict Christianity?
Their statement of faith seems fully Christian to me and it's been a while since I watched the show, but I enjoyed the Bible teaching.

Here's a link to the main site:
http://www.amazingfacts.org/

That's an interesting website. I found nowhere that the SDA church was mentioned. But it is a ministry of the SDA church. It's just interesting that they seem to go out of their way to not mention it.

The SDA take the sayings of Ellen White above the Bible in that wherever the sayings of Ellen White conflict with the Bible they go with Ellen White.
They believe in salvation by works. We will be judged for our sins as if the blood of Christ means nothing.
They believe in soul sleep, that there is no consciousness of the soul after death.
They believe that the fourth commandment (sabbath day) is the most important commandment. And since they are legalistic, it is a mortal sin to not keep the Sabbath.

[OnTheHorizon]

That's an interesting website. I found nowhere that the SDA church was mentioned. But it is a ministry of the SDA church. It's just interesting that they seem to go out of their way to not mention it.
I noticed that too.

Rev. 3:20- thanks for the links. They were helpful.

[Caleb]

I don't have any problems with this.

If doesn't sound 7th day adventist...:confused

I believe that's from their Questions on Doctrine. Walter Martin's The Kingdom of the Cults has a chapter on 7th Day Adventism that's worth the read.

[PlentyGroovy]

That's an interesting website. I found nowhere that the SDA church was mentioned. But it is a ministry of the SDA church. It's just interesting that they seem to go out of their way to not mention it.

The SDA take the sayings of Ellen White above the Bible in that wherever the sayings of Ellen White conflict with the Bible they go with Ellen White.
They believe in salvation by works. We will be judged for our sins as if the blood of Christ means nothing.
They believe in soul sleep, that there is no consciousness of the soul after death.
They believe that the fourth commandment (sabbath day) is the most important commandment. And since they are legalistic, it is a mortal sin to not keep the Sabbath.

Can you find anything on the website that ties it to SDA? I couldn't...:noidea

The belief statement negates the 'salvation by works' you mention.

We are not saved by our works; but, because we are saved, we choose to keep His commandments as the guide for successful living.

and

"Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:9.

Everything I looked at was sound doctrine.

[Paidfor]

Can you find anything on the website that ties it to SDA? I couldn't...:noidea

Hi PlentyGroovy

When I saw your post I went back to look again. On my previous post, I said they were SDA and that was based on the doctrines in some of the article that I read about the Sabbath and soul sleep.

But I thought that there must be some definite tie to the SDA church. I looked over the website and again found no reference to the SDA church or Ellen White. So I decided to see if there was any information on Doug Batchelor, who, I guess, Is the host of the television show (I've never seen the show). So I googled him and went to his website. Again, there was no mention of the SDA church. I said on his website that he was the pastor of the Sacramento Central Church. Well, I thought, that sounds like the name of a normal non-denominational church. So I googled Sacramento Central Church. Google results pop up Sacramento Central Seventh-day Adventist church. I clicked on the website and listed as the pastor is Doug Batchelor. Wow, I don't think even the Mormons and JWs go to this length to hide who they are.:spy

The belief statement negates the 'salvation by works' you mention.
Everything I looked at was sound doctrine.

Well, they are kind of like the Mormons like that. You really have to look at the details. They are orthodox on a lot of doctrine and then make a sudden left turn into Heresy-town.

This is my understanding of what they believe regarding salvation and security. They claim to believe in salvation by grace. But what they mean by that is God's grace gives us the ability to obey and be saved. If you obey the ten commandments, you are saved. If you sin you can ask forgiveness repent and be saved. If you don't ask forgiveness and repent the sin is held against you and you are lost. You don't go to Hell as they don't believe in Hell. They believe in the annihilation of the lost.

I don't know if I explained this right. One of the links that Rev 3:20 gave linked to a David Reagen article that explains their doctrine very well.

[OnTheHorizon]

This is going to sound bad but I'm wondering it I can live with some of these issues because they are not salvation issues.

The church I attend now has, over the years become a feel good, motivational speaker type church and I have had enough of that.
I go to an AOG church but I'm finding that just because they say they believe certain things sure doesn't mean they are being effective.

[PlentyGroovy]

I didn't see doctrine like that on the site. I believe you, Paidfor, that you dug around and finally found this guy listed on a SDA site. OntheHorizon, you might want to email him and ask him if he does affiliate with SDA and how he feels on the issues Paidfor brings up. I liked the site, enjoyed surfing through it. Maybe he is pulling away from SDA? God does make new churches that are sound, look at Calvary Chapel, that is relatively new. I'm sure folks were and are still suspicious of it. Maybe this new effort is sound doctrine too. I looked for anything out of kilter but didn't find anything that raised red flags.

[Rev.3:20]

This is going to sound bad but I'm wondering it I can live with some of these issues because they are not salvation issues.

The church I attend now has, over the years become a feel good, motivational speaker type church and I have had enough of that.
I go to an AOG church but I'm finding that just because they say they believe certain things sure doesn't mean they are being effective.

Yes that does sound bad. The Seventh Day Adventist church is an apostate church. They reject Orthodox teachings on Hell, the soul (soulsleep) and yes salvation. PaidFor touched on part of the issue. You really need to read those webites as PaidFor said th Seventh Day church goes out of their way to hide their identity. If you don't celebrate the Sabbath on Saturday you are an antichrist and have the mark of the beast. This is their heretic teachings.

I would suggest checking into a Fundmental Baptist church you will not here tickling of ears sermons.

[Paidfor]

This is going to sound bad but I'm wondering it I can live with some of these issues because they are not salvation issues.

The church I attend now has, over the years become a feel good, motivational speaker type church and I have had enough of that.
I go to an AOG church but I'm finding that just because they say they believe certain things sure doesn't mean they are being effective.

What it sounds like you are saying is that the AOG church is not helping you to grow as a Christian and become mature. But to go to an SDA church would just mean you are going from no doctrine to bad doctrine. It will be impossible for you to grow there as well because the teaching is wrong.

Also consider that when you are a part of a church, your time and money goes to promoting the ministry and testimony of that church.

I'm praying for you OnTheHorizon.

[OnTheHorizon]

Yes, you are right, Paidfor. Our church has been stagnant for a very long time and I'm ready to start growing again.

Thank you all for your thoughts and support. :grouphug