Further Study: Read Ellen G. White, “Attitudes Toward the Testimonies,” pp. 40-48 in Selected Messages, book 1.
Opposition or indifference to the writings of Ellen G. White usually is the result of: (1) a failure to read enough of her writings to recognize and understand her overall and well-balanced instructions; (2) a failure to understand the proper relationship of her writings to Scripture; (3) a failure to recognize the true nature of divine inspiration; (4) a failure to recognize the principle of time and place in connection with the counsel she has given; (5) a failure to acknowledge that her counsels are still relevant today; (6) a failure to recognize that while sufficient evidence is given to convince the honest in heart, the Lord does not remove the opportunities for doubt; (7) an unwillingness to make a personal sacrifice of some cherished habit or practice that seems out of harmony with the counsels given in the writings of Ellen G. White.
Most opposition to the Spirit of Prophecy would disappear: (1) if people would stop using some pet sentence or paragraph as a club with which to hit somebody else; (2) if everyone would apply the counsels to themselves instead of trying to apply them to someone else; (3) if we would not quote her without knowing where the quote is found (there are too many apocryphal sayings in existence); (4) if we would not discuss something she wrote without having studied everything she wrote on a particular topic (partial knowledge can be more dangerous than no knowledge at all); (5) if we would recognize that people’s failure to live up to or carry out the counsels that Ellen White has given has nothing whatsoever to do with the reliability of the visions and instructions.—Based on Denton E. Rebok, Believe His Prophets (Washington, D.C.: The Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1956), pp. 309-312.
Discussion Questions: 
As a class, talk about the blessings the Adventist Church has received from the ministry of Ellen White. What are some of the favorite quotations? How has her writing personally impacted each member’s spiritual growth? At the same time, what struggles have people sometimes had with her writings? What was the cause of those problems, and how can we help folk work through them?
Many new people coming to the Adventist Church have questions regarding Ellen White. What are some approaches we could take in helping them come to a balanced understanding of the gift?
What have you learned this quarter that helps you better understand the role of the Spirit of Prophecy? What positions have you had to change? What new insights have you gained? What questions still remain?
| I N S I D E Story | ||
| The Drunkard and the Tailor by FULGENCIO CHALUFOIA I was a drunkard, and my drinking robbed me of everything. But a humble tailor helped me find my way back from the edge of hell. I live in Mozambique. I kept my drinking a secret until I was married, hoping that I could stop. But I was powerless to stop. After we were married, my drinking only got worse. Sometimes I was so drunk I beat my wife, and she threatened to leave me. I went to a witch doctor, but he could not help me conquer my addiction. Finally my wife had enough; she left me. Desperate to stop drinking, 1 bought a Bible and began attending church. One Sunday on my way to church, I met a tailor working in his roadside shop. "Where are you going?" he asked. "To church," I replied. "Why are you going today?" he asked. "Yesterday was God's Sabbath day." Curious, I stopped. The tailor told me that God had the answer to my drinking problem and offered to teach me the Bible. The tailor could not read, but he knew the Bible. He sat down beside me, opened a notebook filled with Bible references, and pointed to one. "Look up this verse," he said. I found the Bible verses and read them. Then he explained what they meant. We read many Bible texts, and the tailor explained each one to me. Finally he told me to read Exodus 20. I read the Ten Commandments, and suddenly I realized that the Bible was filled with new truths that I had never read before. I asked the tailor what church he belonged to, and he told me the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He invited me to worship there the following Sabbath. I promised to be there as I continued on to my church to tell my friends what I had just learned. The next Sabbath I found the Adventist church and worshiped there. In that church I found God's grace and the power to overcome alcohol and tobacco. It took some time, but with God's help, I never smoked or drank again. My drinking had cost me everything-my job, my wife, my home. But God has given me my life back. I am happy in Jesus, and I have invited my friends to find Jesus as well. So far at least 15 of my friends have discovered God's truth and joined the Adventist church because I shared with them what God has done for me. Your mission offerings help bring the gospel to thirsty souls everywhere.
FULGENCIO CHALUFOIA lives in Chimoio, Mozambique. | ||
| Produced by the General Conference Office of Mission Awareness. email: info@adventistmission.org website: www.adventistmission.org |
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