There is a new program sponsored by the SDA church entitled Connecting With Jesus. More aptly it should be called connecting with Ellen White. As you can see by the artwork from the site the rays of the light are very specifically shining upon Ellen White. The Website proposes to get 10 Ellen White books to church members around the world. Of course this would be the way that the effort is connecting to Jesus because Ellen White writes about Religious subjects. Of course by this logic you could say the D.L. Moody, Charles Wesley or any number of authors were connecting to Jesus by reading their material. That this is limited to Ellen White shows that the real intent is to connect the church members with Ellen White who they incorrectly label as the Spirit of Prophecy.
Here is an example of the extra Biblical nature of Ellen White from Patriarchs and Prophets. Here is the material from Chapter 1 study guide.
Quote:
| PATRIARCHS AND PROPHETS Chapter 1: Why Was Sin Permitted? 1. In heaven, Lucifer began to insinuate doubts concerning God’s law that governed the angels. How does he continue to attack God’s law? 2. What steps did Lucifer take that caused a spirit of dissatisfaction to grow among the angels? How did the loyal angels respond during this time? 3. The counsel and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of hope to the angels blinded by Satan’s deceptions; had they heeded, they might have broken away from his snares. How does this encourage you to witness to those who seem to have fallen beyond hope? 4. Why did God not destroy Satan, but see fit to allow sin to run its course? https://connectingwithjesus.netadven...Prophets-1.pdf |
1. In heaven, Lucifer began to insinuate doubts concerning God’s law that governed the angels. How does he continue to attack God’s law?The Bible first of course does not equate Satan with Lucifer that is church tradition. Neither does the Bible say that Satan insinuated doubts concerning God's law that governed the angels. Even though many people do not realize the historical developments that equated Lucifer of Isaiah 14 to Satan it is none the less an historical fact that most Bible Commentaries note today. For more see Who is Lucifer (Satan Misidentified) After my article is a list of quotes from several commentaries, dictionaries and encyclopedias. Of course many more could be added, so be sure to read the evidence before merely discounting the idea because it is not consistent with the tradition one may have grown up with.
2. What steps did Lucifer take that caused a spirit of dissatisfaction to grow among the angels? How did the loyal angels respond during this time?Again the Bible records nothing of steps of this supposed Lucifer to cause dissatisfaction, nor does it say how loyal angels responded. A lot of this is taken from the verse in Revelation "there was war in heaven" however that is only one interpretation of that verse e.g. that there really was a war in heaven. The rest is taken from the Lucifer myth as put forth in the early church fathers.
3. The counsel and entreaties of the loyal angels opened a door of hope to the angels blinded by Satan’s deceptions; had they heeded, they might have broken away from his snares. How does this encourage you to witness to those who seem to have fallen beyond hope?Again nothing in the Bible about this.
4. Why did God not destroy Satan, but see fit to allow sin to run its course?
A fictional version of things as if they are presented in the Bible is a cause for concern. Many may say that Isaiah 14 is allegorical for Satan. However to be an allegory the information must be presented somewhere in the Bible as an unequivocal statement. Otherwise as an allegory it would have to be defined by the speculation that Satan did all those things in heaven. In which case it becomes nothing more then a speculation. Ellen White does not however say that this material is in the Bible hence the need for her input as a prophet and the use of the term Spirit of Prophecy. This gives authority and allows for non Biblical material to be accepted as if it was from the Bible.
Not that much of this is new to Adventism it is not, she is merely taking traditions and codifying it for Adventism. with the imprimatur of the truth backed by the prophet whose writing are viewed as the Spirit of Prophecy. Which leads to the problem of Connecting with Jesus program. It is simply a veiled attempt to promote Ellen White as a spiritual authority. Most likely an attempt to build up Ellen White in the world, increasing her impact in the third world and trying to recapture the authority of Ellen White as a prophet in the Adventist population of the first world.
3 comments:
I must agree with Ron but think he was too kind. Not only is this an attempt to get the ignorant people believing EGW was a true prophet, but it now makes it harder to complain about it. How can one argue facts over faith? Perhaps some day a line will be drawn in the sand, those beliving the lies of EGW and Saul/Paul verses those who KNOW the truth and follow ONLY the straight testimony of Jesus given to us by His eyewitnesses. (John 14:26) Yes, we do need a great shaking, just to get rid of all of the foolishness.
R. Humpal, JD
Fortunately, I've found how the Bible became clearer to me with the help of Ellen White's writings. Her ministry is like a telescope magnifying the Biblical principles. The idea "EGW or Jesus" does not make sense. Because of EGW's writings, my love for Christ increases. We are not to make EGW and Christ to war against each other. That would be tantamount to saying "Moses or YHWH?" Obviously Moses is not attempting to steal people's hearts onto himself, but that he led them to love YHWH. Similarly, Ellen White is not saying that the world must have her as the sole spiritual leader, but that the people will obey the clear teachings of the Bible and have a personal connection with Christ.
