I came across this which is very interesting........

"Then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. Matthew 24:10.
As the storm approaches, a large class who have professed faith in the third angel’s message, but have not been sanctified through obedience to the truth, abandon their position and join the ranks of the opposition. By uniting with the world and partaking of its spirit, they have come to view matters in nearly the same light; and when the test is brought, they are prepared to choose the easy, popular side. Men of talent and pleasing address, who once rejoiced in the truth, employ their powers to deceive and mislead souls. They become the most bitter enemies of their former brethren. When Sabbathkeepers are brought before the courts to answer for their faith, these apostates are the most efficient agents of Satan to misrepresent and accuse them, and by false reports and insinuations to stir up the rulers against them.
The season of distress before God’s people will call for a faith that will not falter. His children must make it manifest that He is the only object of their worship, and that no consideration, not even that of life itself, can induce them to make the least concession to false worship.
At that time the gold will be separated from the dross.... Many a star that we have admired for its brilliance will then go out in darkness. Those who have assumed the ornaments of the sanctuary, but are not clothed with Christ’s righteousness, will then appear in the shame of their own nakedness.
Among earth’s inhabitants, scattered in every land, there are those who have not bowed the knee to Baal. Like the stars of heaven, which appear only at night, these faithful ones will shine forth when darkness covers the earth and gross darkness the people.... In the hour of deepest apostasy, when Satan’s supreme effort is made to cause “all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond,” to receive, under penalty of death, the sign of allegiance to a false rest day, these faithful ones ... will “shine as lights in the world.” ... Philippians 2:15. The darker the night, the more brilliantly will they shine." Ellen G. White Writings

I know some ex-adventists. They are a tough crowd.

They actually also have their own forum area where they post against SDAs, etc.

I don't think there is such a thing as an Ex Adventist. They probably weren't converted in the first place. No one who knows all the messages of the Seventh-day Adventist church can possibly leave it.

Satan must have never known God intimately, otherwise, why would he leave Him? You can know the truth, then apostatize. (?) And a third of the angels where never in God's camp then either.

No, those that knew the truth, and then fall away, are the worst of enemies. They know where to attack and how to twist the truth.

15-20 years ago, just before what we call the "post-modern era" there was a huge influx of people into the Adventist faith who were attracted to the idea of knowing the truth, but did not want to conform to the Spirit of the law. They had significant amounts of confidence in the message until they tried to convert others, and were met with major objections to our faith and they yielded. Imagine becoming an Adventist these days, with all the wicked stuff that is said against our prophet and our beliefs. Do a Google search and you'll find as many Anti-Adventist hits as Adventist.

They brought in their baggage of not being convicted on issues like dress and the role of women, in entertainment for children and young adults and knowing how to take care of each other without TV as a crutch etc., and many leaders who were already going down the secular path in our church became the pied pipers of these halfhearted men and they plunged into battle against the truth within our church. Men in power selected men and women who showed promise in their filed of battle and set out to make them leaders also.

I have personally witnessed this within our church. Certain men set out to get me to conform to their understanding of the way the church should be administered, using flattery to get me to use my knowledge in the Rock music industry to build a rock and roll Adventist church. I personally had dreams that warned me of their intentions and I was inspired to prayerfully take them on. Imagine how popular that made me.

Speaking as one who did not learn from men, and who would not conform to these men's agenda, needless to say I have never been asked to be an elder, but I have had the privilege of being a deacon. But under protest from the more secular believers.

Where will their faith be when the power they were hoping for to get through the time of trouble is not there for them, because they were not prepared for the end?

The people I know who have fallen away did so not because they disagreed with the doctrines but because they lost interest in seeking and saving the lost. Once that happened church conflict and problems with members turned them off. Leaders assume it was conflict and problems that drove them away, but the truth be known it started when they left off seeking and saving the lost.

I wish this was true. Unfortunately even the perfect Lucifer lost his way.

Now I see that others have said this while I was taking my time writing.

In a typical congregation, would you say most are seeking and saving the lost? If what you say is true, I see many about to fall away.

True! Things might improve if the inactive members (the ones not using their gifts and talents to seek and save the lost) got busy or got gone (stayed home or warmed pews elsewhere).