115 Dangerous Cult
Murray stepped through the church doors with determination and his fists clenched. His wife Esther had made friends with people who called themselves "Seventh-day Activists" and started attending church service with them every Saturday. Murray had heard lots of rumors and stories about these Seventh-day Activists from his friends and co-workers. They were a dangerous cult, they told him. Everyone knows you're supposed to go to church on Sundays. Who goes to church on Saturdays? It's just weird!
What's worse, these Seventh-day Activists don't seem to do regular activities like normal people. Murray was told that many of these Activists do not like to drink alcohol or smoke. They don't like going to ball games or music concerts on Friday nights. They pass out religious tracts to strangers. Worst of all, quite a few of them don't even eat meat at all! People who don't like eating steak? That seemed so un-American, in Murray's mind. They really must be a dangerous cult!
Murray was prepared to rescue his wife from these lunatics, even if he had to fight his way through everyone to get to her. However, before Murray could shout out Esther's name and cause trouble, he was astonished to be greeted with an amazing outpouring of love by the people in the church. He was graciously greeted and led to a sit in the pew in the front next to his wife. Murray's plan of rescue vanished from his mind, as his angry heart began to melt.
Murray quietly sat through the rest service with Esther. His heart stirred as he heard a story about the great and unfathomable sacrifice made by someone named Jesus. Tears welled up in Murray's eyes as he put his arm around his wife and listened intently.
Murray started attending church service with his wife regularly every Saturday. Murray came to learn that the people he was worried about are actually called Seventh-day Adventists. Murray started studying the Bible with his wife daily and they even held Bible studies at their homes and shared with their friends and neighbors.
Murray started making some changes in his life. He stopped swearing and began to have a calmer demeandor. Murray quit smoking and started eating less fatty fried foods. He started exercising more. Murray's doctor was amazed at how Murray's blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels all dropped in relation to his previous visit to the doctor's office. He wasn't sure what Murray was doing, but he told Murray to keep at it. Murray was eventually able to stop taking his blood pressure, cholesterol, and diabetes medications altogether at his doctor's advice.
Murray and his wife got baptized together after a year. Murray's friends were shocked at this news. "What happened to you? You are so different now! You were supposed to save your wife from the Seventh-day Activists and you ended up joining that cult?" they would all exclaim.
Murray smiled at his friends. "Those people are no cult," he explained. "I came to fight them, but I ended up meeting Jesus. I realized I was dying spiritually and physically. Thanks to Jesus, these people helped me turn my life around! I am proud to say that I am a Seventh-day Activist, too!"
Have you ever wondered about Seventh-day Adventists? Come to your local SDA church and see!
- Recommended reading: Psalm 66:5, John 1:39