What about the phrase "ONLY the straight testimony of Jesus given to us by His eyewitnesses"? Yes, Ellen White affirms it. Nowhere in EGW writings can you find a statement negating the reading of the gospels. On the contrary, it endorses it for the people. But since the protestant world have been publishing books that obscures the truth of Christ's testimony in these days, twisting, hiding the precepts of God's immutable Ten commandments and the Bible truths in general, it makes her prophetic ministry imperative, because EGW wrote in a spirit perfectly in accord to the tenor of the Bible than any other modern theologian. There is no other religion in all the world whose doctrines follow the Scriptures fully and unbiasedly as is the Seventh-day Adventist church. Luther is prejudiced against the book of James, this is why too much is stressed on Christo-centric view apart from the law. While the SDAs have a balanced view in accepting the whole Bible unbiasedly. The Protestants, who styled themselves "evangelicals" are positively rejecting plain Biblical teachings, specifically the Sabbath commandment. "Because Christ died for us," they say,"we are not to keep the law. We must, in effect, kill one another, DISOBEY GOD, commit adultery and all kinds of obscenities, while Christ's grace continually cover our sinful nature." Such lawless theology is human nonsense.
In the field of Biblical scholarship, the SDAs are without rival. Even the Jesuits attests the truthfulness of this denomination. I cannot understand how backslidders hated Ellen White too much. At least i understand that their comments does not jive with my conscience. Foolishness is on the part of those careless seekers of truth who are merely influenced by prejudices. Personally, I look at EGW's critics demeaning themselves by their abuse and antagonism against her. I would not react in the same base spirit as her critics would. Jesus did not denounce Satan with insulting words, but simply said, "The LORD rebuke you, Satan” (Zechariah 3:2; Jude 9). I still pray that God will enlighten EGW’s critics, and that it will not be too late for them to see the truthfulness of her work in this modern age. .
Well, keep your useless skepticisms to yourselves! Don't you know that more and more Jewish Rabbis in America are becoming converts into the SDA church because of Ellen White's book, The Patriarchs and Prophets? You may write cheap and silly articles such as this, Ron, but no Jew will listen to your effete logic. The Bible is written by Jewish authors only. God had especially chosen Israel to bear His light to all the peoples. He sent prophets, inspiring them to utter divine sentiments in an understandable human language. Where in particular did Ellen White strayed from the sentiment of the Bible? You may reason away Ellen White's definition of Lucifer, but still no Israeli will listen to you. It takes The Patriarchs and Prophets book to convince them, NOT RON'S WEAK CRITICISMS. There are already hundreds of Jewish Rabbis in America who acknowledged EGW's book, The Patriarchs and Prophets to be of the same spirit that inspired the Old Testament prophets. Why do you keep Sunday instead of Sabbath?
Now, Humpal, JD mentioned about "the ONLY straight testimony of Jesus given to us by His eyeswitnesses." Can you understand Greek, Mr, Humpal? Are you well-versed in the historical settings of the New Testament? Have you not find passages puzzling to comprehend? Well, go to your most trusted Bible commentaries written by authors that are devout and intelligent. Aren't the SDA Biblical scholars most consistent in their interpretation of the Bible even without the aid of Ellen White? Why do you keep Sunday instead of the Sabbath day? With or without EGW, we are still in the right, using the Bible and the Bible alone. But you are in the wrong, NOT WE. R. Humpal might be reading his Bible assiduously, but i doubt if he ever understood Colossians 2: 16-18 quite well, in the correct exegesis and proper hermeneutics, and other Bible texts by which he could throw at the Adventists. I doubt if he ever consulted Bible commentaries, or merely interpreted the Bible by his own modern thinking, mixed with personal biases..and then thinks that the Holy Spirit is beside him teaching him. But that's not the way how to interpret the Bible, that's eisegesis, -an interpretation of the text based on subjective analysis and opinions being forced into the Bible text. In order to interpret the Bible properly, one has to pray first, then study and see a text in the light of its historical and grammatical setting. Knowing Hebrew and Greek is the only essential tool in order to arrive at the proper interpretation of the Bible. But where did Ellen White in her writings ever contradicted the Bible? Produce evidence if you can. Her allegories about Lucifer? What about the allegory in Job and in the Song of Solomon? Do you complain, Ron, because her visions were not written in the Scriptures such as the Lucifer personhood? If it's not written in the Bible, in what sense did her allegorization contradict the Bible? Where in our doctrines do the Seventh-day Adventists erred? On the other hand, we can point out your [protestant churches'] wrong interpretations, wrong doctrines, wrong beliefs, wrong faith. Why? Because we alone are consistent to the Bible in interpreting it correctly, others ARE NOT. Point out where were our errors. Prove to us our mistakes.. You cannot find any. If you can, you will still be overwhelmed by our rebuttals, and again you will not be able to answer.
There is no cure for unbelief and envy. We are not envious of Ron or of any other protestant churches who do not have the blessing we have enjoyed, -the prophetic ministry of Ellen G. White, which made us unique to all the Christian churches of the world, which have guided us in health and in any concerns of this life, -no we do not envy them; they envy us. They hate us. They criticize our doctrines and beliefs. What if the SDA church will in turn criticize their weak, faulty, not-Bible-based beliefs? I AM SURE THEY CANNOT STAND AGAINST US.
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